He's a Full Doctor Specializing in Oncology

 There were a lot of great things that happened this week, but two in particular stand out.

Wednesday I was seeing a patient in a faculty clinic. This means that the faculty member is the primary hematologist/oncologist, while I'm just a guest in the clinic for the month. I try to explain this to patients when I first meet them so they understand my role on the team. In this instance, mid-conversation with the patient, our team's nurse entered the room to draw blood. I was just about to examine the patient, when her partner asked, "Could you tell me again what your role is, doctor?" I again explained that I am a rotating physician in the faculty clinic for the month. Then the nurse spoke up for me and provided some additional context. She said "Well actually, Dr. Savage is a fellow, which means he's already a fully board certified doctor in internal medicine, but he's getting extra training in this field." This put my patient at ease, but it was also a very kind thing for her to say and it made my day.

The other stand out this week was my Friday clinic. I was in a GI clinic, and our staff GI oncologist works very closely with his nurse and care navigator for new patients. I was particularly impressed with how well this team worked together to request outside records, learn the patient's story well, and make sure that all the patient's questions were answered. I first met the patient to get the story and do the exam, and then the four of us went back into the room to talk about our assessment and proposed treatment plan. I cannot imagine how stressful it is to have a new cancer diagnosis or to come to a cancer center for the first time as a patient. I imagined myself at the receiving end of the loving care of this team - which today included me - and I thought it would be exactly the kind of care I would want to receive.