Oncology (Clinical and Medical) Jobs
Oncologists are physicians who diagnose and treat patients with cancer. They advise on surgery and treatment options and can administer medicines. Their role encompasses diagnosis, discussion with their patient, prescribing drugs and therapy treatments, and providing follow up consultations and care. They work with acute and emergency cases, manage long-term care and treatment toxicities, and often specialise in certain cancers or treatments. Practitioners are mindful of the emotional needs of their patients and their families, and the benefits and limitations of therapeutic interventions. They can advise on prognosis and treatment options, and end-of-life care. They work in multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic and multidimensional care, collaborating with medical specialists, such as specialist oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, and radiologists, and coordinate care with other nursing, radiology, scientific (radiobiology, physics, laboratory sciences) and palliative care teams. They undertake a mix of clinical and research activities, train junior doctors, provide clinical leadership and manage service delivery. Clinical and Medical Oncologists work closely together – clinical oncologists utilise radiotherapy treatments, while medical oncologists use other treatments. To become a Medical or Clinical Oncologist, doctors complete foundation training and core training in IM (or similar), plus one-year of Oncology Common Stem (OCS), and then either Clinical Oncology specialty training (4-years), or Medical Oncology specialty training (3-years), both of which lead to a CCT, and specialist registration with the GMC.
Registrars who work in Medical or Clinical Oncology posts are undertaking specialised advanced training in this field and its clinical practice. They work under Medical or Clinical Oncologists and develop technical and procedural skills, clinical expertise, and valuable work experience in the practice of Medical and Clinical Oncology.
Nurses who work in Oncology (or haematology, radiology, cancer care) work in hospitals and clinics which provide oncology, haematology, radiology and cancer care services. They provide inpatient care, and assist in the delivery of oncology procedures, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or biotherapy. They provide specialist nursing care to patients undergoing cancer treatment and investigation, who may require acute, long-term or palliative care. They work closely with patients of all ages and within a multi-disciplinary team which may consist of oncologists, nuclear medicine specialists, haematologists, radiation therapists, scientists or technologists. Depending on their experience, they may be responsible for training and supervising junior Nurses and teams of support staff.
Medical Physicists work in hospitals in oncology departments, medical physics and bioengineering departments, or in the private sector. In hospitals, they work as part of multi-disciplinary teams with medical, nursing and other technical assistance staff to deliver medical physics services in radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology. They performance test and procure equipment, calculate dosimetry of radiopharmaceuticals, coordinate and apply quality control measures, implement and advise on radiation safety procedures and legislation, participate in relevant scientific research and development, and provide high-level technical advice. In private companies, they provide radiation safety consultancy, compliance testing, and other expert consultation services in relation to radiation equipment. They may work with regulatory bodies and other government agencies, and advise on radiation protection requirements, imaging system performance, clinical software and information systems, and general asset management of diagnostic imaging technologies. Medical Physicists have undertaken a Bachelor / Post Graduate degree in Physics and are registered with the HCPC.