Heme (players) only

[superserial]

Any quick way to find out which programs would let you hematologize alone in 2 yrs, ie avoid the onc?

I only saw three programs specifically listed as such via FREIDA yet when I snoop around some other fellowship websites (eg Dana Farber) the fine print indicates that one can choose either heme or onc .

Thanks.

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[gutonc]

Why would you do that to yourself?

 

[RustBeltOnc]

superserial -

I urge you to consider "the hematology paradox."

The ASH / ABIM hematology syllabus has fascinating content, but community practice is the opposite. Mostly mundane anemia, anti coagulation, 90 yo with plt count 90, etc.

If you cannot do solid tumor oncology, you limit your job opportunities, and the work you would get in the community would be very unrewarding.

If you do elect to do a hem only fellowship, please do so only after talking to more people and some serious soul searching.

 

[Happy Bird]

Any quick way to find out which programs would let you hematologize alone in 2 yrs, ie avoid the onc?

I only saw three programs specifically listed as such via FREIDA yet when I snoop around some other fellowship websites (eg Dana Farber) the fine print indicates that one can choose either heme or onc .

Thanks.

Here are some programs that allow you to do hematology only that I interviewed at. Of note, I am from the east coast-- I don't know as much about midwest and west coast programs:

Hopkins
NIH (amazing heme research opportunities and lots of cool pathology)
UNC
UPenn

 

[drno3man]

Add to the above mentioned programs:
Penn state they have a benign heme fellowship in addition to hem/onc

 

[Doctor&Geek]

Our program does allow either heme or onc, if and only if your intended career choice is as a pure academician or physician scientist. There is one pathway to apply in our program, but you choose after the match.

Incidentally, this is somewhat of a change from prior, as often fellows from our program would only do one or the other, period.

 

[superserial]

Why would you do that to yourself?

Thanks for the replies, folks.
I'm interested in academic medicine, not private or community practice.
Solid oncology doesn't quite do it for me from a personal or research standpoint.
Leaning toward pursuing stem cell fellowship, for which an onc background is less directly applicable and will take another year.

superserial -
I urge you to consider "the hematology paradox."
The ASH / ABIM hematology syllabus has fascinating content, but community practice is the opposite. Mostly mundane anemia, anti coagulation, 90 yo with plt count 90, etc.
If you cannot do solid tumor oncology, you limit your job opportunities, and the work you would get in the community would be very unrewarding.
If you do elect to do a hem only fellowship, please do so only after talking to more people and some serious soul searching.

I am somewhat worried, however, about losing attractiveness from a hiring perspective if I am only boarded in heme.
Definitely continuing to soul search!

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for the replies, folks.
I'm interested in academic medicine, not private or community practice.
Solid oncology doesn't quite do it for me from a personal or research standpoint.
Leaning toward pursuing stem cell fellowship, for which an onc background is less directly applicable and will take another year.

I am somewhat worried, however, about losing attractiveness from a hiring perspective if I am only boarded in heme.
Definitely continuing to soul search!

Look man...I get that. I too entered (not just fellowship, but med school) with the plan to do academic medicine. I single-boarded in onc, did the research pathway, wrote grants, wrote papers...didn't get a job. So now I'm in a pseudo-academic community setting doing a little bit of everything, including benign heme. A residency and fellowship classmate of mine took the same route, has a lab and is a transplanter (despite doing only onc, like me). The way that academic medicine (and medicine in general) are changing, (I think) you'd be foolish to limit yourself so dramatically in case a pure academic career doesn't work out for you (which is statistically more likely than not). Heme alone makes you virtually unemployable outside of academia. 1 more year of training is nothing at this point.

 

[carrigallen]

I agree. Classic heme has other downsides as well:
- Most people don't understand their illness.
- New appointments are time-sucks.
- High proportion of regulars (hemophiliacs etc) are socioeconomically disadvantaged, on medicaid or county insurance.
- Preoperative clearance requests, and other litigious aspects, can get nasty.
- As a med onc, I have a surgeon, radiation oncologist, pathologist, diagnostic radiologist, interventional radiologist, infusion pharmacist, endoscopist, etc who run interference for me. In classic heme, you are basically flying solo.