career powerpoint

1. K E N D A L L P H E L P S - P O L I R E R
RESEARCH ON ONCOLOGY

2. In eighth grade I visited my friend Robin in the hospital. She had developed
brain cancer and I had not seen her in a long time. The brain tumor had caused her to
undergo many seizures that left her slow and affected how she spoke. After seeing Robin
that day, I realized that medicine was the path I wanted to pursue. I realized that I could
help people like Robin, who passed away shortly after our visit. This loss inspired me to
be part of the fight against cancer.
The summer after my sophomore year in high school, I participated in the Duke
TIP program for oncology. I met top oncologists in every field, all fighting to find a cure to
save people like Robin. After that exposure, I knew the pre-medical curriculum would be
what I would follow in my four years at Clemson. Since being at Clemson, I have stayed
true to my dream of being a doctor. I have demonstrated a passion for science through
my involvement this summer doing breast cancer research at MUSC.
The work in the lab provided me with experience in the field of science, but it is
the interpersonal interaction between the doctor and his or her patients that has drawn
me to the medical field. I want to be able to interact face-to-face with patients to give
them support and the things they need to help them overcome their illness, all the while
being trained and able to come up with a successful treatment regimen to be put in place
to keep them alive. Being an oncologist is my career goal, but I am indecisive on which
type of oncologist I want to be. A medical oncologist gets to be with the patient every step
of the way from diagnosis to treatment, while a surgical oncologist puts their skills to work
in the operating room and performs the excision of tumors.
In 2016, there will be an estimated 1,685,210 new cancer cases diagnosed and
595,690 cancer deaths in the United States (Cancer.Org). Cancer will continue to take
lives and I want to be involved in the war to help stop it.

3. SURGICAL ONCOLOGY- HISTORY
• Cancer is possibly the oldest disease ever found in a human
specimen. In 1990, an autopsy of a mummy belonging to the
Chiribaya Tribe in Peru revealed a thousand-year-old malignant
tumor (Mukherjee, 43).
• 1809 was the year Ephraim McDowell successfully performed the
first tumor removal, advancing how physicians treated cancer
(Millar).
• Antisepsis and anesthesia were technological breakthroughs that
allowed the advancement of surgical practices to occur from 1850-
1950 (Mukherjee, 58).
• Surgical oncology is a specialty that focuses on the treatment of
cancer through surgical techniques.
• In addition to performing surgery, surgical oncologists are trained in
cancer diagnosis, prevention, rehabilitation and may even conduct
cancer research.

4. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
• A career in surgical oncology requires several years of education
and training.
• Graduating from a 4-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of
Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) follows earning a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Next, medical school graduates must pass a state licensing exam in
order to practice medicine.
• After gaining a license, a 5-year general surgery residency must be
completed. General surgery residents complete clinical rotations,
gain experience in many different fields of surgery and conduct
scientific or clinical research.
• A fellowship in surgical oncology is the final step to becoming a
surgical oncologist. Completion takes 2 years, and fellows go
through clinical rotations and gain experience by performing surgery
on different cancers.
Sources: “Become a Surgical Oncologist: Step-by-Step Career Guide." Study.com

5. SALARY & GROWTH POTENTIAL
• The 2016 salary range of a surgical oncologist is between
$109,197 and $410,325. Geography is the biggest factor
affecting income, followed by education duration. The average
salary is around $243,000 per year (PayScale).
• The projected growth potential for a surgical oncologist is
must faster than average, increasing 20% from 2012-2024
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). This high job outlook is due
to cancer being a health issue that largely affects the aging
baby boomer generation. The risk for cancer increases with
age.

6. O*NET PROFILER
• I believe I would be a good surgical oncologist because I am investigative
and social.
• As a surgical oncologist, the main goal is to remove a tumor and enough of
the surrounding healthy tissue to ensure that recurrence does not happen.
Thus, excising a tumor takes careful preplanning using diagnostic and
staging studies. This goes hand-in-hand with my investigative interests, and
I would enjoy being able to figure out problems and use logic to formulate the
best surgical approach.
• At the end of my mice study at MUSC, the mice were sacrificed and I had to
excise the tumors by performing a necropsy. This gave me a small-scale look
into what being a surgical oncologist would be like. I was very precise and
successful while performing these mice autopsies and experienced handling
surgical tools.
• I am patient, logical, calm in alarming situations and organized, which are all
qualities I believe a successful surgeon should have.
• As for social skills, I am president of St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn and I have
experience in leading a team of people, which is important for a surgical
oncologist to do while in the operating room. I am a good communicator and
would be able to describe preoperative and postoperative treatments and
procedures clearly and accurately to the patient.

