PGY4 Nearly Done

I've spent the past year learning oncology and hematology with these three wonderful doctors - Raja, Quinne, and Joe. It's hard to believe that the first year is just weeks from being complete and that we'll start having our own continuity clinics in July. Time sure has flown fast!

I had a really touching moment last week. I reached out to the family of a patient who recently transitioned to hospice care. The patient's son told me things were going well and offered to let me speak to his father. The patient told me, with excitement, about getting baptized, having his first communion, and getting married -- all since leaving the hospital! He also said that his daughter had started a crowdsource funding website to raise money for the patient and that it had "met its goal within hours." He told me how much it meant to be loved and cared for by so many people. I told him that this is truly a gift and a testament to the life he has lived.

I shared this story with the attending who helped me take of of this patient. To which she replied: "See, we can still win by giving our patients a good end." This is exactly why I chose oncology. Not every patient can be cured, but each time we help extend a lifespan, aid a patient in reaching a major life milestone, or help to alleviate symptoms that occur at the end of life, I feel great pride in my work.