Ramya Varadarajan, MD

A 62-year-old white woman was initially evaluated in November 2006 for a new-onset bleeding episode. She had been followed for lymphocytosis for a few months and subsequently developed lymphadenopathy. A lymph node biopsy was done and confirmed the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL). The lymph node biopsy was complicated by excessive blood loss, which prompted the referral.

For all of the fellows out there looking for your first academic job, I feel your pain. For most of us, our first academic job might be our first real job. We all know that the first few years of our career will be the building blocks of our academic practice. We may be experts on all the latest updates in the field of hematology or oncology, but when it comes to negotiating a contract, we may not know much at all.