Job Description

Oncology involves the study of cancer and cancer-related activities in patients. Therefore, pediatric oncology entails studying cancer in children and young teens. The job duties are the same as general oncology; these doctors must take samples of growths, analyze said samples, track the cancer’s stage and progression, as well as many other things. Due to their patients not being legally able to make decisions for themselves, these doctors must consult with family to decide what treatment options are available.

Average Salary

With the great amount of responsibility that these doctors have, they are compensated well and are among the highest paid professionals. The average pediatric oncologist makes around $206,000. However, this is just an overall average, and actual earned salary may be higher or lower than this amount. There are several factors that affect a person’s salary, with the type of facility, experience, and location being three of the biggest ones.

Facility

The type of the facility where the oncologist works has a lot to do with how much money he or she will earn. A bigger and more well-known hospital will provide a higher income than a smaller one. In addition, oncologists working in private practice or in university settings will also earn more money than in a public practice.

Experience

Experience is one of the most important factors to consider when looking at salary. A doctor who has just finished his residency will not earn as much money as a doctor who has been in the industry for upwards of twenty years. As the doctor gains more experience, his place of work will see him as a greater asset to the company and will compensate him properly to ensure that he does not take his talents elsewhere.

Location

Geographic location is something that has a great affect on a pediatric oncologist’s salary. In a large city with a stimulating economy, the cost of living is higher. When a city’s cost of living is relatively high, the minimum wage and overall salaries are higher to compensate for the high cost of living. When looking for a job within any field, it is important to factor in where the job is located when comparing salaries.

Oncologists have one of the most important occupations within the medical field. They specialize in diagnosing and treating patients who have cancer. Unfortunately for society, as scientists find more factors that cause cancer, the rate of cancer patients is getting higher. However, this is a good thing for oncologists because this is what they study. That being said, oncologists are among the highest paid professionals due to the fact that they specialize in such a specific subject.

Average Salary

Oncologists in the United States earn between $160,000 all the way up to $300,000. Yes, the scale is very wide, but this is because there are many factors that affect an oncologist’s salary. One of the major factors is that there are several different types of oncology, and another factor is location.

Specialization

There are so many different types of oncologists that specialize in certain types of cancer. For example, there are gynecology oncologists that specialize in cervical cancer in women. There are also radiation oncologists that use radiation in order to get rid of cancer. With each specialization, there is a possibility to earn a higher salary due to the fact that not everybody specializes in that type of cancer.

Location and Type of Facility

Another factor is the location of the facility, as well as the type of facility. Working in a big city like San Francisco means that the cost of living is higher, which translates into its citizens earning a higher salary than smaller cities. In the bigger cities, the economy is more active, therefore everything from gasoline to rent is higher. Also, oncologists who work in private practices, non-profit, and university facilities earn more than in other places. So, in order to earn as much as possible, it would help to try to work for these types of facilities versus a public hospital.

An oncologist works with cancer patients to remove the cancer from their systems and make sure that it does not come back. Oncologists diagnose the type of cancer the patient has, in addition to coming up with a treatment plan, determining the stage that the cancer is in, examining samples of unusual growths, as well as monitoring the patients’ reaction to the treatment plan to make sure that it is working. They have a lot of responsibilities to uphold, and are among the highest paid professionals. The path to becoming an oncologist is not exactly an easy one, however.

Study Pre-Med at a University

The first step is to go to a four-year university and study pre-med. During the last year at the university, it is necessary to apply for medical schools to attend after graduation. Studying pre-med will not get the student a job as a doctor unless they go to medical school after graduation.

Medical School

Once the bachelor’s degree is obtained, then it is off to medical school. Medical school is also a four-year plan of study. During medical school, the student will learn more in-depth information about what they learned in undergraduate school. Difficult courses in anatomy, biology, chemistry, and other subjects will be required for the students to successfully complete in order for the degree to be obtained.

Residency

For oncology, the medical school graduate will need to complete a two to four year residency in internal medicine. This residency is like an internship, and will give the potential doctor first-hand experience with what their future occupation entails.

There are different types of oncologists. There are some that specialize in surgery, or in gynecology, or in radiation specialists. The surgeons perform surgery on cancer patients, gynecologists specialize in cervical cancer found in women, and radiation specialists use radiation in order to get rid of cancer. Future oncologists must decide what they want to pursue and further their education with it, and have their residency in a place where their occupation is.

