Many years of training are required to become a hematologist-oncologist. Students must first complete high school as well as a four-year college education. They must then train to become doctors attending medical school for four years and passing the required licensing exams. Following that, you must complete a residency program in either internal medicine or pediatrics. The final step is to complete a hematology-oncology fellowship program.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university is one of the first requirements for becoming a hematologist-oncologist. Students are not required to major in a particular field, but they must complete coursework in chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics. Students typically take an admissions test before or after graduating from college in order to apply to medical school. Transcripts from all college work, essays explaining the person’s desire to become a doctor, and letters of recommendation are also included in a medical school application.
Medical school is the next step in becoming a hematologist-oncologist. This degree usually takes four years to complete. Typically, the first two years of medical school are spent in the classroom, taking courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and pathology. The following two years are spent doing clinical work, interacting with real patients, and learning how to apply what you learned in the first two years to real-life situations. Although students are not required to take specific courses in hematology or oncology, those who are interested may choose to do so as electives.
A person interested in becoming a hematologist oncologist should complete a residency program after graduating from medical school. These programs are typically applied for while students are still in medical school. This part of the program takes three years to complete and provides a broad understanding of adult care. If a person wants to work as an adult hematologist-oncologist, they must complete an internal medicine residency program. Alternatively, if a person wants to work as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, he or she could complete a pediatric residency program.
One of the final steps toward becoming a licensed practitioner in this field is to complete a fellowship in hematology-oncology. Fellowships are usually for at least two years. Time to work clinically with patients and time to conduct field research are both included in some programs. The person will be qualified to work as a hematologist-oncologist after completing the fellowship and passing the certifying exams.