Mentor Assessment #3

Bekah Armstrong

Name of Mentor: ​Dr. Carlos Taboada

Profession:​ Medical Oncologist

Location and Business Name:​ Texas Oncology - Plano East

3705 West 15th St.

Plano, TX 75075

Date of Mentor Visit:​ March 5, 2020

Time:​ 9:00 AM

Assessment:

Upon completing my third mentor visit with Dr. Taboada I now have acquired a better

understanding of the ins and outs about the field of medical oncology and how medical

oncologists work with other medical professionals to help a patient reach remission. During this

third mentor visit, Dr. Taboada explained to me the different types of tests a medical oncologist

may order to make sure that every aspect of the patient is normal such as heart rate and blood

pressure, how breast cancer works and the dangers of it, and finally how to prevent and educate

others about cervical cancer. After this visit, I have more appreciation for Dr. Taboada’s work as

he works hard to make sure his patients are not only doing well in terms of anything specifically

related to cancer but their entire well-being as well.

First, during the beginning of my mentor visit, Dr. Taboada explained to me why in

certain situations a medical oncologist may need to order a test that does not directly relate to

detecting or analyzing the cancer cells. This is because the cancer treatment and chemotherapy
drugs a medical oncologist may order for a particular patient has side effects that affect the

function of other body parts, so a medical oncologist may need to order other tests such as a bone

density test (measures bone density) or an echocardiogram (shows the heart) to make sure the

treatments side effects are not having extensive negative impacts on the patient's body. By using

these tests as an aspiring medical oncologist in the future I can address any side effects the

patient may be experiencing or can prescribe a different medication. This makes sure that my

patient has the best possible experience and that they are comfortable during the entire journey.

Additionally, during my third mentor visit, Dr. Taboada explained to me how exactly

breast cancer works and the extreme dangers of it. Breast cancer can express certain hormones

such as estrogen receptors (ER-positive), progesterone receptors (PR-positive), or it can express

neither of them. This dictates what treatments can be used and if chemotherapy is necessary or

not. If breast cancer expresses one of these hormones it can be treated with cancer drugs other

than chemotherapy. If it does not express any of these hormones it must be treated with

chemotherapy. This is all done to make sure that breast cancer does not metastasize and spread to

other body parts. This is essential for me to understand as a future medical oncologist because I

will be treating patients with breast cancer, so I need to understand how breast cancer works and

what I am trying to avoid happening. The last thing I learned at this mentor visit was how to

prevent and educate others about cervical cancer. To prevent cervical cancer one needs to get the

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine. This type of cancer is caused by this virus so by getting

this vaccine and doing Pap Smear's women can prevent themselves from ever developing this

type of cancer. That is why Dr. Taboada said it is essential to educate others about the prevention
methods to help prevent women from ever developing this aggressive and hard to treat type of

cancer.

In conclusion, my third mentor visit was exceptionally beneficial as I was able to learn

more about the types of tests a medical oncologist may order, how breast cancer works, and the

importance of educating others about preventable cancers. I need to understand what tests I may

need to order in the future to make sure that my future patients are comfortable and doing well in

all aspects during their entire cancer journey. I also need to understand how breast cancer works

because I will be treating those with breast cancer in the future. Finally, I must know how to

educate others about preventable cancers to help them avoid having to go through the horrific

and taxing journey of cancer. This information also changed my perspective of the field of

oncology as it opened my mind to understanding how educating my patients is just as important

as treating my patients. All in all, all the information that I learned at this mentor visit will be

used in the future to help me become a well-rounded and successful medical oncologist.