General Info for hem/onc

[504196]

Hey everyone. I'm an MS1 and had some general questions about hem/onc after shadowing a hematologist/oncologist/transplant specialist last week. The physician did not give me much general information about the field but instead chose to discuss the biomedical aspects of transplants and his research.

Anyways, I am just wondering what types of people generally go into tej specialty. I was an English major in undergrad and am drawn to specialties where you have intimate conversations with patients about life and death and address the patients emotions. I also enjoy forming long term relationships with patients as well. However, the biology of cancer and all the treatments involved with cancer are not as interesting to me at this point. But I will keep an open mind at this point.

I am just wondering if you all could share your opinions about the field and what type of people generally choose oncology. Also what is the lifestyle like?

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[bashwell]

Hey everyone. I'm an MS1 and had some general questions about hem/onc after shadowing a hematologist/oncologist/transplant specialist last week. The physician did not give me much general information about the field but instead chose to discuss the biomedical aspects of transplants and his research.

Anyways, I am just wondering what types of people generally go into tej specialty. I was an English major in undergrad and am drawn to specialties where you have intimate conversations with patients about life and death and address the patients emotions. I also enjoy forming long term relationships with patients as well. However, the biology of cancer and all the treatments involved with cancer are not as interesting to me at this point. But I will keep an open mind at this point.

I am just wondering if you all could share your opinions about the field and what type of people generally choose oncology. Also what is the lifestyle like?

I think all sorts of people choose heme/onc (or just oncology). Really hard to pin down one personality type. In my experience (including my mentor who is an oncologist) many oncologists I know tend to be patient, kind, compassionate people who are good at listening, and have good bed side manner, as they say. But I've also met some who are not like this, so...

It's a long book but I love Weinberg's The Biology of Cancer. Definitely read it if you get a chance. I didn't finish it but read a lot of it.

Lifestyle is different as a resident (IM), fellow (heme/onc), new attending, attending 5 years out, 10+ years out, etc. It depends on where you work too (e.g. university/academic, PP, hospital employed). And even within similar environments there's a lot of variation (e.g. small PP vs a super huge mega godzilla sized group), different expectations, different ways of getting paid, etc. Anyway lots of variables. I believe there's a thread on this in this forum somewhere.

 

[Aralc]

Hey everyone. I'm an MS1 and had some general questions about hem/onc after shadowing a hematologist/oncologist/transplant specialist last week. The physician did not give me much general information about the field but instead chose to discuss the biomedical aspects of transplants and his research.

Anyways, I am just wondering what types of people generally go into tej specialty. I was an English major in undergrad and am drawn to specialties where you have intimate conversations with patients about life and death and address the patients emotions. I also enjoy forming long term relationships with patients as well. However, the biology of cancer and all the treatments involved with cancer are not as interesting to me at this point. But I will keep an open mind at this point.

I am just wondering if you all could share your opinions about the field and what type of people generally choose oncology. Also what is the lifestyle like?

I would suggest something like palliative care if you don't really have an interest in the biology. With everything new going on, you probably should have a little interest in the biology.

But you are only an MS1 so you have a long ways to go.

Keep an open mind and maybe you will grow to like it. You won't have to decide for several years.

Certainly in oncology, there is plenty of opportunity to have life/death conversations.

 

[eteshoe]

I think all sorts of people choose heme/onc (or just oncology). Really hard to pin down one personality type. In my experience (including my mentor who is an oncologist) many oncologists I know tend to be patient, kind, compassionate people who are good at listening, and have good bed side manner, as they say. But I've also met some who are not like this, so...

It's a long book but I love Weinberg's The Biology of Cancer. Definitely read it if you get a chance. I didn't finish it but read a lot of it.

Lifestyle is different as a resident (IM), fellow (heme/onc), new attending, attending 5 years out, 10+ years out, etc. It depends on where you work too (e.g. university/academic, PP, hospital employed). And even within similar environments there's a lot of variation (e.g. small PP vs a super huge mega godzilla sized group), different expectations, different ways of getting paid, etc. Anyway lots of variables. I believe there's a thread on this in this forum somewhere.

Definitely a masterpiece - one of the books that really got me interested in cancer biology/oncology. A good and easy to understand read, even if cancer bio doesn't enthrall you.