How to Get a Career in Pediatric Oncology
Pediatric oncology is a specialized medical field which diagnoses and treats children with tumors or cancer, and many of these occupations care for adolescents with both treatable and terminal diagnoses. Understanding patients' emotional and physical needs, and in most cases, dealing with their lack of understanding of the illness are requirements for these careers. This field includes advanced education and training, and can include a variety of medical careers.
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Instructions
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Pediatric Onology Careers
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Decide which type of career you would like to pursue in pediatric oncology. Careers choices include the biomedical sciences, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, radiology and social services to name a few. Each of these related occupations require specific studies, degrees or certifications. There are no education programs that cover overall pediatric oncology without a specialized area of study.
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Obtain a bachelor's degree in your selected discipline. Almost all career disciplines related to pediatric oncology require at least a bachelor's degree, and most require a master's degree.
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Find additional training related to pediatric oncology. The National Institute of Health recommends and funds training for this discipline, offering students well-rounded knowledge of this field. They fund training such as St. Jude's Hospital's education program, which offers a 9 to 13 week course, as well as free housing and a salary to students enrolled in the program. Most students who enroll are highly qualified undergraduate or graduate students preparing for careers in medicine or biomedical sciences, but enrollment is open to students who have completed at least their sophomore year of college when they begin the program, with an undergraduate grade point average of at least a 3.4 overall, and 3.4 in math and science (biology, chemistry, physics).
This type of training is highly regarded by organizations who employ pediatric oncology professionals.
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Obtain life support certifications such as pediatric life support (PALS) and basic life support (BLS). Employers who hire pediatric oncology professionals that work directly with patients typically require life support certification.
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Obtain applicable pediatric oncology certifications offered in your field of study. Certifications are available in areas such as pediatric chemotherapy and pediatric oncology. Although certifications may not be required for all careers, they will better your chances for employment and advancement.
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Tips & Warnings
Because these types of careers mean working with children who are diagnosed with treatable and terminal tumors and cancer, they can be emotionally and physically demanding but also very rewarding.
