I just tell them this is what everyone in the states wears...chops and a stache...Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Rad Onc
I am presenting a poster in Seattle May 28th. This poster is still not complete. Not only that, but it looks like I need to redo lots of the data that are part of it. Thus, posting might be sporadic for the next month or so.
Happy Cinco de Mayo. Interestingly, a friend of a friend wrote this Op/Ed piece. I am yet to fully fact check it, but it is quite interesting:
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:CQzNAOqUdvoJ:www.utexas.edu/lbj/students/writing/nedderman.pdf+may+5,+2007+cinco+de+mayo+austin+stateman&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk
On another note, I find myself wrapped up in the world of statistical analyses lately. It seems that is all I do. Also, after having the opportunity to read about and discuss medical specialties even more lately, I feel very good about pursuing radiation oncology (5 years of residency after med school). When I shadowed a radiation oncologist several years ago, I decided right then and there (knowing nothing about lifestyle, research in field, pay, etc) that that was the type of oncology I wanted to practice. I was fascinated; I shadowed as radioactive seeds were planted in a man’s prostate. Then later I watched as the oncologist applied strontium directly to a woman’s eye tumor. Later, a woman was told she had roughly a 20% chance of living. This was fascinating to me. The oncologist spent a great deal of time “coaching” her on what treatment she could pursue. The specialty takes all the great things I love about teaching and coaching and applies them to medicine and oncology. I digress.
In searching for the medical specialty I want, there are many things that enter the decision. First, I need a specialty where I can pursue oncology research in a basic science lab. I have learned that while clinical research can be interesting, it doesn’t fulfill my need for investigating novel mechanisms (so far anyways). Thus, I need a specialty that allows me time and resources to research in a basic science lab. Surgery would make this very difficult, as there is an emphasis on practicing surgery a lot so that you can improve each time (after all, Michael Jordan didn’t become great by READING about how to play basketball…he practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced). Also, surgeons tend to have little time for their outside-of-medicine pursuits. Although it may surprise some, I have a keen interest in things outside just practicing medicine (family, writing, teaching, reading, politics, public policy, art, animals, international health, etc.). Surgery would leave me little time for these things.
Radiation Oncology also appears to attract more “basic scientists” than any other specialty (this is debatable). In fact, about 20% of folks matching into Rad Onc residency each year have their PhD already (way more than any other feild)! Further, the career demands a ferocious interest in basic science and being on the cutting edge of technology and new, groundbreaking science. Thus, most Rad Onc's will spend quite a bit of time outside of the clinic in research/academic pursuits. Apparently, this discipline attracts very few “phonies” that are just interested in the nice lifestyle (like dermatology, ophthalmology are prone to do) because the career demands a high interest/activity in science. I love this. Also, it is one of, if not the, top specialty for palliative care. End of life issues are extremely interesting to me, and I plan to be involved with palliative care my whole life (another post on this later?). Finally, you get to sit down and really dig into the treatment plan you are going to give a patient. No cracking chests and yelling orders in the OR (I am NOT interested in this), but rather lots more time at the desk with a cup of coffee using physics and the literature to determine what and how to zap. I love this! Also, "call" tends to be quite light (how often is a tumor going to need emergency zapping?), allowing for greater flexibility. Finally, these doctors are compensated quite well, which is important because 1) I am going to have WELL above the average student loans (because of the whole masters/PhD/post-bacc thing) when I start practicing, and 2) I want to be able to take care of my family. Like it or not, medicine is a career just like other careers, and I would like to be able to take care of and protect my family and friends. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Finally, I have been reading lately that in order to match into Rad Onc you need to have good grades in med school and score high on your boards (it is considered “ultracompetitive”, along with Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Plastic Surgery), but also it is IMPERATIVE that you have published some research and it helps tremendously if you attended a school with a top Rad Onc Program. A large part of my picking Cornell was because of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Imagine my delight when I looked up “top” Rad Onc programs and saw that Cornell was considered one of the top three, if not THE TOP, Rad Onc program in the states (and possibly world). The three “top” Rad Onc programs appear to be Cornell, MD Anderson (Houston), and Harvard. So it all seems great right now….I “just” have to get in there and do really well in med school now!
