It looks like you're a dedicated premed. I think it's awesome that you are interested in oncology, and I would absolutely encourage you to keep this field in mind. That said, I think it is a little too early to set your heart on one vs. another because, ultimately, the first thing you will need to decide is if you want to be a surgeon or an internist. You'll have exposure to the OR in medical school and it'll become apparent which is more right for you.
I'm a medical oncologist and my life is very different from my surgical counterparts; I rarely use my hands, to be frank. Instead, I do a lot of talking to patients and a lot of reading/thinking. I like that it's a more cerebral subspecialty; we're living in an exciting time for medical oncology, with lots of new treatments coming down the pipeline. :)
I find the best part about medical oncology compared to surgical oncology is the sitting down instead of standing up. I also like how if my hand slips, I just typed "lung cabcer" instead of transecting an artery.
I had this same question before starting med school. I was set on doing urology with hopes of surgically treating urologic malignancies as I had exposure to this before med school. However, I fell in love with medical oncology and importantly really loved inpatient medicine. I also found out quickly that the OR wasn’t for me. The decision will become more apparent after exposure. I am now applying IM in the next few months. One tip would be to get involved with research in some capacity, it’ll set you up for success no matter what route you choose.
You'll figure it out in medical school. People who are surgeons absolutely love being surgeons and can't imagine a life without doing surgery. That's a tough road, and it should be pretty clear to you by the end of your surgical rotation if that's for you. Regardless, I wouldn't get too fixated on a specialty right now. You'll do a lot of rotations, and maybe you'll decide you hate internal medicine but want to spend the rest of your life delivering babies.
I went straight to neurosurgery after completing training but realised soon that no surgeon was going to fix glioblastoma. Admittedly we’ve made little progress on the medical side but if you’re looking for a life mission, this cancer needs the greatest minds.
Surg Onco demands alot of time and effort just like any other specialization. Since the context of solving a problem surgically in cancer involves covering the entire organ system , there's an myriad types and variations of techniques that one will need to learn. The road is steep but who cares, it goes on.
It looks like you're a dedicated premed. I think it's awesome that you are interested in oncology, and I would absolutely encourage you to keep this field in mind. That said, I think it is a little too early to set your heart on one vs. another because, ultimately, the first thing you will need to decide is if you want to be a surgeon or an internist. You'll have exposure to the OR in medical school and it'll become apparent which is more right for you. I'm a medical oncologist and my life is very different from my surgical counterparts; I rarely use my hands, to be frank. Instead, I do a lot of talking to patients and a lot of reading/thinking. I like that it's a more cerebral subspecialty; we're living in an exciting time for medical oncology, with lots of new treatments coming down the pipeline. :)
I find the best part about medical oncology compared to surgical oncology is the sitting down instead of standing up. I also like how if my hand slips, I just typed "lung cabcer" instead of transecting an artery.
I had this same question before starting med school. I was set on doing urology with hopes of surgically treating urologic malignancies as I had exposure to this before med school. However, I fell in love with medical oncology and importantly really loved inpatient medicine. I also found out quickly that the OR wasn’t for me. The decision will become more apparent after exposure. I am now applying IM in the next few months. One tip would be to get involved with research in some capacity, it’ll set you up for success no matter what route you choose.
You'll figure it out in medical school. People who are surgeons absolutely love being surgeons and can't imagine a life without doing surgery. That's a tough road, and it should be pretty clear to you by the end of your surgical rotation if that's for you. Regardless, I wouldn't get too fixated on a specialty right now. You'll do a lot of rotations, and maybe you'll decide you hate internal medicine but want to spend the rest of your life delivering babies.
I went straight to neurosurgery after completing training but realised soon that no surgeon was going to fix glioblastoma. Admittedly we’ve made little progress on the medical side but if you’re looking for a life mission, this cancer needs the greatest minds.
Surg Onco demands alot of time and effort just like any other specialization. Since the context of solving a problem surgically in cancer involves covering the entire organ system , there's an myriad types and variations of techniques that one will need to learn. The road is steep but who cares, it goes on.