Mid-Year Update

Fellowship is going fast. I'm now nearly 7 months in to my first year as a heme/onc fellow. I'm still very happy I chose this career and I love my program.

Treating patients with cancer is such a privilege. I often imagine myself in the shoes of my patients. How intimidating and scary would it feel to have a diagnosis of cancer? Would I be as strong as my patients in confronting such a diagnosis? One thing I know for certain is that I would want the expert guidance of a seasoned hematologist/oncologist. Each day I try to learn from the patients I am caring for so that I can be the guide throughout my career.

I've had a lot of touching experiences recently. 

Last week I met a man with widely metastatic colon cancer. I took the time to get to know him, his values, and his family support system. Ultimately, he decided to start hospice care. Time seemed to stand still in the hour I was sitting in his sunlit room talking to him. I turned off my pager and phone and just listened. Afterward he told me that it was very therapeutic and meant a lot. It was equally therapeutic for me, too. A few days later I met a man who has newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer. He told me the story of how he ended up moving from the Northeast to California as a young child when his parents died unexpectedly in an accident. The family who adopted his siblings and him after that went out of their way to be the best surrogate parents possible. I could tell they meant just as much to him as his biological parents. It was a great reminder of the lasting impact a selfless adult can have on a child. I hope that as a parent, I'll always remember to put my children and family first no matter what is happening in the world around us.

Last week I also found out that my second and third year continuity clinic will be in La Jolla, CA rather than down south at our Prebys Cancer Center. This will put my clinic < 10 min from home, which is great. I am looking forward to having my own panel of patients and taking the best care of them I can with the guidance of my faculty preceptors.

Overall I could not be happier with my program. The program goes out of its way to take care of us. They pay for our gym membership, provide food regularly, check in on our well being frequently, and provide plenty of time for professional development and self study. My co-fellows are great doctors and make each day at work fun. I am very grateful to be exactly where I am.