Oncology Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What is the risk to cancer (oncology) nurses from working with dangerous chemotherapy drugs? What is the risk to nurses working in the cancer field (oncology) due to their proximity to cancer causing drugs and radiation and chemotherapy? I am hearing stories of many oncology nurses loosing their hair?

Answer: Yes, proper precautions are very important among the exposed health personnel as anti-neoplastic agents and radiation are known occupational hazards. The following health effects have been reported in hospital workers exposed to antineoplastic agents: diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, skin rashes, hair loss, adverse reproductive effects such as disruption of menstrual cycle, fetal loss, and birth defects, etc.

Question: What are the career prospects in oncology? Has anyone ever worked as or have any knowledge of a careers as a cancer research biologist? Also can anyone tell me about the Medical doctor approach and get a fellowship in hematology/oncology? I think that I either want to go through medical school and have a career as an oncologist or get a PhD in Oncology and do research. Any information is appreciated.

Answer: Well it is definitely a "growth industry". You would be making money like crazy from my husband and me. Sorry, I know nothing about getting into the field. Whether you want to go into research or medicine depends more on how much you like dealing directly with people.

Question: What are the requirements to be a doctor of oncology? How long is the residency? Is it an emotionally draining field? I really want to get into oncology to help people beat cancer, and I tend to focus on the positive, but as we all know, not everybody wins the battle. I have heard that it is very depressing and I'm worried that once I get there I won't be able to handle it. Any suggestions? How can I get into a volunteer program in an ongology department of a hospital?

Answer: I would imagine that it would be quite emotionally draining dealing with those that may have a terminal illness, not recovering and with those patients receiving chemotherapy (and/or radiation) and any other treatments and the toll that it takes not only on the patients but also their families. For volunteer opportunites, perhaps there is a local hospital that has an oncology unit or perhaps a local hospital specializes in the treatment of those with cancer. Most health care institutions have websites these days. Perhaps going to yahoo.com and typing into search "'cancer program and 'your city and state'" will help you locate some programs looking for volunteers and/or at least to observe and ask if one can talk with an oncology staff member. For other opportunities: www.volunteermatch.org and type in one's zip code and area(s) of interest. For general career info on becoming a physician -- US occupational outlook handbook: www.bls.gov/oco and search 'physicians'. www.wikipedia.org may also have info on oncology physicians albeit the site is not the most reliable but has other resources.

Question: what does a nursing assitant do on oncology? I am a cna and i was interested in oncology. I would like to know what they do to the patients.

Answer: With cancer patients, a CNA's job is to make the patient as comfortable as possible. Personal care, feeding, even assisted meds in certain facilities. They may chart, write incident reports, do 1 or 2 hour checks. They do not assess a cancer patient's progress or monitor their meds or give treatments.

Question: Oncology.....? What are good premed schools for someone who wants to be an oncologist?

Answer: It won't matter. Really! You're going to need to get into med school after you complete a bachelor's degree. Med schools like to think that they are broad-minded regarding admissions--they say they want a diverse student body who are all well-rounded scholars. Therefore, your odds of admission if you attend a state college are just about equal to the odds if you completed Harvard. So other factors are in play. Recently, the dean of a local med. school publicly proclaimed that he expected fewer and fewer students would opt for med school because the costs are so high--students are completing his program with student loan debt well over $100K. So your best plan, for personal finances, would be to start at a local public community college, complete as many courses there as will transfer, and then complete the bachelor's at a state university. This will get you the most bang for your buck, in terms of educational credentials, and you may be able to start medical college with only $10K or $20K in students loans--which will put you way ahead of those who chose boutique private colleges and are starting with $50K in the red. Pre-med is the logical major, but since they want well-rounded students, make sure you take a lot of arts, social sciences, humanities, and other "breadth" courses with your electives. Or, major in anything you like and use your electives to cover all the math and science courses that a pre-med degree would include. But whatever you do, study like a marmot and earn an average very close to 4.0, and in your junior year, ace the MCAT entrance test. Now, the other thing you want to do to enhance your odds of getting your medical degree from a top school is to make the acquaintance of doctors. Work (volunteer or for pay) in a medical setting--get a job in a hospital or volunteer at your campus health clinic. When you meet doctors, tell them you want to become an oncologist. Most of them will admire that and will want to be helpful--and they can help you, when it's time, by: --recommending medical colleges, particularly the top local ones (you of course will want to stretch and see if you can get into Harvard med etc., but you should also have a couple of "safety" schools). --previewing your postgrad education for you: how much studying, how many years, where to do internships and residencies, what school to attend after your GP license for oncology, etc. --preparing you for applications; advice about what to write in an essay, how to answer interview questions. --letters of recommendation, which are most powerful coming from practicing physicians, particularly those who graduated from that medical college.