7. MEDICAL ONCOLOGY- HISTORY
• At the time of Hippocrates in 400 B.C., the first word for cancer appeared in
medical literature- karkinos, the Greek word for crab. This was used to describe
tumors because of their finger-like projections, similar to a crab in the sand
with its legs spread in a circle (Mukherjee, 43).
• Cancer treatments have evolved since World War II, when it was first discovered that chemicals
could treat cancers. The U.S. Army was searching for effective chemical agents for war when they
found that nitrogen mustard was capable of killing rapidly growing cancer cells by damaging their
DNA. This nitrogen mustard was successful in treating cancer of the lymph nodes, or lymphoma
(Cancer.Org).
• Sidney Farber, the father of modern chemotherapy, accidently discovered a powerful anti-cancer
chemical in a compound related to the vitamin folic acid and successfully treated children with
acute leukemia. That drug was the predecessor of methotrexate, a chemotherapy agent
commonly used today (Cancer.Org).
• The role of a medical oncologist is to prescribe various types of treatment, such as chemotherapy,
medications and hormones.
• Typical job duties include making cancer diagnoses, keeping records of patients' test results and
physical examinations, writing prescriptions, providing specific cancer information to patients,
monitoring treatment plans and improving patients' quality of life. Medical oncologists explain
cancer development stages to patients, discuss treatment options and assist in pain management.
They care for patients throughout the entire course of cancer treatment, from diagnosis to
recovery or death (Study).

8. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
• A career in medical oncology requires nine years of medial
education and training.
• Graduating from a 4-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor
of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) follows earning a Bachelor’s
Degree.
• Next, a medical oncologist must spend 36 months as an
internal medicine resident.
• After completing that residency and passing the American
Board of Internal Medicine certification exams, a two-year
fellowship in medical oncology must be completed.
• After passing the American Board of Internal Medicine
medical oncology exam, the medical oncologist is now board
certified in the specialty.
Source: DeMerceau

9. SALARY & JOB GROWTH
• Mean Annual Salary for medical oncologists is $217,856.
The highest-paid ten percent earned $400,526, and the
lowest-paid ten percent earned $101,388 (PayScale).
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that
employment for medical oncologists will grow 18% over
the 2012-2022 decade. This faster-than-average job
outlook is due to a growing aging population that
demands more physicians, especially medical
oncologists (BLS).

10. O*NET PROFILER
• Medical oncologists coordinate a course of treatment
for cancer patients with the rest of their oncology
team. The leadership skills that I possess would
allow me to head a treatment plan, and my social
and collaborative skills would allow me to coordinate
the regime with the rest of the team.
• As a medical oncologist, patient interaction is of
utmost importance. With my high score for social
interests, medical oncology would be a good fit for
me. I would be able to work with patients to help
them learn about the disease they are affected by
and also teach them what lifestyle changes need to
be made. I would be able to discuss the different
courses of action and explain cancer development
stages.

11. O*NET PROFILER
• My O*Net Profile shows I have enterprising skills which are
important in this field because I would need to lead and
persuade people into executing the best treatment plan.
• My investigative skills are extremely important because as
new medical breakthroughs occur every day, I would need to
constantly research and keep up to date and apply any new
information to help assist in choosing the best solution for my
patients.
• Over the summer I shadowed a medical oncologist and really
enjoyed how connected the patient and doctor are. I feel that I
would be a good medical oncologist because I am personable
and like making relationships with people. I would be able to
remember a patient and their preferences so that when they
come in for treatment or checkups they would feel most
comfortable.
• My experience with record keeping shows I would be
successful in keeping up with patients’ records and monitoring
treatment plans.

