For hematology oncology fellowship - Personal Statement Example

From the very first day I began to pursue this career, medicine has been an exciting challenge. The range of patients has been inspiring, and each very different from the next. This diversity has definitely intrigued me and I have felt that my decision to be an Internist was an excellent one. I enjoyed it more and more as each day progressed. I have always enjoyed a challenge. The responsibilities I had during my medical school days and internship year were excellent preparation for what lay ahead: a series of challenges I embraced.

Since my medical school days I was attracted to Oncology. It was relatively new and constantly changing field. I have often been asked by colleagues why I want to be an oncologist and I tell them that the decision to become an oncologist was influenced by my own personal experiences and interactions with oncologists when my mother was treated for cancer. I was with my mother during the entire treatment and I had close communications with the oncologists treating her. Based on those experiences I was able to have a sense of what I would want done for a clos relative.

I understood how I would have preferred to be informed and treated. Furthermore, working as a clinical observer in a private hematology/oncology clinic helped me to have a closer look at the specialty. Having the privilege to be in an academic setting allowed me to have direct input from hematology/oncology consults. Working with a few brilliant physicians in this field during my residency has been truly enlightening and rewarding. It has played a big role in making up my mind in this direction.

I believe oncology is one of the few specialties in internal medicine where physicians actually possess the ability to actually cure patients. Although it is not possible to prolong every patient’s life, the very knowledge that I hopefully helped to maintain an optimal quality of life is a very satisfying thing. Another important point for me is that the connection between the patient and the doctor is an important one and one that last beyond short-term. Both physician and patient are traveling down a long road together.

I believe that oncologists get to really know their patients better than any other kind of physician, because they are dealing with such difficult issues. No one can doubt that cancer is terrifying disease for patients. Because of this it is important to remember that treating cancer patients is not only about prescribing chemotherapy and ordering exams, it is also about treating the human as a whole. It is a profession where you can make a real difference, but only if you stay on top of recent development.

This is an exciting time in oncology. Significant progress is being made in dealing with cancer, but there is much more to be done. I hope to further enhance my understanding of medicine, within the context of a fellowship program. As the end of residency soon approaches, my future appears to me to be crystal clear. What kind of doctor do I want to be? I want to be one who is challenged daily, one who takes pride and joy in teaching, and one who always loves what he does for now and for the rest of his future: I want to be a hematologist/oncologist.