1st year med student interested and seeking advive

[spammed]

Hello!

I'm a first year med student interested in rad onc and wanted some advice on entering the field. I have previous experience in rad onc from having a rad onc resident as my mentor in undergrad, so I shadowed him and did some research with him.

I really enjoy the field and have a bias for it since it was my first exposure to medicine, however I see a lot of negativity and doom & gloom online regarding it. Am I cooked? Should I look into another field?

thanks in advance!

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[Gfunk6]

Look elsewhere. Medical Oncology would be a great choice as would Diagnostic Radiology and many surgical sub-specialities.

As others will undoubtedly say "well, if you are not happy doing anything else . . ." then don't say you were not warned.

Others will say, "I'm doing great in Rad Onc!" I am one of those people. If you could seamlessly take my job, I would heartily recommend you go into the field ASAP. But you can't and by the time you get here, there won't be much worth taking.

 

[spammed]

Look elsewhere. Medical Oncology would be a great choice as would Diagnostic Radiology and many surgical sub-specialities.

As others will undoubtedly say "well, if you are not happy doing anything else . . ." then don't say you were not warned.

Others will say, "I'm doing great in Rad Onc!" I am one of those people. If you could seamlessly take my job, I would heartily recommend you go into the field ASAP. But you can't and by the time you get here, there won't be much worth taking.

Thanks for the honesty!

 

[TheWallnerus]

Hello!

I'm a first year med student interested in rad onc and wanted some advice on entering the field. I have previous experience in rad onc from having a rad onc resident as my mentor in undergrad, so I shadowed him and did some research with him.

I really enjoy the field and have a bias for it since it was my first exposure to medicine, however I see a lot of negativity and doom & gloom online regarding it. Am I cooked? Should I look into another field?

thanks in advance!

My advive to you: covfefe

 

[spammed]

My advive to you: covfefe

Sorry but what does this mean?

 

[medgator]

Thanks for the honesty!

Id look at med onc (easily doable in a larger city with a big system with minimal heme IMO), rads, ENT or GU as reasonable radonc alternatives.

@Gfunk6 nailed it regarding those of us in good jobs now vs folks like you looking to get out in the next decade

 

[Doctorer]

As others will undoubtedly say "well, if you are not happy doing anything else . . ." then don't say you were not warned.

If I could strike one absolutely useless phrase from medical education, it would be this one.

Although “sonimeter” would be a close second.

 

[OTN]

If I could strike one absolutely useless phrase from medical education, it would be this one.

Although “sonimeter” would be a close second.

I've come around on "sonometer", as I now find it hilarious when people use it, so I'm kinda (low-key as the kids would say) happy when they do.

 

[yesmaster]

Id look at med onc (easily doable in a larger city with a big system with minimal heme IMO), rads, ENT or GU as reasonable radonc alternatives.

@Gfunk6 nailed it regarding those of us in good jobs now vs folks like you looking to get out in the next decade

I’ll stay at my current job until they wheel me out for an autopsy or cryopreservation

 

[NotMattSpraker]

I’ll stay at my current job until they wheel me out for an autopsy or cryopreservation

I LOL'd but there is an element of truth here and I worry that this will become common.

I know a fair number of early-mid career folks that are mildly unhappy, searched around, then decided their current job is their best option.

There are A LOT of young radiation oncologists out there and you can easily do this job until you are 80.

There may not be an easy solution, but no one is even talking about the future.

 

[msbbc833]

Attending rad onc here several years out. Love my job, good pay, good city, good hours, but I did have to suffer in a small town for several years after residency. I'll just leave this here.

American Income on Instagram: "Medical Oncologist 🥼#doctor #healthcare #education #medschool #advice #career #salary #motivation #jobs #doctors #healthcare"

15K likes, 750 comments - americanincome on February 18, 2025: "Medical Oncologist 🥼#doctor #healthcare #education #medschool #advice #career #salary #motivation #jobs #doctors #healthcare".

www.instagram.com

 

[Mandelin Rain]

Attending rad onc here several years out. Love my job, good pay, good city, good hours, but I did have to suffer in a small town for several years after residency. I'll just leave this here.

American Income on Instagram: "Medical Oncologist 🥼#doctor #healthcare #education #medschool #advice #career #salary #motivation #jobs #doctors #healthcare"

15K likes, 750 comments - americanincome on February 18, 2025: "Medical Oncologist 🥼#doctor #healthcare #education #medschool #advice #career #salary #motivation #jobs #doctors #healthcare".

www.instagram.com

Yup. This is why I trust those salary surveys 0%.

First year out of fellowship. CV sounds... not great. $1.4 million (working locums, though).

Meanwhile, the surveys will say the median salary for a med onc is like $450k or something. He does say that the locums allows him to 3x his salary (which I find quite dubious based on what I know about our local market salaries). But....if true.... it begs the question; why not just pay 2x more for a stable physician situation rather than 3x more for an unstable physician situation? I just don't get it. Especially in a field like med onc where long term continuity of care is so important.

 

[yesmaster]

IG is accurate. Sad!