12. RELEVANT ACADEMICS
• Anatomy & Physiology showed me the processes of major organ systems and taught me to
recognize the structural and functional importance of the human body. This is relevant to medical
oncology because when prescribing medications, it is important to know how the medicines
interact with the body and what organs they may put stress on. This class is extremely important
to surgical oncologists because I learned not only anatomical terms, but also all the body’s major
and minor veins and arteries.
• Biochemistry provided me with an in-depth look into how our genome is created. Cancer is built
into our genomes and becomes propagated as we extend our lifespan, thus a deeper
understanding of how malignant growth and normal growth are genetically intertwined is important
in the future of curing cancer.
• Health 2020 & 2030 taught me about the health care delivery system and how to make it more
efficient. I believe this is important to learn when going into a health profession. It is also crucial to
understand the future of medicine and how different policies will affect doctors.
• During my sophomore year, I participated in a Lab Research Creative Inquiry where I learned
the basics on how to handle a living cell. This gave me an understanding on the cell cycle, a
crucial concept to master due to all cancers being related at the cellular level by uncontrollable
pathological cell division.

13. MEDICAL SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Name of Medical
School
Mean GPA Mean MCAT Tuition Cost
(per yr.)
Medical University of
South Carolina
3.72 30 $35,662
University of South
Carolina- School of
Medicine Greenville
3.7-3.75 28-29 $40,194
University of South
Carolina School of
Medicine
3.63 28.7 $39,114
My GPA My Mean MCAT
3.7 Not yet taken
My choice of Medical Schools are MUSC, USC-Greenville, and USC. I am in the process of studying for
the MCAT and plan to take it in April, so I do not have that score to compare. With my GPA being a 3.7, I
would be a good candidate for each of these schools as that is the average GPA of an accepted student.
I also have taken 2 semesters of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, all
recommended/required prerequisites for these three schools. In addition to GPA and MCAT scores, I
have participated in numerous community service projects and have demonstrated leadership as the
position of President in Clemson’s St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn philanthropic organization. I am a member of the
Calhoun Honors College and will have completed my general and departmental honors by the end of this
semester. I have completed lab research at Clemson and MUSC, and I am currently in the process of
getting published. I believe that these achievements prove that I am a strong candidate for all three of
these medical schools.

14. CONCLUSION
I am drawn to the medical profession because it intertwines both science
and humanism.
Throughout my undergraduate career, I have immersed myself in the
world of science through classes and research. I love learning about new scientific
breakthroughs and the mechanism of action for everything in the body. I believe
this love of science has made me interested in becoming a doctor, but what has
really solidified my decision is the building of patient relationships. I choose
wanting to be a doctor, over all other possible career paths that help people,
because I want to give cancer patients the gift of longevity so they can see their
children grow up and get married, or so that they can grow up themselves and
experience life and happiness. I believe that life and the experience that you gain
through living it is the greatest gift you can give someone. This has led me to
pursue the field of oncology. Both medical and surgical oncologists endure medical
school, residency and fellowships and must have important knowledge, skills, and
abilities in order to succeed.
I believe that I have both the talent and the drive necessary to become
either a medical or surgical oncologist. With cancer being the second leading
cause of death, the time is now to join the fight.

15. WORKS CITED
• "Become a Surgical Oncologist: Step-by-Step Career Guide." Study. Study, n.d. Web. 18
Jan. 2016.
• "Cancer Facts & Figures 2016." Cancer Facts & Figures 2016. Cancer.Org, n.d. Web. 19
Jan. 2016.
• DeMerceau, John. "How Many Years of Training to Become an Oncologist?" Everyday Life.
GlobalPost, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
• "Medical Oncologist: Job Description, Salary and Career Outlook." Study. Study.com, n.d.
Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
• Millar, Lara, M.D. "Surgical Oncology: The Basics." Surgical Oncology: The Basics.
OncoLink, 8 Dec. 2014. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
• Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. New York:
Scribner, 2010. Print.
• “Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Physicians and Surgeons.” U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17 Dec. 2015. Web. 18 Jan.
2016.
• "Physician / Doctor, Oncologist Salary (United States) United States Home Change
Country Don't See What You Are Looking For?Get A Free Custom Salary Report »."
Physician / Doctor, Oncologist Salary. PayScale, 12 Jan. 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
• “The History Of Cancer”. Cancer.Org, n.d. Web. 19 Jan 2016.