So my week hematology/oncology (heme/onc) is done. I said goodbye to the sand and sun of Texas and hello to the mountains and snow of Colorado. I had a lot of fun on heme/onc. The doctors were amazing and the patients were so inspiring. I loved to witness the relations that were built and to meet children in all stages of cancer treatment. I even got to follow one child through his initial diagnosis and see all the steps that are taken to start treatment. It was incredible. Monday morning started with table rounds. All the PA's, nurses, and doctors discussed what had happened with all the patients during the weekend over cups of coffee. I discovered that a heme/onc office does a lot more than a normal doctor's office. They have counselors and learning specialists on staff to help out. They talk to the kid's schools and explain what the family is going through and what support can be given. There's also this position called Child Life Specialist. They are all over the hospital, not just on heme/onc. Honestly, I might have chosen this profession if I knew about it before I started my pursuit of medicine. All they do is play with the kids. They plan parties and outings and gatherings. They have a closet full of toys and arts and crafts. I mean who wouldn't want that job? But alas, I feel like I've come too far now to just switch careers. (You can breathe now mom and dad; I'm not planning on dropping out of med school anytime soon). Wednesday morning rounds are dedicated just to emotional wellness and coping skills. The team discusses how each family is handling the illness and what can be done to help them. At that meeting a plan was hatched to schedule these two teenagers appointments at the same time so they could meet. It was thought that they could would be a good support person for each other. 
I was fortunate to work with all three attending hematologist/oncologist, two ladies and a guy. They see patients as a group meaning patients are shared. This helps them be familiar with all the patients and their treatment plan which makes being on call slightly easier. The attending's time is split between making rounds on the hospital floor and being in clinic. The clinic is always busy. Some chemo treatments require daily infusions so these kids are constantly in the office. There is a teen lounge and a kids playroom for them to hang out. Lumbar punctures and bone marrow biopsies are also done in the office. I got to witness several of these and actually perform some myself. One bone marrow biopsy I completed I followed down to pathology to read the specimen with the pathologist. They had this really cool microscope in the lab where 6 separate eye pieces hooked up to look at one specimen together. The pathologist was able to point out several teaching points to me and we could even throw it up on a big screen TV so more people could see as well.
Overall, my last week in Texas was my favorite. The experience was awesome and I am glad I got to go. I met several fabulous medical students from other schools. I'm definitely going to miss them. But unfortunately, I'm in a pickle. Instead of clarifying everything and showing me my destined path, my week of heme/onc has only left me more confused on what I want. I absolutely loved my time with the kids and learned so much from the doctors but I found myself missing the operating room (OR). I find myself torn between peds heme/onc and ob/gyn. They are both such awesome specialties with their own pros and cons. I'm starting an actual list and have added 'soul searching' on my to-do list. Luckily this decision doesn't have to be made for a few more months. I actually set up another pediatric rotation back home. So get ready Sebastopol! I will be home for the month of January! And I am counting down the days until Christmas break. Nothing is quite like a mom and dad hug :-)
