Its hard being like William Osler!

[mjl1717]

Im an international medical grad. who is battling with step 2 of the boards. But I also recently started a new specialty as a Hem/ Onc. P.A. One thing about this specialty I notice is that patients in general dont want to hear the word Oncology or Hematology/ Oncology..[I guess it sounds morbid to them]
For example you wouldnt put up a private office shingle that says Oncology clinic because no one would come. Its much better to put up a shingle that says Internal medicine clinic.. Also I notice that this is one area of the many that ive been where the meds and chemotherapy are approved and change to newer chemicals super fast!! In addition I see that anemia to an Internist and anemia to Hem/ Onc is seen as something completely different.. By the way the
doc I work with has seen 1 case of Osler- Weber- Rendu ds. (they bleed easy/scratch&bleed.)
Since you guys have helped me in return here is a :

Hypercoagulable state or thrombophilia workup.

protein C&S levels
antithrombin III
factorV-Leyden gene
MTHFR (methyl tetrahydrofolate reductase) gene
prothrombin gene
of coursePT/PTT
Vit B12, folate
CBC with diff
fibrinogen
serum homocysteine
Lupus Anticoagulant
ANA titer

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[Hayden2102]

Sorry, but what are you talking about?

 

[mjl1717]

Patients dont want to hear that they are going to an Oncology clinic. Better off saying you have an Internal medicine clinic instead of saying Oncology clinic as far as private practice goes.. {I just found out there is a stigma associated with going to an oncology clinic.} The doc I work with changed the name of his office because of this!

 

[megadon]

Until the majority of your business is referral, change your name to IM. Why isn't the majority of your business referral anyway? No one goes to their PCP and says, I think I've got cancer, I want a referal to an onc.

 

[mjl1717]

Until the majority of your business is referral, change your name to IM. Why isn't the majority of your business referral anyway? No one goes to their PCP and says, I think I've got cancer, I want a referal to an onc.

Buddy you are right most of the buisness is referral.. I understand there is a small amount of walkins.. [ also I notice alot of medical professionals dont use the word cancer. they'll say the C-word..]

 

[Cirrus83]

Yeah my doc is an oncologist but his sign doesn't really make mention of it (I see him for IM, not for cancer).

But if you don't want to see regular IM cases as well, I doubt cancer patients will ignore their referral because your sign says oncologist. The oncologist sign probably just gets regular people to not come to you as a PCP.

 

[GuzzyRon]

The title of this thread is very misleading.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

Buddy you are right most of the buisness is referral.. I understand there is a small amount of walkins.. [ also I notice alot of medical professionals dont use the word cancer. they'll say the C-word..]

You mean, they'll tell the patient, "Well Mrs X, we've got the biopsy results back, and I'm sorry to say, but its the C-word"?

 

[deleted87716]

I notice alot of medical professionals dont use the word cancer. they'll say the C-word..

You've got to be kidding me. Where in the world do you work?

 

[Hayden2102]

One of the things I have been specifically taught when conferring bad news is to use the real term, never sugar-coat it.

"I'm sorry but the test results indicate that it is cancer".
"I'm afraid your husband died this morning".

Better for the patient in the long run. I'd absolutely hate to be told I have "the c word". I'd probably think the doctor was trying to tell me I have a vagina.

 

[mjl1717]

No, Im not saying mislead patients if they have cancer. If they have cancer you tell them cancer , it would be poor communication to do otherwise.... Im just saying that at times mostly among peers they'll say the c-word..

 

[Hayden2102]

No, Im not saying mislead patients if they have cancer. If they have cancer you tell them cancer , it would be poor communication to do otherwise.... Im just saying that at times mostly among peers they'll say the c-word..

I really don't think that's true at all.