On another note, I am tired of the endless haggling for money; even from people you thought were friends. One of the guys that I talk to all the time around where we live asked me 20 bucks the other day. It made me sad because I thought we had a friendship. I’m learning it’s very hard to have a friendships across perceived socioeconomic barriers. And of course I told him no.
Today I spoke Creole with the nurse I yelled an expletive at earlier this year. She got so excited that I understood what she was saying and was holding a conversation with her. This made me laugh because I haven’t had time to study AT ALL lately. And when I yelled at her before I was studying every day! Maybe it's easier because I'm just living and using it without thinking too much.
Finally, a young man grabbed me outside the clinic yesterday and spoke a mixture of English and Creole with me. Basically, he was well-dressed and never asked for money. He said he was looking for work and did I know of anything at GHESKIO (the clinic) that he could do. I was happy that as jaded as I have become I was able to speak rationally and try to help him. I told him that I was merely a research intern here, with little to no power. Further, I told him that I have no idea if there are even any jobs here. However, I told him that what he should do is put together a resume and a short personal statement saying a bit about whom he is and what he would be interested in doing. He said he would do that. We exchanged emails and phone numbers. Today, he was at the clinic again. We talked some more. He wanted to know if we could sit down and have a meeting next week. I told him yes, BUT it might not do any good. I explained again that I had no power and was merely a research intern here. I hope he understood this. He did start the conversation today by saying, “Hey, I see you around the clinic speaking Creole!” And then we spoke Creole. Bon Bagay (Good Stuff)!
I just wish there were work to give people like this and/or I had anything to do with that. Then again, I am plenty jaded to be prepared for this to be a big let-down. I hope not.
In other news, Mandy has started working at Holy Angels Hospice Orphanage. I wouldn’t do it justice to speak of it here for her. From what I hear from her, imagine commercials of sick and handicapped kids with flies in their mouths and sores on their bodies in their underwear. Imagine children with heads the size of basketballs because their hydrocephalus has not been fixed. So that’s what she gets each day. Perhaps I can eek a blog entry out of her.
Finally, one last thing about Rad Onc. To the best of my knowledge there isn’t much treatment for cancer in places like this (Haiti). I think if you have cancer you basically ride it out (unless you happen to have money to go elsewhere). Perhaps I would have the time and money to set up radiation therapy in places like this one day.
Happy Cinco de Mayo. Interestingly, a friend of a friend wrote this Op/Ed piece. I am yet to fully fact check it, but it is quite interesting:
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:CQzNAOqUdvoJ:www.utexas.edu/lbj/students/writing/nedderman.pdf+may+5,+2007+cinco+de+mayo+austin+stateman&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk
On another note, I find myself wrapped up in the world of statistical analyses lately. It seems that is all I do. Also, after having the opportunity to read about and discuss medical specialties even more lately, I feel very good about pursuing radiation oncology (5 years of residency after med school). When I shadowed a radiation oncologist several years ago, I decided right then and there (knowing nothing about lifestyle, research in field, pay, etc) that that was the type of oncology I wanted to practice. I was fascinated; I shadowed as radioactive seeds were planted in a man’s prostate. Then later I watched as the oncologist applied strontium directly to a woman’s eye tumor. Later, a woman was told she had roughly a 20% chance of living. This was fascinating to me. The oncologist spent a great deal of time “coaching” her on what treatment she could pursue. The specialty takes all the great things I love about teaching and coaching and applies them to medicine and oncology. I digress.
In searching for the medical specialty I want, there are many things that enter the decision. First, I need a specialty where I can pursue oncology research in a basic science lab. I have learned that while clinical research can be interesting, it doesn’t fulfill my need for investigating novel mechanisms (so far anyways). Thus, I need a specialty that allows me time and resources to research in a basic science lab. Surgery would make this very difficult, as there is an emphasis on practicing surgery a lot so that you can improve each time (after all, Michael Jordan didn’t become great by READING about how to play basketball…he practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced). Also, surgeons tend to have little time for their outside-of-medicine pursuits. Although it may surprise some, I have a keen interest in things outside just practicing medicine (family, writing, teaching, reading, politics, public policy, art, animals, international health, etc.). Surgery would leave me little time for these things.
