Oncologists work
with cancer patients.
A career as an oncologist might seem like a difficult one. Oncologists work with cancer patients with uncertain futures and individuals dealing with a terminal illness and facing serious health care decisions. However, oncologists can find much reward in their work, and there are several advantages to being an oncologist.
Salary
A generous salary is one advantage of being an oncologist. Oncologists spend years in school, from undergraduate school to medical school to their residency, to prepare for a career in medicine. They are rewarded with high-paying salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary for a physician was $180,870 as of May 2010. More specifically, Salary.com reports an average annual salary of $257,918 for an oncologist as of 2011. These six-figure salaries are appealing to aspiring oncologists.
Research Opportunities
Many doctors hope to research as they treat patients, and the field of oncology presents a variety of research opportunities. Oncologists are in the forefront to identify life-saving treatments for cancer patients -- and possibly even a cure for cancer. They might oversee clinical trials with new drugs that can help patients manage or eliminate their symptoms. Oncologists can compose articles for journals such as the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" to publish and distribute their findings.
Ability to Help
Oncologists work with patients facing the most serious of ailments: cancer. As such, they have the opportunity to help these patients deal with their diagnoses, make important, life-changing treatment decisions and cope with their disease. This work can be rewarding for oncologists as they feel they are helping those patients who truly need them. Helping a patient beat cancer can be an exhilarating experience for an oncologist and one that inspires her to maintain a commitment to her profession.
Diversity of Tasks
No day is alike for an oncologist. Every patient is different, facing a different form of the disease, often at a different stage. Thus, oncologists are constantly challenged to handle multiple tasks with multiple patients on any given day. This challenge can be enjoyable for the doctor who does not like monotony. Assessing each patient's health and making individualized treatment decisions challenges the oncologist to use his wealth of knowledge about the disease. Such work can be satisfying.
Tags: cancer patients, Oncologists work, Oncologists work with, work with, being oncologist, treatment decisions
