A touch and a man is healed. A word and a blind man sees. The life of Jesus Christ was characterized by His love for those in need, often taking the form of healing the physical ailments of those who sought Him out. I joined medicine to follow in His footsteps, and in the third year of medical school, I was privileged to experience many such opportunities to participate in the healing of the body. It served to whet my appetite for the future chances to do more of the same. Thus, as I approached the end of my third year of medical school with the career decision of choosing a specialty looming large, I had many paths to consider as to how I would continue in the healing arts. However, through my experiences in the caring of patients, I was sure I wanted to work directly with patients in the field of oncology; the cancer patients whom I had treated captivated me.
Yet the multiple branches of medicine that deal with cancer are many indeed, and as I explored the various options available, from surgical oncology to hematology-oncology, I found Radiation Oncology to be the obvious choice for me. Not only did it have the clinical exposure to oncology patients, it also combined this aspect with the opportunities for clinical research. I was excited to be able to participate in studies that had an immediate and tangible impact on patient care and could advance from the trial stage to the clinical arena within a short period of time.
During my exposure to Radiation Oncology, I have been privileged to work with Richard Levy, M.D., Ph.D., on such a project. Using the data from previous studies in cranial radiotherapy for the treatment of brain metastases, we are working on a protocol to examine whether stereotactic radiosurgery is a viable alternative to whole brain irradiation in the treatment of brain metastases without causing the neurologic sequelae associated with the latter. I was amazed how we were able to apply the results from previous studies directly to patients in such a short interval and be able to open new avenues of patient care. Although the existence of radiation therapy has had a long history, it continues to be an active and evolving field with an expansive frontier of possibilities calling for pioneers to explore. I eagerly look forward to joining in the profession to push the boundaries of knowledge in order that not only will my patients benefit, but with them, all of oncology.
Other reasons also exist which pull me towards Radiation Oncology. One is my interest in physics, which had lay dormant since my undergraduate years and emerged only as I taught physics to premedical students -- no other field in medicine approaches the use of applied physics or even the concepts therein as much as in Radiation Oncology. The emphasis placed upon conceptual thinking is one aspect that carries over and in which I delight. With a myriad of combinations of possible cancers, their locations, and patient populations, there is often no one standard treatment regimen; rather, applying the general concepts of radiotherapy treatment specifically to each patient resembles solving a puzzle. I appreciate the chances to actively engage my mind to put the pieces together by changing and adapting protocols to treat the cancer while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. In addition, being of a technical bent, I enjoy working with computers and take pleasure in seeing how computes are such an integral part of therapy in Radiation Oncology.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I entered into the study of medicine to emulate Him by healing those in need, in order that I may point them to the Great Physician for the soul. In the years since, I have learned much of the healing arts and I have changed and grown in many ways, yet the desire to heal both body and soul continues to be the fire which drives me onward. With its emphasis on translational research and direct patient care, I believe I can do this the best in the field of Radiation Oncology.