Question: How do I become an Oncology nurse? I know I have become an RN first, but then what? Do Oncology nurses usually work in hospitals and also about how much do they make?

Answer: Yes, become an RN first, then do an internship at an oncology floor. You need to be certified to administer chemotherapy too. You can also do homehealth, however then you wont be able to administer chemo as TWO RNs have to double check the medication before administering it. You would make the same amount as any other RN in your hospital. Only because you are part of a specialty doesnt give you the right to earn more money, UNLESS they do pay you more for being certified in more areas than one.

Question: If you earn a PhD in Oncology, are only permitted to do research or can you treat cancer patients? I am not sure if I want to go though medical school but have an interest in Oncology. I was wondering if a PhD in the discipline would allow you to be a radiation oncologist.

Answer: No, to be any sort of oncologist you will have to go through medical school and then choose to specialize as an oncologist. A PhD just represents that you have conducted research in the area, it will not allow you to practice as an oncologist. In most cases you may not even be accepted for a PhD in that discipline without sufficient prior knowledge All the very best

Question: How to become an oncology nurse? I live in Ontario, and the only University I know that has a program is McMaster. But does anyone know how to become an oncology nurse? I looked on the website but it's difficult to find. What do you do in university to become one? Oh, and is there other universities where you can become an oncology nurse? Also, is it a rewarding job? Is it hard to do since you are dealing with sick people? And how many years of schooling do you need? Thanks :)

Answer: you have to finish your degree and become a standard, general nurse, then you do it as a post grad stage. you can sometimes go to university and do a course, or otherwise, some hospitals allow you to do it within the hospital, as on the job training. you can't do it as an undergraduate. i found oncology nursing really rewarding. the patients are really grateful for all you do and it is about more than just rushing people in, curing their disease and throwing them back out again. it is a more holistic approach. it can be sad though, not everyone likes it because it can be quite emotionally demanding, especially for the terminal patients because you know that no matter what you do, they aren't going to get better and death occurs on these wards more often than most others. i found it rewarding and interesting though and found comfort in the fact that i got to care for all aspects of a patient, could relieve their suffering and make their passing as dignified and pain-free as possible. its an amazing feeling knowing that doing the simplest things like having a chat, providing hope for a peaceful progression or giving them some pain relief for someone can make such a huge positive impact on their life. the patients and their family members are always so grateful no matter what the prognosis or outcome is. and when you get the ones who have hit rock bottom with their health status and then slowly get better and healthier and stronger or even cured whilst under your care, and then leave hospital and go on to live normal lives, that's amazing and rewarding as well. don't rule it out, you might just love it.

Question: what should i get my bachelors degree in to go into the oncology field? i plan to go off to college and prepare for medical schhol in which i will persue oncology. Does anyone know what major i should get my bachelors degree in? Please help, thanks.

Answer: Oncology is a specialization in the field of medicine. Usually people get their bachelor's degree in biology or a similar science related field for their undergrad before applying to med school. Then you have 4 years of medical school, then 4 years of residency, then an additional 2-4 years in your field of specialization.

Question: What purpose does oncology serve mankind? What are the benifits of oncology? how does it help mankind? please give references I know what it is; the study of cancer and tumors its just I want references to this info. of the benefits

Answer: They have studied extensive in treating Cancer,and know the best way to treat it.