Why Did I Fall in Love with Oncology? Reflections on Hope, Compassion, and Connection

Oncology is one of the most challenging professions, emotionally and mentally exhausting. Every day, oncologists make difficult decisions and must discuss them with patients fighting for their lives.

Yet many oncologists say they love their work because of—or despite—this reality. Four oncology professionals were interviewed to learn why they find their work so fulfilling.

Moving Forward After Tragedy

In 2007, medical oncologist Patricia Rich, MD, diagnosed her 23-year-old son Phil with leukemia. After losing Phil in 2009 following multiple bone marrow transplants, Rich lost her partner Tony to a brain abscess just six months later.

How could an oncologist still love her work so much after such devastating losses?

Rich, who specializes in lung cancer treatment at City of Hopa in Atlanta, says, "For me, loving oncology and feeling the weight of tragedy are inseparable, intertwined emotions. When it comes to triumphs and tragedies, oncologists often live at the extremes of humanity; the blows bend you double, but they do not break you."

Rich's life and experiences had taught her to keep going under any circumstances, absorbing blows without being destroyed. Growing up amid war in Argentina in the 1970s, she remembers falling asleep to the sounds of shotguns and bombs. She was only twenty when she emigrated to the US with her family.

A mother of four, Rich entered medical school at the University of Miami to fulfill her childhood dream. As a young girl, she had first glimpsed what being a doctor might mean while giving children polio vaccine on sugar cubes in informal settlements in Buenos Aires. During medical school, she was certain pediatrics would be her only choice, but this changed during her oncology rotation when she met a young woman with esophageal cancer.

When Rich met the young woman, she was struck by how sad and lonely she looked. The moment she hugged her to offer comfort, the patient began to cry. Thinking she had made a mistake, Rich panicked and tried to apologize, but, "As I struggled to speak, the patient was sobbing, saying she was happy and that no one had touched her since she was diagnosed with cancer . At that moment, I realized how much I loved oncology, and it was a message for me."

The feelings Rich experienced when she instinctively hugged the woman out of compassion gained deeper meaning as she recalled caring for her son. Rich said the experience showed her the importance of empathy and genuine connection in healthcare, and she felt that the right approach could give patients strength and hope.

Rich added, "Phil's journey and presence form the foundation of my approach to patient care," and, "My son made me a better oncologist."

Fighting for Empathy

Judith Alberto had been a pharmacist for 20 years when a "terrible experience" drew her toward oncology.

In 2005, when her 58-year-old mother's cognitive complaints worsened, Alberto's sister took her to a university teaching hospital emergency department. After a CT scan, a technician came in chuckling and asked bluntly, "How long have you had a brain tumor?"

Diagnosed with glioblastoma, her mother was given nine months to live. Alberto could not forget how, during her mother's postoperative hospital stay, nurses failed to answer calls for help as she suffered vomiting and unbearable migraines, and forgot to give steroids to reduce her edema.

This neglect led Alberto to take her mother to the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. She was so impressed by how well her mother was treated that she applied for openings in the hospital's oncology pharmacy.

Throughout her 12 years at Jefferson Health, she remembered her mother every day while building a team of oncology pharmacists dedicated to treating patients with empathy.

Alberto, who recently became director of clinical initiatives at the Community Oncology Alliance, says, "Cancer patients hold a very special place in my heart. I will do whatever I can to help them."

Alberto encouraged her team to make time to talk with patients, hold their hands when they needed comfort, and ensure they knew the team would care for them and do everything possible to make their journey as smooth as possible.

Alberto adds, "I am so deeply committed to oncology both because of its challenges and because of how all the good I have done and can do makes me feel. We can make a difference in patients' lives, and that is truly rewarding."

Drawing Inspiration from Patients

In 2019, hematologist-oncologist Nuruddin Jooma climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. As he battled the biting cold to reach the summit, he thought of the challenges his patients faced.

Jooma, who works at Florida Cancer Center, which has locations throughout the state, says, "I thought this was nothing compared with what patients go through."

Jooma initially avoided oncology, thinking it would make him depressed. But his view changed completely during an oncology rotation.

He was surprised that so many patients remained hopeful even in the face of diagnosis and difficult treatments. He enjoyed interacting with them so much that on his first day, when he looked at his pager, he was shocked to discover it was already past six. For the first time in his training, he had gone an entire day without checking the pager to see how long remained until the day ended. Time had flown by.

A patient with lung cancer, struggling to adjust to a wheelchair, was having difficulty breathing. He was given erlotinib, a newly approved pill. Six weeks later, the patient walked into the hospital. Moments like this convinced Jooma to become an oncologist.

Although Jooma took satisfaction in knowing he could help patients, he was also grateful for the difference they made in his life. "I learn so much from my patients. For example, they have taught me to prioritize, not dwell on small things, and recognize that spiritual strength is much more important than I had thought."

Bringing Technology and Human Emotion Together

Dr. Robert Gin recalls how a cancer scare at age 17 drew him toward oncology.

When Gin noticed swollen lymph nodes in his neck and saw a doctor, he was told he might have cancer. He hesitated to tell his family because he did not want to worry them.

Although blood tests confirmed that the problem was not cancer-related, the experience was a shock for Gin. "I knew nothing about oncology before that, but after the experience, my interest in cancer grew."

Initially, he was interested in laboratory-based cancer research. As an undergraduate, he focused on chemistry and cellular biology. But while volunteering in a radiation oncology department, he realized how much he enjoyed interacting with patients. He was impressed by their courage and the clinical staff's compassion.

The son of Chinese immigrants, Gin had witnessed his parents' thoughtful, generous attitude toward customers while working in their grocery store in Chandler, Arizona. His father drove customers without cars home and brought food to hungry neighbors. His mother allowed people who could not pay to buy on credit. These thoughtful acts made a deep impression on him.

Gin, who works at Arizona Oncology in Tucson, says he particularly loves radiation oncology: "You reach patients by combining technology, where mathematics and physics come together, with human emotions such as empathy and compassion."

Gin enthusiastically follows advances such as stereotactic body radiotherapy, which delivers powerful treatment at precise doses that minimize side effects. He says, "The calculations we make to determine the dose directly change patients' quality of life."

Gin says that building relationships with patients reminds him of the fear he felt when he encountered cancer at a young age. He adds, "I can put myself in their place and empathize with what they are going through, approaching and caring for each patient as a person, rather than just a diagnosis."