Block 9 Finished

Friday I finished my ninth month of heme/onc fellowship. Time is going fast, but I really am enjoying my program.  I've learned a lot about the initial work-up, staging, and treatment of a variety of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. I've learned how to care for benign hematologic problems. I've also become a better listener through the hundreds of conversations I've had with patients and their families.

Next week I'll be on a pathology block where I'll be learning by reviewing blood and bone marrow slides alongside our pathologists. After that, I'll have two more months of clinic and two months of consults to round out my first year of this three-year program. It's only too bad that the time is passing so quickly!

Speaking of time... Last week I had a really touching conversation with a patient with stage IV cancer. The patient told us that his journey with cancer has made him so much more appreciative of everything in his life -- his marriage, his children, his free time. He described it as "seeing life through a new lens" now that cancer is a part of his health journey. Life is so brief for each one of us, regardless of cancer, and this conversation really stuck with me. Living life to its fullest does't require extreme sports or exotic travel. Instead, it's a way of saying we should all "be present in the moment." For me this means that rather than only looking forward to the next major milestone or deadline, I need to appreciate every clinical encounter, every learning experience, and every precious moment with family. The time for making the memories of a lifetime is now.

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