heme/onc personality

[citizenbang]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if oncologists have a distinct personality the way that some of the other subspecialists do. Can you guys characterize the types of people that go into heme/onc? Also, is it better for logical types or feelings-oriented types? I feel like logical types would not get bummed out as quickly, but feelings oriented types may be better at counseling their patients. I am in medical school and was wondering if heme/onc is something that would suit me.

Thanks

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[D elegans]

Can you guys characterize the types of people that go into heme/onc?

Total bad***es

 

[citizenbang]

Total bad***es

great...any real answers?

 

[valdisus]

I guess with few hundreds fellows matching every year you may find the whole spectrum which is however skewed towards the group that you have called "logical" IMO. My opinion based on working with fellows in three major institutions as a resident. I would however consider this field regardless of your personality if you are interested in the science per se.

In fact saving ability to be appropriately emotional with patient is a great gift.

 

[gutonc]

great...any real answers?

I've worked with ~40 different co-fellows over the last 3 years and I'd say we fall in 30+ different personality types. The common factor is that we like oncology.

 

[EPADHA]

I've worked with ~40 different co-fellows over the last 3 years and I'd say we fall in 30+ different personality types. The common factor is that we like oncology.

Sorry for trolling.. but I think they tend to be nicer than CV fellows in general and are better listeners..

 

[EMDO2018]

Is oncology the type of specialty where you need a lot of emotional resilience? Until recently I thought hem/onc was a depressing field but a doctor I shadowed told me with the treatments more people are being saved than ever before. Also, why are there so few minority oncologist?

 

[gutonc]

Is oncology the type of specialty where you need a lot of emotional resilience?

The short answer to your question is yes. Here's the thing. Every single patient of every single physician in every single specialty will die. That's the reality of being a carbon based lifeform on Earth. As an oncologist however, you're often the last one standing when your patients die. So yes, you need to be emotionally resilient.

Until recently I thought hem/onc was a depressing field but a doctor I shadowed told me with the treatments more people are being saved than ever before.

Saved is the wrong word. People are living longer with cancer, that much is true. But people with metastatic disease aren't being "saved".

Also, why are there so few minority oncologist?

Which planet are you living on? My group of 12 oncologists, in one of the whitest cities in the US, has 4 honkies (of which I am one). If you're talking about an academic setting in particular, look around the rest of the hospital and see how many of the attendings are non-white. Also...who cares?

 

[EMDO2018]

Which planet are you living on? My group of 12 oncologists, in one of the whitest cities in the US, has 4 honkies (of which I am one). If you're talking about an academic setting in particular, look around the rest of the hospital and see how many of the attendings are non-white. Also...who cares?

When I say minority I mean specially URMs like African Americans and Hispanic Americans. I can imagine there are tons of Asians in medical specialties but they aren't minorities in medicine. "Who cares", well, since URM physicians are more likely to practice in underrepresented areas, I'm sure somebody cares about diversity in Oncology.

 

[visari]

Also, why are there so few minority oncologist?

is this just an observation or you're talking based on numbers? Because I don't think there are fewer AA or Hispanics in Oncology compared to other medicine subspecialities (BTW there are tons of Hispanic oncologists in the south)

 

[EMDO2018]

@visari looking at this website yesterday,

http://www.asco.org/practice-research/facts-and-figures-diversity-oncology

 

[gutonc]

"Who cares", well, since URM physicians are more likely to practice in underrepresented areas, I'm sure somebody cares about diversity in Oncology.

I guess by "who cares" I meant, "if you are one of these URM applicants (which, BTW, nobody thinks about once med school admissions are over), and you want to be an oncologist, the only thing standing in your way will be you, nobody else really cares what color your skin is as long as your knowledge and performance are up to par".

 

[Cytarabine]

When I say minority I mean specially URMs like African Americans and Hispanic Americans. I can imagine there are tons of Asians in medical specialties but they aren't minorities in medicine. "Who cares", well, since URM physicians are more likely to practice in underrepresented areas, I'm sure somebody cares about diversity in Oncology.

The ped h/o's at my institution are 2 blacks, 2 hispanics, 1 indian, 1 asian. The fellows are 1 white, 2 indians, 1 I don't know. So, not my experience, at least on the peds side