Single or Double Board - Heme/Onc

[Tumi123]

Just had a question for all those heme/onc-ers out there...

For those of us who are likely to pursue private practice... will it really make a significant difference if I double boarded v. single boarding in onc and leaving a 3-yr program a year early? I know it may be a prestige thing in regards to prospective employers, patients, or even some insurance companies, but at the end of the day the vast majority of practice is onc anyhow and by the time you establish yourself, remuneration is based on volume primarily right? I was just curious and would like some feedback, thanks!

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[texashemonc]

I double-boarded in both heme and onc and am in private practice. I work in a large metropolitan area which is quite competitive- so it's quite good to have both boards under you. If you work in the boonies, then I suppose it doesn't really matter.

When starting out in a practice, most of the time it can be hard to get referrals for cancer patients because it certainly entails more trust to refer to a doctor who's been out for 15 years than someone who just came out. So the first couple of years there will a bulk of heme referrals which can be quite boring seeing pts with plts of 135 or wbc of 12 but still they help pay the bills. And it is gratifying seeing the young women with fe-deficiency anemia magically come up from hgb 5- 12 in 6 weeks after you've seen lots of terminal cancer patients.

I seriously thought about doing 2 years only but am glad I did the extra year. Definitely helps in finding a job in a big city.