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Oncologist |
Career OverviewAn oncologist is a physician that has specialized training in internal medicine focusing on the treatment of cancers. An oncologist may work in radiation oncology, medical oncology or surgical oncology. Radiation oncology physicians work with various radiation treatments to shrink or kill the cancerous tissues, prevent further cancerous growths, and repair damage. A medical oncologists uses drug therapies including chemotherapy to cure or control cancer, and a surgical oncologists uses surgical procedures to treat the same condition.
Many oncologists use a combination of all three types of approaches to treating cancer. They work as part of the overall treatment team for the patient and they attend specifically to treatment of the cancer in relation to the overall health of the patient. An oncologist is also very involved in the post-diagnosis treatment of the patient regardless of which approach to treating the cancer is used.
An oncologist must work very closely with the patient and the family. He or she will talk to the patient and work through all the possible treatment choices and the pros and cons with each option. The oncologist will also make recommendations based on other health conditions or concerns that may be present. The oncologist must also discuss very openly the reality of the condition, which may mean having to talk to patients about terminal cancer diagnosis and the progression of the condition.
In cases where treatment is not possible or advisable the oncologist will still assist the treatment team in predicting and anticipating any complications and maintaining the best possible quality of life for the patient. The oncologist maybe involve with the pain management treatment team as well.
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Career RequirementsOncologists must complete a minimum of seven years of education including an undergraduate and graduate degree and then must specialize in Internal Medicine, which is a one to three year residency.
At the end of that time the doctor will spend an additional two years working in all aspects of oncology. At this time some of the residency doctors will specialize in a particular type of cancer such as breast, lung, lymphoma or prostate cancer.
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Job OutlookThe United States Department of Labor reports that only 15 percent of all doctors will specialize in Internal Medicine, and only a portion of those will specialize in oncology. Since the rate of cancer has continued to increase in an aging population the demand for all three types of oncologists is expected to increase at an above average rate.
Those oncologists that specialize in one type of cancer may not have as many job opportunities as more generalized oncologists in medical settings but they may have better job opportunities in research based work.
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Career TrackAn oncologist may choose to work for a HMO or managed care organization, work as a salaried professional for a hospital or healthcare facility, or open his or her own specialization practices. Some oncologists may return to research work either for government facilities or private research groups or pharmaceutical companies.
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CompensationThe average rate of pay for an oncologist with less than 2 years of experience is $181,000 per year. After three years the average income is approximately $250,000. The top few percent of oncologists around the United States make over $600,000 per year.
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