Oncology is not about making the diagnosis of cancer, putting the patient on a barrage of therapies, or giving him an approximate estimate of the number of months/years he has left. It is about tailoring therapy for each patient’s genetic and molecular profile, bridging medical research and clinical care, building supportive relationships with the patients, and weighing their mental wellbeing equally to their physical one. Currently, given the expanding armament of chemo, immuno and genetic therapies, you get to break the good news of remission, response, or cure to the patients quite frequently, a fact that makes present-time oncology a fascinating specialty. I learned this during my oncology elective at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital, which was a great opportunity for personal and academic growth, as well as a chance to make long-lasting relationships and connections.

My day used to start by the time I arrive to the hospital around 7:30 am. In the mornings, I used to check up on my assigned patients, review their charts, update their notes, and prepare a presentation for our attending physician during the daily rounds. A presentation that usually led to stimulating discussions about the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of every case. I rounded with two wonderful attendings, Dr. Ocean and Dr. Beltran, from whom I have learned the best of the clinical care and medical research worlds. Additionally, during my time at NYP, I came to experience the buzzing teamwork environment, clocklike punctuality, and delicate organization that govern the workplace here. Along with the clinical teaching environment, I was presented with a myriad of other learning opportunities. I attended case discussions, goals of care sessions, grand rounds, and different conferences. One exceptional opportunity was attending the weekly health policy sessions that satisfied my thirst for knowledge of health policy and health systems. Given the diversity of learning opportunities at NYP, I would say that you would never fall in the trap of daily routine!

This elective was not only a learning experience for me, but also an exciting social and a cultural one. I have learned about the cultures of the international students who shared this elective block with me. We were a cohort of Australians, Irish, Brazilians, Arabs, Pakistanis and Indians. We enjoyed sharing some aspects of our cultures, countries and medical schools. We also got the chance to explore NYC, the big apple, together. We visited many iconic monuments, attended concerts and social events, travelled, and experimented with different cuisines. You will never get bored in NYC!

Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Finkel, Ms. Young, and the NYP/WCM staff for being so kind, caring, and supportive. They made sure that we enjoyed this experience to the maximum.