I want to work with and treat cancer victims and noticed there is hemetology, oncology, and radiation oncology…It’s confusing.
What is the difference between what these 3 oncologists do, other than using radiation to treat patents?
If I do not want to be a radiation oncologist, what type of residency would I do?
Hi there,
There are even more branches to Oncology. There is Pediatric Oncology which requires an oncology fellowship after three years of pediatric residency. There is Surgical Oncology which is a fellowship after five to seven years of general surgery residency. The Heme-Onc fellowship is a fellowship after doing three years of Internal Medicine. Radiation Oncology is a free standing residency of three years with one year of general medicine internship. There is also GYN-Oncology which is a fellowship done after completing a four-year OB-Gyn residency. All of the above fellowships and residencies will enable you to “work” with victims of cancer. You just have to decide how you want to work.
Natalie 
… and let me add, there is NO reason to try and figure out which of these things might be the one most appealing to you when you are not yet in medical school. When you hit the wards third year, you’ll get a much better sense of what feels right. Natalie started out wanting to be a pediatrician… and look what she has ended up doing. I was awfully interested in medicine, specifically heme-onc, and am going into family practice. Although some people stick to their original plan, many if not most medical students don’t decide on their specialty until well into third year, or sometimes even later.
So definitely find out about these different aspects of oncology, since it appeals to you… but don’t fret about the distinctions right now. Plenty of time to fret later! 