Hi, I am just a 3rd year but am almost definitely sure I want to do heme-onc. So, I've shadowed/done research with 2 different attendings.
Both had GOOD lifestyles!! Not derm, but GOOD, and they said one of the better lifestyles for IM subspecialties. They got into work early and were sometimes out at 7, sometimes 5, and sometimes 2 or 3. I dont think either worked weekends at all, as there was hospitalist and ICU coverage for their inpatients. Both divided up their days between working in their offices seeing patients and rounding at the hospital. I absolutely loved it. One thing that was neat was while I was working with them, multiple times both were invited to memorial services and other types of things like that - and it meant SO much to the families that they came. I think patients love their oncologists like no other, this is just what I saw day in and day out in the office.
Both said they took big pay cuts in the past 5 years when medicare cut chemo reimbursements - but the average heme onc still makes between 200,000-300,000 they said. As the population ages and cancer becomes the major killer, work will become more and more and there will be a huge demand...Fellowship is also getting more and more competitive - just behind cards and hemonc many say, so that means it IS an attractive fellowship to IM residents. This trend is just expected to continue.
Again, just a med student and I would love to hear some better adbice, but am thrilled about the idea of going into this field someday. I have read a thread on this topic, if u do a search on heme onc u should find it - some people work a ton, others manage, but I think you CAN do ok.