Radiation Oncology also appears to attract more “basic scientists” than any other specialty (this is debatable). In fact, about 20% of folks matching into Rad Onc residency each year have their PhD already (way more than any other feild)! Further, the career demands a ferocious interest in basic science and being on the cutting edge of technology and new, groundbreaking science. Thus, most Rad Onc's will spend quite a bit of time outside of the clinic in research/academic pursuits. Apparently, this discipline attracts very few “phonies” that are just interested in the nice lifestyle (like dermatology, ophthalmology are prone to do) because the career demands a high interest/activity in science. I love this. Also, it is one of, if not the, top specialty for palliative care. End of life issues are extremely interesting to me, and I plan to be involved with palliative care my whole life (another post on this later?). Finally, you get to sit down and really dig into the treatment plan you are going to give a patient. No cracking chests and yelling orders in the OR (I am NOT interested in this), but rather lots more time at the desk with a cup of coffee using physics and the literature to determine what and how to zap. I love this! Also, "call" tends to be quite light (how often is a tumor going to need emergency zapping?), allowing for greater flexibility. Finally, these doctors are compensated quite well, which is important because 1) I am going to have WELL above the average student loans (because of the whole masters/PhD/post-bacc thing) when I start practicing, and 2) I want to be able to take care of my family. Like it or not, medicine is a career just like other careers, and I would like to be able to take care of and protect my family and friends. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Finally, I have been reading lately that in order to match into Rad Onc you need to have good grades in med school and score high on your boards (it is considered “ultracompetitive”, along with Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Plastic Surgery), but also it is IMPERATIVE that you have published some research and it helps tremendously if you attended a school with a top Rad Onc Program. A large part of my picking Cornell was because of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Imagine my delight when I looked up “top” Rad Onc programs and saw that Cornell was considered one of the top three, if not THE TOP, Rad Onc program in the states (and possibly world). The three “top” Rad Onc programs appear to be Cornell, MD Anderson (Houston), and Harvard. So it all seems great right now….I “just” have to get in there and do really well in med school now!
On another note, I am tired of the endless haggling for money; even from people you thought were friends. One of the guys that I talk to all the time around where we live asked me 20 bucks the other day. It made me sad because I thought we had a friendship. I’m learning it’s very hard to have a friendships across perceived socioeconomic barriers. And of course I told him no.
Today I spoke Creole with the nurse I yelled an expletive at earlier this year. She got so excited that I understood what she was saying and was holding a conversation with her. This made me laugh because I haven’t had time to study AT ALL lately. And when I yelled at her before I was studying every day! Maybe it's easier because I'm just living and using it without thinking too much.
Finally, a young man grabbed me outside the clinic yesterday and spoke a mixture of English and Creole with me. Basically, he was well-dressed and never asked for money. He said he was looking for work and did I know of anything at GHESKIO (the clinic) that he could do. I was happy that as jaded as I have become I was able to speak rationally and try to help him. I told him that I was merely a research intern here, with little to no power. Further, I told him that I have no idea if there are even any jobs here. However, I told him that what he should do is put together a resume and a short personal statement saying a bit about whom he is and what he would be interested in doing. He said he would do that. We exchanged emails and phone numbers. Today, he was at the clinic again. We talked some more. He wanted to know if we could sit down and have a meeting next week. I told him yes, BUT it might not do any good. I explained again that I had no power and was merely a research intern here. I hope he understood this. He did start the conversation today by saying, “Hey, I see you around the clinic speaking Creole!” And then we spoke Creole. Bon Bagay (Good Stuff)!
I just wish there were work to give people like this and/or I had anything to do with that. Then again, I am plenty jaded to be prepared for this to be a big let-down. I hope not.
In other news, Mandy has started working at Holy Angels Hospice Orphanage. I wouldn’t do it justice to speak of it here for her. From what I hear from her, imagine commercials of sick and handicapped kids with flies in their mouths and sores on their bodies in their underwear. Imagine children with heads the size of basketballs because their hydrocephalus has not been fixed. So that’s what she gets each day. Perhaps I can eek a blog entry out of her.
Finally, one last thing about Rad Onc. To the best of my knowledge there isn’t much treatment for cancer in places like this (Haiti). I think if you have cancer you basically ride it out (unless you happen to have money to go elsewhere). Perhaps I would have the time and money to set up radiation therapy in places like this one day.
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