Heme/Onc: More Heme or More Onc?

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

2nd year here, working through our heme/onc course at my school. I have always really enjoyed immunology & I dig the leukemia/lymphoma 'cause it has a lot of immunology involved, and I like hematology in general. Never considered heme/onc until we started this class because tumors have been my least favorite part of every unit (which is why I liked cardio a lot... myxoma & rhabdomyoma were the only relevant tumors lol) & I always assumed heme/onc was 100% tumors and some anemia.

Curious as to the above: how much heme & how much oncology is involved in being a heme/onc fellow? Do you have to deal with all types of cancers? Or is heme/onc pretty specific for leukemias/lymphomas? My school curriculum makes it seem like it heme/onc = hematology + leukemia/lymphoma.

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[whoknows2012]

2nd year here, working through our heme/onc course at my school. I have always really enjoyed immunology & I dig the leukemia/lymphoma 'cause it has a lot of immunology involved, and I like hematology in general. Never considered heme/onc until we started this class because tumors have been my least favorite part of every unit (which is why I liked cardio a lot... myxoma & rhabdomyoma were the only relevant tumors lol) & I always assumed heme/onc was 100% tumors and some anemia.

Curious as to the above: how much heme & how much oncology is involved in being a heme/onc fellow? Do you have to deal with all types of cancers? Or is heme/onc pretty specific for leukemias/lymphomas? My school curriculum makes it seem like it heme/onc = hematology + leukemia/lymphoma.

Hematology and oncology fellowship includes all solid tumor malignancies (breast, colon, prostate, sarcoma, melanoma for example), non-malignant hematology like anemia, clotting disorders, hemophilia, itp, hemolytic anemia, as well as malignant hematology which is leukemia, lymphoma myeloma and bone marrow transplantation. Depending on the type of program you are apart of there can be more of a focus on solid tumors vs malignant heme vs benign heme. Also if you’re at a solid academic program or cancer center you have some ability as a fellow to pick your own area of expertise and while you get an education in all areas of hem/onc you can have a clinical and research focus in one area (leukemia for me as an example). It’s a great field! Only a 2nd yr fellow but I have tremendous satisfaction in what I do and find it to be very rewarding

 

[Deecee2DO]

Hematology and oncology fellowship includes all solid tumor malignancies (breast, colon, prostate, sarcoma, melanoma for example), non-malignant hematology like anemia, clotting disorders, hemophilia, itp, hemolytic anemia, as well as malignant hematology which is leukemia, lymphoma myeloma and bone marrow transplantation. Depending on the type of program you are apart of there can be more of a focus on solid tumors vs malignant heme vs benign heme. Also if you’re at a solid academic program or cancer center you have some ability as a fellow to pick your own area of expertise and while you get an education in all areas of hem/onc you can have a clinical and research focus in one area (leukemia for me as an example). It’s a great field! Only a 2nd yr fellow but I have tremendous satisfaction in what I do and find it to be very rewarding

Another question to follow up with @NecrotizingFasciitis ’s is it possible to only do Hematology without Onc? Im only an M1 but interested in IM and subspecializing

 

[whoknows2012]

Another question to follow up with @NecrotizingFasciitis ’s is it possible to only do Hematology without Onc? Im only an M1 but interested in IM and subspecializing

Yes, but only a few of those spots exist. Not sure how many maybe 10-20?

 

[Deecee2DO]

Yes, but only a few of those spots exist. Not sure how many maybe 10-20?

Ok so im assuming very competitive. So would they still be treating cancer at all? or just clotting disorders anemias and other blood disorders etc

 

[whoknows2012]

Ok so im assuming very competitive. So would they still be treating cancer at all? or just clotting disorders anemias and other blood disorders etc

I had been under the impression they were only benign hematology but now I’m not sure after a quick google. Looks like usc and Stanford officially offer hematology only fellowships and Hopkins has a hematology “track”

Single-board hematology fellowship track: a 10-year institutional experience

 

[gutonc]

Ok so im assuming very competitive. So would they still be treating cancer at all? or just clotting disorders anemias and other blood disorders etc

Heme training/boards covers both benign and malignant heme. Onc training/boards covers both solid and liquid tumors. They overlap at the leukemia/lymphoma/myeloma level.

These heme-only programs are extremely non-competitive, because getting a job afterwards is rather difficult in the absence of something like a BMT super-fellowship. There aren't that many benign heme only jobs out there (and essentially none outside of academia).

If you want to focus on heme, that's fine. Do a regular hem/onc fellowship, focus on heme during your training and then get a benign heme academic job if you can, or join a larger hem/onc group and be the guy that everyone else in the group is ecstatic to be able to dump these cases on.

 

[Deecee2DO]

Heme training/boards covers both benign and malignant heme. Onc training/boards covers both solid and liquid tumors. They overlap at the leukemia/lymphoma/myeloma level.

These heme-only programs are extremely non-competitive, because getting a job afterwards is rather difficult in the absence of something like a BMT super-fellowship. There aren't that many benign heme only jobs out there (and essentially none outside of academia).

If you want to focus on heme, that's fine. Do a regular hem/onc fellowship, focus on heme during your training and then get a benign heme academic job if you can, or join a larger hem/onc group and be the guy that everyone else in the group is ecstatic to be able to dump these cases on.

Thank you for your insight I would def like to join a larger heme/onc group and focus on heme but want to get more exposure to the field thanks again

 

[evilbooyaa]

Heme training/boards covers both benign and malignant heme. Onc training/boards covers both solid and liquid tumors. They overlap at the leukemia/lymphoma/myeloma level.

These heme-only programs are extremely non-competitive, because getting a job afterwards is rather difficult in the absence of something like a BMT super-fellowship. There aren't that many benign heme only jobs out there (and essentially none outside of academia).

If you want to focus on heme, that's fine. Do a regular hem/onc fellowship, focus on heme during your training and then get a benign heme academic job if you can, or join a larger hem/onc group and be the guy that everyone else in the group is ecstatic to be able to dump these cases on.

Agree with bolded. Never seen a med-onc group that wasn't chomping at the bit to never have to do benign heme again and be able to dump all those consults on somebody else.

 

[Oncolizumab1]

Piggy-backing off of this thread, are there plenty of non-academic (e.g. hybrid or private practice) malignant heme/BMT jobs available. I'm debating solid tumor vs the above and am leaning towards doing malignant heme/BMT. Is there a significant pay cut from choose this and are jobs more difficult to get?

 

[gutonc]

Piggy-backing off of this thread, are there plenty of non-academic (e.g. hybrid or private practice) malignant heme/BMT jobs available. I'm debating solid tumor vs the above and am leaning towards doing malignant heme/BMT. Is there a significant pay cut from choose this and are jobs more difficult to get?

They are out there, but I wouldn't say there are "plenty" of them.