June 2012

Translating medical nomenclature into language that is easily understood by patients can be difficult: how do you explain the pathology of cancer or the benefits of myeloablative chemotherapy in patient-friendly terms?

One of my teachers in medical school was fond of saying, "Internal medicine isn't sexy." Hematology/ oncology is no exception to this rule. Certainly, it is not as glamorous as cardiology or as hands-on as gastroenterology.

With careful attention to detail and conscientious efforts, clinical skills are likely to be transferable from clinical education to meeting research goals.

Are physicians really expected to be effective writers? The answer to this question is both "yes" and "no."

We all have to balance competing demands on our time. But as an academic oncologist, I have to keep a foot in 2 worlds, research and clinical, while still keeping my balance.