Choosing a career in medicine takes ‘a fair amount of flexibility,’ many mentors
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Starting on the path toward a medical specialty requires drive and is bolstered by personal connection, especially when choosing a specialty that can be emotionally strenuous like oncology.
Healio spoke with Stephanie L. Graff, MD, director of breast oncology at the Lifespan Cancer Institute and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University, and Priya Kumthekar, MD, a neuro-oncologist from Northwestern University, both Healio’s Women in Oncology Peer Perspective Board Members, about what advice they have for those early in their medical career who are choosing a specialty, and specifically for those who plan to focus on oncology.
Knowing your interests
An underlying interest in science and gaining fulfillment from patient relationships can be two strong reasons to choose oncology as a career path.
Graff said that a history teacher she had in high school — someone she considers one of her earliest mentors — told her that “your job will be to read about your job” and so that whatever she loved to read about would be a good clue as to what career path would ensue.
“That has been phenomenally true advice,” she said. “My job has been to read about my job. I’ve always loved math and science. In school, I loved pharmacology, physiology and biology, so cancer care was an easy fit. Then when I got to clinical rotations, the humanity of oncology was totally in line with my interests.”
She continued that oncology fit both her “nerdy, science geek side,” as well as the connection and depth of relationships built during patient care.
Kumthekar similarly shared that she found a calling in oncology following her training in neurology and that patient care was a major factor in choosing her career path.
“I did a neurology residency that included a couple neuro-oncology specialists,” she said. “I had the opportunity to work with them and in that really felt a pull, a true tug toward the field. I felt like the patient relationships were really what pulled me in, and I suspect that’s no different for most who choose oncology. There can be high stakes and times of high emotion.”
Kumthekar said that she “by nature is a hand holder,” and so a job in which she could execute that skill for both patients and loved ones during stressful times was as important as her love and interest in the science behind the field.
Kumthekar added that no matter what field you find yourself in medicine, there is always a path to oncology and a way to help patients with cancer. If you feel that pull even after medical school, she said it’s “never too late” to head in that direction and find those who will help you get there.
Graff added that it’s important to remember that “nothing is forever.”
“Just because any job or project doesn’t fit you, doesn’t mean it has to be the ‘forever,’” she said. “Use that opportunity for what it is, and keep your eye on where you want to go.”
‘It all turns out OK’
Despite the many decisions that need to be made early in one’s career and the steep learning curve that accompanies any new career, maintaining flexibility and obtaining effective mentorship can ensure you’re on the right path.
Graff said that one thing she wish she had known earlier was that “in the end, it all turns out OK.”
Having been the first person in her family to go to college let alone medical school, Graff’s insight into everything from how to apply to college and medical school, get into residency and fellowship programs, manage student loans, even what to wear and say, were all foreign. She often felt like she was stumbling her way forward through it all.
“There are so many competing vectors that force us in one direction or another,” she said. “We have our birth families, and we also have found families that we’ve chosen for ourselves, who may push or pull us in different directions. The process of the residency match is its own beast that pushes and pulls you in a way that’s less in our control than we’d like it to be.”
She noted that new physicians should go into their careers in medicine with “a fair amount of flexibility” and accept what comes.
“There’s always a way to find your community and find your support system no matter where you land and no matter what that context looks like,” she said.
Kumthekar said that as a trainee, it seemed that everyone was searching for a “golden mentor,” but one thing she has learned is that a key to success is having multiple mentors for different areas.
“Just like in real life, you have different influences for different spheres of your life, and you don’t have to have all of that in one single person,” she said. “None of us are ‘all-in-one’ human beings. We can’t have it all, so how can we expect that of one mentor?”
She continued that it’s important to distinguish a mentor who can help with the scientific side of your career as much as one who can help with the emotional side.
“Basically, you can have a mentor for the different spheres of your career and your life,” she said. “Finding one doesn’t need to be as pressured as it can sometimes seem to be, but rather, look for positive influences and those who can help you in different ways.”
Graff added that women in general may also be more tentative when seeking out mentors for themselves.
“I’m approached by men for mentorship much more readily than women,” she said. “I want to say to women just reach out, reach out if you need a mentor. You can also ask for a sponsor, someone who specifically creates an opportunity for you — perhaps for participating in a research project, getting published or speaking at a conference. If you’re looking at your CV and see that you need to fill in some of those areas, don’t be afraid to reach beyond your traditional boundaries and ask for those sponsors.”
For more information:
Stephanie L. Graff, MD, can be reached at sgraff1@lifespan.org.
Priya U. Kumthekar, MD, can be reached at priya.kumthekar@nm.org.
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