neuro onc

[stlmadman]

So I'm a medicine resident at a good program with a strong heme-onc department interested in heme-onc, but lately more specifically neuro onc. I've found the patients with brain tumors and mets to the brain to be the most fascinating.

But...I'm not a neurologist and it's probably too late to start again. I've read that some neuro-onc fellowships take med onc trained fellows and just wanted to know if any of you had any good info on that? I think it'll be easier for me to learn the neuro part of neuro-onc than for them to learn the onc part of heme-onc since our training is longer and more indepth. Am I wrong in thinking that?

thanks

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[gutonc]

Well...a quick Google Search tells me that programs are about evenly split between those that accept only neuro and neurosurg trained folks and those who also accept hem/onc applicants. But you probably already knew that.

When I look at the curriculum in those programs that accept hem/onc trainees, it doesn't seem much different that a typical hem/onc fellowship other than the focus on neuro. You don't do anything novel that you don't do in a typical hem/onc fellowship. And you can honestly do that by just choosing your hem/onc fellowship program and mentor(s) wisely. Not only that but you save an additional 2-3 years of training you'll do with the neuro-onc fellowship. If your career goal is running an academic neuro-oncology program, it might be worth it. If you just "like brain tumors" do a hem/onc fellowship and focus on them.