The Daily Schedule Of An Oncologist

Oncologists routinely consult with their hospital patients on a daily basis and may even see them up to 2 times a day. These patients will be managed until the specialist deems them fit to be discharged home, or to be referred to facilities such as step-down hospitals for further management or to hospice facilities for palliative care.

Oncologists will also provide on call services after hours and on weekends. They may be on call 2-3 times per week for the hospital they work at, and they will consult with referring healthcare workers about known cancer patients who may be dealing with acute problems such as severe, intractable pain that isn't controlled with the medication they are using.

Monday

Usually the week starts by dealing with administrative duties such as confirming meetings with medical representatives, hospital staff and management as well as non-clinical issues.

The oncologist will then start consulting with patients who will be examined and then sent for the appropriate tests and investigations which need to be done.

Tuesday

Blood tests, imaging reports and biopsy results are reviewed and the oncologist will then follow up with patients and discuss the findings of these tests. The patients may also have to be referred for trauma counseling as the diagnosis of cancer, especially of an aggressive type that gives a poor prognosis, can be difficult to deal with.

Wednesday

The oncologist will be meeting with specialists from other medical and surgical disciplines such as gynaecology, urology, general surgery, gastroenterology, dermatology, etc. to discuss treatment plans for patients who have cancers in the areas of the body relating to the mentioned disciplines.

This is a very important time as each patient will need a different treatment plan depending on certain factors, like those mentioned earlier.

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Thursday

Oncologists will use this day to manage patients who need administration of intravenous chemotherapeutic drugs for their specific cancers. These drugs need to be prepared by the specialists in a specific way as they will need to work in fume cupboards and have to use protective clothes and equipment to prevent injury.

This day can also be used for the training of under- and post-graduate students and doctors, if the specialist is involved with the academic curriculum of the medical school offering the training. Clinical administrative work will also be handled on this day such as filling in of motivation letters to medical insurance companies, providing patient feedback to referring physicians and filling in chronic scripts for patients.

Friday

This day is used to consult and manage patients and to finish up any pending administrative issues. Once everything has been finalised, the specialist can end their work week.

If an oncologist in working over the weekend, then they will be responsible for the care of their patients and of those who have been discussed with the specialist by their colleagues.