Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

[DrJ2B]

Hey all!

I am really interested in going into pediatric oncology. I am applying to medical schools now and I hope to go to UPenn Medical School. Are there any combined programs? From what I have gathered, I would do a peds residency then an oncology/hematology residency? Which programs are best for pediatric oncology? I really do not think I will change my mind about going into ped onc. I have dreamt about doing it for a long time. I have a special interest in it because a good friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer when she was in HS. I would really appreciate any information. Thank you all in advance.

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[Gleevec]

Well, I'm not a resident or even a med student, but I too am interested in peds subspecialties (heme/onc, cards, ER). As far as I know, you do a pediatric residency followed by a fellowship in the specific pediatric subfield.

So for peds heme-onc, you would spend 3 years for peds residency, and then 3 years for heme-onc fellowship for most programs. You do some research during the fellowship for heme-onc, at least for IM, so I'd imagine you would do the same for peds as well.

I dont know of any combined programs for peds heme/onc. The best peds heme/onc programs are going to be similar in rank to the best peds hospitals overall (CHOP, Boston, Texas Childrens). All these programs are academically oriented, and as a peds subspecialist, it is likely you will be working for one of these institutions, so some research experience might be worthwhile.

Im sure a real med student or resident could better answer your questions, and correct any mistakes I have made, but that is what I know up to this point about peds subspecialties.

 

[wub]

Research is a big component for any fellowship program, including peds fellowships. You generally spend 1-1.5 year of your 3 years of fellowship doing full-time research.

There are no combined programs for heme-onc. The only peds subspecialties that offer combined programs, that I know of, are peds neuro, peds EM, and peds genetics.

As for strong programs in heme-onc, I'd agree with Gleevac that they are usually the same as the top peds residency programs in the country. Just a few to add to the list include Johns Hopkins, St. Louis Children's (Wash U), Children's Memorial (Northwestern), UCSF, and U Wash-Seattle.

 

[DrJ2B]

Thanks so much Gleevec and wub! I really appreciate all your input. I cannot wait to start medical school (hopefully at UPenn )

 

[bella_dottoressa]

I have a huge (but very preliminary...not even a medical student yet) interest in pediatric subspecialties too; particulary heme-onc. Are there any good places to find more info about the field? Searching online just seemed to bring me to the homepages of various programs, which while helpful didn't provide me the general sort of information I was looking for.

 

[Tazmaniac]

DrJ2B-

Your enthusiasm is fantastic and will carry you throughout medical school. Just be very careful you keep an open mind throughout it, as most people will completely change their minds about their specialty of choice. I know many peds-onc-driven medical students who after doing a significant amount of rotations in it, no longer have an interest in it as a career. The reasons are varied, but working day-to-day as a doctor and dreaming about it are perilously different. (There are no lawyers in the second one, for starters)

Choose the best medical school based on academic prowess, location, and general atmosphere. Then you can worry about the pediatrics residency and then the heme-onc.

I was gung-ho orthopedics-sports medicine since 10th grade in high school, and it wasn't until last year that I realized what a bad fit that would have been for me. So keep an open mind, work hard, play hard, laugh a lot, and good luck!

-Todd MS-IV USC

 

[Kiki2004]

I completely agree. The whole reason I decided I wanted to go into medicine and pediatrics was because I wanted to do Heme-Onc. Boy, did things change! Now I am thinking of going into something completely different!

I agree, keep an open mind! And good luck!

Go peds!

 

[jdog]

Since you seem so intent on doing Peds Hem-Onc, keep in mind that it is not a competitive fellowship to get, you have a resident / fellow salary for six years after medical school. I would also consider not going too far into debt considering this. The loan companies don't care if you are an interventional cardiologist or an academic doc making 1/4 as much, you still owe the same amount. If you live in a state with a respectable state medical school, check it out. I am doing residency with people with huge loans to pay back and it looks very painful.

 

[bella_dottoressa]

Good points...so fellows make approximately residents salaries then?

What are the numbers like on income for pediatric subspecialists following fellowship?

 

[Kalel]

Peds fellows, like all fellows, get paid as PGY-4-6 scale. This usually equates to a salary of ~45-60K.