Becoming A Pediatric Oncologist

This semester I began my minor Pediatric Clinical research. One of the guest lecturers who came in was Dr. Edward Clark, Chair of Department of Pediatrics and Medical Director at Primary Children’s Hospital. I learned an incredible amount from his lecture on the importance and complexities of caring for patients. Dr. Clark shared a French proverb that resonated with me: "guérir quelquefois, soulager souvent, consoler toujours" or in English, to "cure occasionally, relieve often, console always". Most importantly, helping as a nurse is putting others before yourself. These are four principles that I believe are crucial to helping as a nurse.

I believe that Hofstra will challenge me academically. The Pre-Medical Studies major involves taking several science and math classes, subjects that many people find difficult. This will push me to do my best. The harder the courses are, the more motivated I am to succeed. Majoring in Pre-Medical Studies will also prepare me to take the MCAT and become a competitive student for medical school.

Oncology is the study and treatment of cancer. Cancer is a disease that develops when normal cells in certain parts of the body start to grow abnormally and continuously. It has been a plague on human life for a while; in fact, the earliest evidence of the disease was found in ancient Egyptian manuscripts dating back to 1600 BC. It is currently the most diagnosed disease in the world. Pediatric Oncology is a subspecialty of the practice that focuses on the treatment of cancer in children. In earlier days, because information on the disease was limited, treatment for children was almost inexistent. However, in the 1940s a doctor named Sidney Farber made a milestone in the treatment of these children by administering

Childhood cancer is two of the most devastating words any parent can hear regarding their child. A child that was diagnosed with cancer in the early 1960s rarely survived and typically led to death. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital understood this concern. When the hospital was created the childhood cancer survival rate was less than 20%. Today, through research and discoveries the rate has raised to 80%.

Would a person say the number forty-three, out of all the numbers in existence, is small? That person would probably say yes, but what if someone said forty-three children a day are diagnosed with cancer (Duncan, Geoff). With the widespread of cancer, one should try to envision themselves as a pediatric oncologist because of the comfortable environment of the work, the great gain of knowledge and salary, and benefits of healing people.

According to University of Pennsylvania Pediatrics, it states, ¨The ranking of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia included number one rankings in Neonatology and Pulmonology; second in Cancer, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Neurology and Neurosurgery; third in Heart and Heart Surgery and Nephrology; and fourth in Gastroenterology/GI Surgery.” The University of Pennsylvania is a high ranking school with classes of all sorts that fit in with pediatrics and it would be a great place to go to college. Another quote from this website claims, ¨The Department of Pediatrics is consistently cited among the premier academic pediatric departments in the country and is allied with CHOP, one of the finest children's hospitals in the world.¨ Personally, I think this an important piece of information to be informed about because I now know that this school is highly ranked and by going to this school in particular, I will be very successful later on in my life. Finally, US News proclaims, “ Students can earn M.D., Ph.D., M.D.-Ph.D., master’s, M.D.-master’s, or post-doctoral degrees. Students can double up on degrees at any other school at Penn…” When applying for this school or thinking about coming here, people know that there are many different degrees that they offer, these and many more. This is why going to the

I am looking for many things in a university, the first thing is a university that has a prestigious science and pre-med department. I want to pursue a career in these fields to become a pediatric oncologist because studying cancer and serving others is something that I am very passionate about. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer my sophomore year of highschool, and this wrecked my world. I was raised in a very family oriented environment and I have a large close knit family, so hearing the news about my grandmother broke my heart. My grandmother has fought excruciatingly hard to beat cancer for the past two years and has come very close. Unfortunately, all of the cancer is not completely gone from her body. From that moment forward,

Am I doing this because I have to or because I want to? The nursing profession asks this question daily. It is an extremely challenging, yet doubly rewarding career. It challenges the mind, stamina, and heart of those who take the plunge; but leaves those who do, filled with stories of recovery and losses that changed the course of his or her life for the better. Pediatric oncology is a specialty within the realm of nursing that deals with children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with cancer. That description alone lends the idea that it is no easy task to care for those patients and their families. A pediatric oncology nurse is someone who has a love and passion for children, a nurturing character, and a strong desire to provide quality

