How do I get exposure to Rad Onc while on 3rd year rotations?

[oncology2020]

How do I get exposure to rad onc? I'm on pediatrics and have to go in every day to the hospital and don't have time to shadow a rad onc. I doubt I'll have time to shadow during internal med and surgery. The earliest I can do an elective is in July. I wanted to do some research but dont want to waste my time doing research in rad onc if for whatever reason I decide not to do rad onc in the end. Soo confused on what I want to do...

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[ro6]

Sorry to hear about how long/tough the rotations might be! I can't say I'm a pro at it (currently a MS4), but there are a few ways you can start out:
- Try picking up peds onc cases - there's a good chance that radiation will be involved, and if there's a rad/onc consult, make sure you're there for the actual consult!
- Emails, lots of them - especially if you're looking for research. It's tough to get a day off as a MS3, but if you send the emails and are at the point of actually scheduling something, try to do it in the later afternoon, hopefully on a non-call day. That way, you can ask your team if you could take a couple hours out and come back to the Ward after, or if they'll let you go. Most of the time, if it's not crazy busy, you can be dismissed for it.

Saturdays and Sundays are tough to meet with Rad/Onc folks, and holidays likewise (I tried this during M2 winter break, and got nowhere).

 

[DukeNukem]

My advice: You don't get exposure to radiation oncology as a third year. You either do it before than or you wait until fourth year. The pediatricians at my medical school's hospital were very antagonistic towards the radiation oncologists. There was an attitude that radiation basically destroyed children with secondary malignancies, growth defects, and intellectual impairments. The medical school and pediatricians in general lamented that too many students were choosing specialties for the lifestyle and money. Even students interested in radiation oncology or other "lifestyle" specialties would never say what specialty they were going into. Instead, they would only say that they were "unsure", or they would just lie and say they wanted to do whatever specialty they were on. You didn't want to stand out as the person going into radiation oncology, or you wouldn't get honors, and you wouldn't get AOA, and then you'd be hurting your chances at rad onc.

So my advice is, stay focused on your third year electives, try to honor everything, and pick up rad onc ASAP in fourth year with electives and research. The third year grades are going to be more important than whatever little research you can do now. In the worst case you decide not to do radiation oncology. As long as you're not looking at another super competitive specialty, you'll be fine. If you were competitive for rad onc as a fourth year, you'll still be competitive for most other specialties.

 

[deleted4401]

Good point Duke. Be quiet about it, and don't say rad onc or ... Gasp ... Anesthesia when asked what you want to be. Do background research and clinical rotations 4th year or on days off.

 

[ramsesthenice]

Wow, those experiences suck. Where I trained (UNC and Duke) rad onc was looked very favorably upon. People just made the assumption I really like research and I never got anything but respect from other specialties for wanting to do rad onc in 3rd year.

Its even better as a resident. Seriously, we are treated like Unicorns here...mythical creatures that no one really knows where they come from or what exactly they do, but good things happen when they are around.

Duke is right though. Just do well in 3rd year. Your grades will matter more than any little research you can do now. The worst case could be taking a year off for research if you need it...and without knowing your grades and step scores that's a blind guess, if your competitive your competitive. Just enjoy this year as much as you can.

 

[thesauce]

Wow, those experiences suck. Where I trained (UNC and Duke) rad onc was looked very favorably upon. People just made the assumption I really like research and I never got anything but respect from other specialties for wanting to do rad onc in 3rd year.

Its even better as a resident. Seriously, we are treated like Unicorns here...mythical creatures that no one really knows where they come from or what exactly they do, but good things happen when they are around.

Duke is right though. Just do well in 3rd year. Your grades will matter more than any little research you can do now. The worst case could be taking a year off for research if you need it...and without knowing your grades and step scores that's a blind guess, if your competitive your competitive. Just enjoy this year as much as you can.

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