Paediatric Oncology is where I started out after medical school and where I always wanted to be as a Consultant in some form. For me it was then a question between grid training or shared care work. The main reason for choosing the latter was a strong leaning towards hands-on “roll up your sleeves” clinical work and a real enjoyment of the breadth of general paediatrics. The main reasons against full specialisation were a preference for being in a non-urban environment and a limited interest in spending a lot of time in research.
From a trainee perspective it is important to have at least 12 months in a tertiary centre and another 12 months in a POSCU, ideally with a proactive interest in an oncology related QI project or service development.
When going for a Consultant post it is important to choose a big enough unit with sufficient numbers of new oncology patients/year (ideally 15+) to ensure a sustainable service. I was lucky enough to get a post within an established service where the outgoing Consultant retired so the resources and processes for effective shared care were already in place. With the post came a lead role for non-malignant haematology, something that I hadn’t done much of in my training but that I have grown to love over the years so limited experience should not be a major concern when picking a post.
Dr Thomas Kus
Consultant Paediatrician
Oncology Lead
Gloucester Royal Hospital