Is Pediatric Oncology for You?

May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Your strong desire to help others fight cancer might influence the topic choice of your bachelor degree. If you have made a decision to work in the field of oncology, you’ll want to examine its various aspects to find your niche. If you possess a strong love for children and a desire to help reduce their pain and discomfort, pediatric oncology may be the path for you.

Deciding to Pursue Pediatric Oncology

The time to determine your ultimate career path is when you are first starting your bachelor degree program. Majoring in biology, chemistry or physics will give you a strong foundation for medical school. If you know that you want to ultimately work in pediatric oncology, you’ll also want to spend time with children. You might get a part-time job in a pre-school as a teacher’s aide or volunteer in the pediatric oncology section of a hospital. Some people love children, but are too sensitive to cope with witnessing them struggle with illness. You’ll want to assess yourself in this regard ahead of time to ensure that you can cope emotionally with the day-to-day demands of your work.

Planning a Career Path in Pediatric Oncology

In addition to going to medical school after completion of your undergraduate degree, you’ll want to seek out specialized research programs in pediatric oncology. Look for graduate and post-doctoral research opportunities to learn about pediatric tumors, leukemia and relevant clinical treatments.

The more in-depth your education and knowledge, the better you will be able to help advance the field of pediatric oncology.

 

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Choosing A Treatment Center

December 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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If you have recently been recently diagnosed with cancer, you are more than aware of all of the decisions you need to make to ensure the best possible treatment for this vicious disease. You may need to make decisions regarding the medications used, surgery that may need to be done, or any number of other decisions, at a time when your brain is not quite working at warp speed. You have had a lot to deal with. Choosing the right place to have your cancer treated is extremely important in your journey. The road to remission is paved with decisions.

You will probably start out at whatever treatment center the physician you have chosen works through. Obviously that treatment center will be in tune with the course of treatment you and your physician have chosen for you. You may choose a local treatment center, as some local hospitals have cancer treatment centers, or you may choose a center in another part of the country. There are well known cancer centers in all parts of the country. Your particular type of cancer and course of treatment will guide you to the right place.

Whether you choose to receive your treatment locally or you are flying half way across the world to help you with your cancer treatment, make sure you are in a place you feel is the best fit for you. Is the cancer treatment center addressing every part of your treatment? Are you receiving enough support from the cancer treatment center personnel? Have you been given the opportunity to ask questions, and speak to the people who know the answers? Do you feel that you are being treated as a person, and not just a disease?

Cancer treatments are grueling. Feeling confident that you have chosen the right place for you is one less thing you have to worry about, and one more thing you can feel good about.

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Who’s On Your Cancer Treatment Team?

November 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Your head may still be foggy and spinning if you just received a cancer diagnosis. You realize that you are going to have to deal with issues, some that may be life and death, while others may be more ordinary — like will the dog get fed?

You do not have to travel this path alone and neither will your family and friends who you know are already there to support you. In addition, you’ll have your physician, but he or she is not the only medical professional that is going to be part of your support team. Proper treatment of cancer takes the skills from a lot of people.

Because the treatment of cancer is not a single approach, but multi-pronged, that is the reason you will have numerous physicians treating you. And the good treatment of cancer is not merely treating the disease alone. All kinds of other life aspects have to be addressed such as your diet, your mood and how this affecting your friends and family.

Because of all the considerations your team make include dietitians, therapists, nurses and other medical experts. There will be professionals that work behind the scenes, some of whom you may not meet including anesthesiologists and pathologists.

It is more than valuable that you have all of these professionals and experts on your care team. Each team member will be bringing a different approach and perspective to both treatment and diagnosis. And if you have many people on your treatment team, your treatment will also have many available options.

You do need to realize that the center of your team is going to be your doctor who is generally an oncologist. You will want to choose an oncologist that you feel you can communicate with and that you can trust. You need to feel that your doctor is clearly professional and knowledgeable.

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