The Meaningful Need of a Pediatric Oncologist Every year, 15,780 children between the ages birth and eighteen years receive a diagnosis of cancer. Approximately 1 in 285 children will receive a diagnosis before the age of twenty. Pediatric oncologists remain vital to the adolescent population because they provide different methods of treatment for cancers, manage advanced technology to find cancers, and help sick children feel at home with decorations of many characters in their offices. Without pediatric oncologists, children would remain scared and possibly unhappy with their regular doctors.
Methods of treatments for pediatric cancers subsist much different than those for adults and the elderly. Cancer in children requires …show more content…
The main job description of a pediatric oncologist includes treating infants, adolescents, and children that present with medical conditions related to cancer or other blood disorders (Career). Today, people live in a fast-paced medical world where new drugs, advanced treatments, and a greater understanding of cancer are constantly evolving the field of oncology. This presents plenty of educational paths and career options for physicians (Doctorly). To treat many types of cancers in children, doctors undergo laboratory and clinical research training programs to train them in different specialties of cancer (POE). Trained to deliver humane and benevolent care, oncologists typically meet a patient for the first time when they display signs of cancer, or have positive test results and/or x-rays that imply the disease is present within their body. Training programs remain imperative for doctors to properly diagnose and treat these small adolescents. The field of oncology delivers an affluence of educational paths and career options for specialists. Appropriate types of treatments offered may include, medication, chemotherapy, radiation, surgical removal, or hospice care. These types of treatment are harsh on children’s bodies, especially since they are smaller than full grown adults, so making sure that they are comfortable …show more content…
Although many programs receive funds through national institutes, some do not receive any to help correctly train doctors, and to give financial support to families in need (St. Jude). The goal of most programs is to prepare future doctors to be knowledgeable, compassionate, and capable in the care of adolescents with cancer or diseases of the blood and blood forming organs (Pediatrics). The POE, pediatric oncology education program, offers an opportunity for students preparing for careers in medicine, psychology, biomedical sciences, pharmacy, or public health to gain explorative research background experience. The POE program provides short-term training experience, also called an internship. The primary goal of the POE program is to encourage students to obtain a career in cancer research to help all cancer patients in the future (St. Jude). “The journey towards becoming an oncologist means entering an extremely rewarding career field that goes beyond the prospect of achieving wealth, prosperity, and financial security. The road towards obtaining the proper training, education and credentials is quite lengthy, and can take more than 13 years for an individual to complete. However, the wide-ranging possibilities to put an education and training in oncology to good use is a fulfilling journey for physicians looking to dedicate their efforts towards helping