Homework

Ana Spinei 4 th year MG

The specialty I want to choose after I finish the University of Medicine and
Pharmacy Carol Davila and I pass my residency exam is oncology. The reason
for my choice lies in various experiences I had over the years I spent in high
school and the impact they left on my young mind at the time. I did not have
first-hand experiences in my family regarding oncologic patients, and I am
thankful for that, but my close friends at the time did, and I was near them in
this journey. The grief they went through as they watched their parents fade
away to this cruel disease was unimaginable and left them feeling hopeless. It
deeply moved me and made me look at my life and life in general in a new
light. The hardest hit was in my last year of high school when the mother of my
best friend died because of this, and my friend had to give up going to college
to stay at home and take care of her little brothers, because their mother was
their only support. That moment made me really rethink my life, what is
important to me and what I want to do. I reached the conclusion that I really
want to help the people that go through this. My mother does not support this
dream of mine because she thinks that I will surround myself with sadness and
death, and that I will have an unhappy life. I can not say that this is not a real
fear and that she is wrong. Statistically speaking, oncologists often suffer
depression and have a low quality of life. That also worries me and is the
biggest reason for me not being 100% sure of my decision. I am a positive
person and I cope pretty well with sadness or stress, but I can not be sure that
that will remain the same over the years. It is also a demanding specialty, that
requires a lot of dedication, a strong mind, and a lot o research. That can
monopolize the better part of your life easily. That also can be said about most
of the specialties, but the emotional tool in oncology I think is the biggest
downside. I heard various doctors and professors talking about this so I know
that it is a real issue. But I also think that the feeling of saving the patients that
are struggling with this unforgiving disease, them being able to go back to their
families and to enjoy their life is the most rewarding feeling, that will help me
go through the bad times. I am not going to go head first in this though. I want
for this summer to have my medical summer practice at an oncologic institute
and see the full experience to make a more informed decision.
That is something that I am going to think about till I finish medical school and I
hope that at the time I will take the best decision possible.