I believe the Pediatric Oncology Education program will provide me with different standpoints on cancer research outside of what I have previously experienced. In my previous labs I have worked with brain cancer and skin cancer. However, I have not experienced working with other types of cancer and their potential treatment ideas. This expansion of my understanding of cancer effecting the body overall may allow for future conclusions, ideas, and projects. Additionally, working for St. Jude provides excellent research environment and interactions with mentors that may have a huge impact on my career

Becoming a pediatric surgeon doesn’t just happen overnight. To become one, you need to go to medical school, and need a bachelor’s degree to go to medical school (BLS).Many years of school are needed before you can even step foot into a hospital. Once a bachelors degree is equipped, you can apply for medical school. Medical school isn’t all in a classroom. Four years of medical school are needed (healthychildren.org). Two of those years are in a classroom, the other two in hospitals, watching surgeries and observing different cases (learningpath.org). Still, more schooling is needed. Every doctor has to go through residency. Residency takes place in an actual hospital, where you learn from surgeons. To become a pediatric surgeon, you need

As established in the National Cancer Institute, “Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide for children and adolescents in America, accounting for more than 91,250 children that lose their lives to this disease” (National Cancer Institute). Cancer is not considered a terminal illness, but more of a chronic illness because of the intense treatment that the individual has to endure. As a result of this treatment the chances of survival for children suffering from pediatric cancer has increased around 80 percent. The increment in the survival rate has made it possible for many parents to not have to go through the acceptance that they are about to lose their child to a terminal illness, but have coping strategies that will make them adapt to the fear of the reoccurrence of that illness. This illness has a great impact on the patient as well as the family because not only do they have to adapt to this illness physically, but also mentally. Research has shown that there are both short term and long term effects that come into effect when the child is both in treatment and also years after the treatment. The type of cancers that these adolescents have to endure range from leukemia, brain tumors and other cancerous tumors that have appeared in recent medical studies. These tumors can either be benignant, an acute case that is non-cancerous or malignant, a cancerous case that will need intense treatment over an extended period of time.While many would say there is more of a

I plan to pursue a career in the medical field, specifically in pediatric oncology. I would like to have my own children’s hospital, with unique forms of emotional therapy for patients including music and art. I am a strong believer that happy patients heal faster. I would also like to spend time working with children and adults battling diseases in places where the access to Western medicine is limited due to cost or location before starting my work in an American hospital. I think that would offer an amazing opportunity to not only explore different cultures, but also be able to do hands on work with diseases in ways that are different than what we do here in America. After training abroad, I would like to secure a position in a hospital.

For many years, I have been interested in studying pediatrics. My interest in pursuing this field stems from several factors which have affected me. First, when I was 11 years old my father was really sick, the doctors said that he did not have as much time to live. Days passed and I saw that every day my dad became sicker, I was really sad to see him sitting there unable to do anything. The doctors detected cancer in the pancreas, they couldn't do anything because the cancer was very advanced. Days, weeks, and even months passed and my dad became sicker, my family couldn't do anything just take care of him and give him everything that he needed. He could no longer eat or drink because every time he threw a mouthful at the mouth he would throw

What is a butterfly? Most people might say that a butterfly is an insect with qualities of grace, beauty, and peace. To me, however, when I think of butterflies, my grandma comes to my mind. My grandma and I were very close, but in June of 2016, she passed away from multiple myeloma cancer. Before she passed away, my grandma said, “When you see a yellow butterfly, I want you to think of me”. Her death is what caused me to want to become an oncology radiologist. I want to be able to make an impact in people’s lives by aiding in the treatment of their cancer.

O- What strategies can be implemented to support nurses on the organizational level that will promote development of resilience in the paediatric oncology setting.