I Like Oncology. I Don’t Like Hematology. Now What?

[spillingthetea]

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Hello! I'm a 2nd year med student looking for some advice. I've finished shadowing the specialties I was seriously considering and I've ended up back where I started: oncology.

I've taken the AAMC specialty questionnaire three times (at the beginning of medical school, during my first year, and recently after finishing my shadowing), and all three times I got IM by a wide margin (65+). We've also finished most of the organ systems, and oncology is the only one where I've consistently found the material genuinely interesting.

The two things holding me back from heme/onc are that I don't really like heme (anemias, thalassemias, etc.) and that the training is 6 years. I took two gap years before medical school, so the prospect of another 6 years after med school is daunting.

I also know I don't want an academic career. For those who went into community/private-practice heme/onc, how much of your practice is actually non-cancer heme? For anyone who has had similar reservations about the training length or the hematology component, how did you approach the decision?

 

[Med Ed]

There are some programs, like Vanderbilt's, that have a medical oncology track.

Six years is daunting on the front end, but those are the years that make you competent to practice, and confident enough to survive the learning curve of your first job.

IMHO heme could still be useful simply because, even if you stick with 100% medical oncology, you will spend a lot of time thinking about (and dealing with) issues related to hematopoiesis.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Hello! I'm a 2nd year med student looking for some advice. I've finished shadowing the specialties I was seriously considering and I've ended up back where I started: oncology.

I've taken the AAMC specialty questionnaire three times (at the beginning of medical school, during my first year, and recently after finishing my shadowing), and all three times I got IM by a wide margin (65+). We've also finished most of the organ systems, and oncology is the only one where I've consistently found the material genuinely interesting.

The two things holding me back from heme/onc are that I don't really like heme (anemias, thalassemias, etc.) and that the training is 6 years. I took two gap years before medical school, so the prospect of another 6 years after med school is daunting.

I also know I don't want an academic career. For those who went into community/private-practice heme/onc, how much of your practice is actually non-cancer heme? For anyone who has had similar reservations about the training length or the hematology component, how did you approach the decision?

Training years go by fast and you’re paid as a resident and fellow. Don’t let an extra year or two change 30+years of practice for the worse.

Not liking a component of a field is not a reason not to do it. It’s unlikely you’ll find a field you enjoy every aspect of. You might also enjoy it more in practice than you think.

Once you’re in practice, esp if not academic, you might be glad you have a broader skill set to market yourself. Having more skills could translate to a busier practice and more money.