Examination

Once the residency has been complete, the student will have to take a board certified exam. When the exam is complete, then the doctor will be able to join a group or private practice and begin their career.

What’s Oncology?

To first understand what an oncologist does, it is important to understand what the field of oncology is all about. Oncology is a branch of medicine that studies cancer and cancer-related activities such as therapy and radiation. An oncologist, therefore, is a person who studies cancer in patients and observes potentially cancerous tumors. Oncologists often specialize in observing certain types of cancer, such as gynecology or pediatric oncology.

Oncologists perform many duties in order to take care of their patients and keep them aware of their condition and on-going health. Patients are referred to specialized oncologists by their general doctors according to the type of potential cancer cells are found. For example, a baby would be referred to a pediatric oncologist if his doctor were to find any unusual growths during a check-up.

Job Description

Their duties include diagnosing and narrowing down the type of cancer the patient has, in addition to tracking the stage of the cancer. Oncologists take biopsies of growths, examine x-rays, and take tissue samples from patients in order to determine these factors. They also must attend workshops and training sessions in order to stay abreast of the most current treatment options in order to present these to their patients and the patients’ families when discussing treatment.

Education Requirements

In order to become an oncologist, one must obtain a bachelor’s degree in medicine or another diagnostic discipline, with a specialization in oncology. After getting the bachelor’s degree, they are required to further their education and go to medical school. Medical school leads to an internship (residency) at a local facility, and the medical student chooses to specialize in oncology during this point. Having a license to practice medicine is also required to have, and must be completed after completing the residency. Oncology is a very specialized branch of medicine; therefore, having a master’s degree is required. The education process takes several years, but it well-worth it for this rewarding career.

Necessary Skills

There are several basic skills that these specialized doctors need to have before considering going into this field. They need to have excellent bedside manner when dealing with patients. Going through cancer is a very difficult time for patients and their family members, so having a doctor who has empathy, listens, and is understanding is very important. These doctors work extensive hours and need to be available at a moment’s notice; their patients could have an emergency that needs to be dealt with immediately. Oncologists should be patient and have a passion for what they do. Especially when working in a stressful environment, it is important to have a reason to go into work besides just receiving the paycheck. Most oncologists find this career path to be rewarding mentally as well as financially.

Job Description

Radiation Oncology is a branch of oncology that uses radiation as a way to treat cancer in patients. They determine the proper amounts of radiation needed to get rid of the cancerous tissue while still keeping the healthy tissue intact. Radiation works in a way that interferes with the cancerous cells so that they cannot reproduce successfully.  These oncologists use radiant energy and 3D imagery to get to the molecular level of the cancerous part of the body and get rid of the cancerous cells. Radiation oncologists are among the highest paid professionals due to their niche specialization.

Average Salary

The average salary for a radiation oncologist ranges from around $240,000 to $520,000. Yes, this is quite a large gap between the lowest and highest salaries, but there are several factors that influence how much a person within the field of radiation oncology makes. Some of these factors include experience, geographic location, as well as the type of facility.

Experience

A doctor who has just finished his residency and is just starting out in the field will not make as much money as another one who has been practicing radiation oncology for upwards of 25 years. The more experience a doctor has, he will be seen as a needed asset for the company, and the company will want to compensate him well in order to keep him on staff. In addition, seasoned doctors make fewer mistakes, which is even better for the company. It is also a very competitive field, and when a facility sees that the candidate does not have much experience, then they can offer a lower pay than they would for someone who has been in the industry for a while.

Geographic Location

Not all oncologists make the same amount of money, and salaries differ greatly across the nation. This is due to the fact that some cities in the United States have a higher cost of living than other cities. When a city’s cost of living is high, the minimum wage is higher, as is the overall earned salary. This is because the city is very expensive to live in, and the workers must be compensated enough to be able to keep up with costs.

Type of Facility

The type of facility also has a great influence on the salary. Private practices and university facilities employ some of the highest paid radiation oncologists. In addition, bigger and more well-known facilities will often pay more due. These facilities pay more because the cost to the patient is very expensive. A lot of the money that the customer pays goes to the doctor; therefore, higher paying facilities often have clientele who spend a lot of money.