Hematology and Oncology as Chosen Career Pathways

Hematology and oncology are two major subspecializations available in the discipline of medical sciences. Hematology is the medical study of the physiology of the blood and blood cells and oncology is the medical study of the tumors. Generally, hematology and oncology specializations are offered together to make the medical candidate more flexible for the employment.

A qualified medical professional in the discipline of hematology is called as a hematologist. Oncologists, or cancer specialists, as they are generally addressed, are qualified medical professionals in the discipline of oncology. In fact, career as a hematologist or an oncologist is one of the most prestigious careers in the medical field.

For the career aspirants in the field of hematology and oncology, it is mandatory to have a degree in medicine (MBBS) before applying for the admission of a hematology or an oncology professional program. Each subspeicalization program may take at least two years of regular medical education for the completion of the program. If both the subspecializations are taken together, the course may normally be completed within three years of education. After the successful completion of the relevant medical course, the candidates are required to have a medical license for the professional practice as a hematologist or an oncologist. Professional hematologists and oncologists can choose between academic or research careers and patient care or clinical care related careers.

Academic and research careers involve medical teaching, clinical investigation, laboratory research etc. There are a lot of new emerging areas of research in the field of hematology such as advanced treatment methods for the regulation of hemophilia; hematopoiesis and blood coagulation disorders; thrombosis; hemostasis and so on. Within the oncology discipline, research focus is mainly on the sophisticated bone marrow stem cell transplantation technique, study of cancer cells, invasion of cancer cells, cancer immunology, advanced cancer treatments and so on.

Clinical care or patient care related careers are mainly available at the hospitals, clinics, health centres etc and experienced oncologists and hematologist can even start own private practice. Major career responsibilities in this field include providing medical consultancy to the patients and deliver treatments such as chemotherapy for cancer patients; blood transfusion for patients with blood coagulation disorders etc.