Why Oncology?

As a medical student, I amongst many others find myself suffering from the daily bombardment of 'medical small-talk' from Doctors and Nurses alike. On the whole it is quite refreshing to talk to like-minded health professionals, avoiding the relentless stream of people at dinner parties and gatherings demanding vague diagnoses of their ailments. These encounters are usually precipitated by variants of the following dialogue;

Assailent;
'oh so you're a [medical student/student doctor] are you? well I don't suppose you know much about [insert ailment or body part]?'

Medical Student;
'erm...well a little but...[attempt to avoid imminent interegation]'

Assailent;
'Well I've got this thing, could you......'

...and so on and so forth until either you convince the assailent to see his/her (usually his) GP or they get bored of you skirting around the subject and move on to their next victim. No wonder medical students stick together like sardines, we don't stand a chance in the real world.

In addition, whilst most people are gifted with a decent general knowledge, I have watched mine slowly diminish over the past 4 years into a pool of nothingness interfered occasionally with a medical fact or two, but on the whole I'm the last person you want at a pub quiz. Unfortunately this makes normal conversation increasingly difficult, reverting me back to my inner child in certain circles, thus I have become a prime victim for these attacks.

Aside from the violations at parties and suchlike, Health professionals have their own set of 'small-talk dialogues' catered to the type of Health professional they are addressing; 'So, what type of doctor do you want to be?' has become just about as close as medics get to 'how do you do?' or 'fine day isn't it'. Unfortunately, unlike the latter two, the first requires an actual answer. This is all very well, but you should then expect to endure either a lecture on what is wrong with your choice, or be forced to support your answer with well thought-out response. Fortunately, I have been asked enough times now to reel off a sufficient response, but sometimes it would be really nice if they just said 'alright?' then had done with it.
Ugh, so now I am faced with the literary version of this tedious question, as I prepare to write myself a personal statement to study Oncology as a masters, and after all this time, why can't I put it into words that sound like I should definately be given a place and £1000 to do it. Hopefully, this blog might help me put things into perspective.

Every time I tell people truthfully what my answer to the forbidden question is, the reaction is almost exclusively the same...'but why would you want to do something like that?'; So what is it that is so wrong with oncology? Just from the disgusted way people look at me when they ask why I would consider Oncology, they might as well be asking me if I like to watch people die? or I should have just told them I was intent on entering the adult filming industry.
Why indeed. Why oncology? Why cancer? Nobody likes cancer right?...True, nobody likes cancer, cancer is depressing. Cancer took the lives of two of my family members. In fact, cancer is downright offensive.
If someone attacked you, wouldn't you defend yourself? If someone attacked your family member, wouldn't you defend their honour? Cancer patients need someone else to help them fight their battles, and regain control of their own body. That is exactly what I aim to do; a medical kick in the face, or at least a good curse word.

I bite my thumb at you cancer!!..Shakespear eat your heart out

Plus if you cure someone with cancer, most are very greatful. When people hear cancer they hear 'WOOPS!! Guess whos numbers up?! ..Please wait in line for purgatory until further notice...'.
Most patients with cancer WANT and HOPE to get better, and are more likely to listen when you ask them not to do certain things. Whereas, a patient developing COPD may well tell you where to stick it if you ask them to stop smoking, despite the fact that their death is predicted to be more strung out and painful than someone dying from cancer.

Treating cancer is becoming more rewarding as many cancers are becoming increasingly curable. It sounds too good to be true if someone comes to you with cancer, and you can tell them you have a 85% chance of cure, but this is becoming very much the reality in some cases; 5 stars for customer service. Even if someone can't be cured, the end of their life can be made as comfortable as possible for them, hopefully allowing them some element of control or normality.

Cancer, like people, comes in all shapes and sizes, liquid and solid, and can affect any part of the body so long as there is living tissue. This means that Oncology (in some ways) is a form of general medicine, plus the avenue for surgery makes it a surgical speciality option too. Even if I decide to sack it all in after my masters and go into general practise, my encounters with cancer will continue regardless.

Overall, knowledge of oncology is useful, of great importance AND intersting. It is also important to remember the patients themselves. Delicate patients such as these, need doctors that are going to care about what they have to say, and continue to care further down the line(which may be years for a singular patient). I am not expecting that dealing with such a volume of depressing cases will be easy, but I have an abundance of patience just waiting to be tested.

So, Why Oncology? Well why are you standing there?