Lauren+R

Three questions I want to answer in my research of this job:
1.How many years of training will I have to go through to be fully qualified? 2. What will working as a Radiaton Oncologist be like and what could I encounter? 3. How much would I expect to get payed and how will that change over time?

About the job
Radiation oncologists provide radiation treatment and management of people with cancer and other medical conditions.

Tasks and duties
Radation oncologists may either:
 * talk to patients about their symptoms and illnesses, and examine them
 * cary out tests and study the results
 * study x-rays and other radiographic images and medical reports
 * discuss various treatment options with patients and their familie
 * determine how to manage the patient's illness
 * treat the patient using radiation therapy
 * monitor, support and care for patients before, during and after their treatment
 * write reports on the treatment of patients for GP's and other medical specialists
 * teach trainee radiation oncologist

Skills and knowledge
Radiation oncologists need to be skilled and have knowleddge about:
 * cancer and how to treat it
 * how the human body works
 * different diseases and illnesses
 * radiation treatments, and how these affect patients
 * medical ethics and law

Personal and physical qualities
Radiation oncolologists need to be able to:
 * make good decisions and solve problems
 * analyse and interpret information well
 * good time managers
 * motivated and disciplined
 * work well under pressure
 * good at communicating and inspiring confidence in others
 * have an understanding of other cultures' attitudes to medical treatment
 * need to have good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses)

Qualifications and extra education needed:
To become a radiation oncologist you need to: If you want to become a radiation oncologist you also need to be registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand. To enter tertiary training you need to have NCEA Level 3. Useful subjects include maths with calculus and/or statistics, chemistry, physics, biology and english.
 * complete the Health Sciences First Year programme at Otago University, or the first year of either the Bachelor of Health Sciences or Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science at Auckland University
 * complete a five-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree at Otago or Auckland
 * work for two years as a supervised junior doctor in a hospital
 * complete another five years of specialist training and examinations to become a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Usuful experience:

 * work in hospitals or other health-related places like a clinic
 * work caring for people

Working conditions:
Radiation oncologists:
 * may work long hours and be on call
 * work in hospitals, clinics and private practices
 * work in conditions that may be stressful, as they deal with seriously ill patients
 * travel to conferences locally or overseas.

Pay and progression:
Pay varies quite a lot for fully qualified radiation oncologists and those in training depending on seniority, hours, location and frequency of on-call or emergency cover. Radiation oncologists may progress to teach students and trainee radiation oncologists at larger hospitals. Radiation oncologists can also become clinical directors, combining an administrative role with a clinical role.
 * Trainee radiation oncologists working for a district health board usually earn between $70,000 and $175,000 a year.
 * Qualified radiation oncologists working for a DHB usually earn between $150,000 and $206,000.
 * Radiation oncologists working at the top level may earn up to $600,000.

Related jobs:

 * Medical Radiation Technologist
 * Diagnostic Radiologist

My conclusions about this job:
I think this job would definatly be a very interesting and challenging job. I think i would enjoy every aspect of this job, even if it seems depressing working with cancer patients. My nana resently passed away of cancer so I think it would be great to work with people who are going through what my nana did. This job is definatly high in my intrests. I've always wanted to know how to treet and deal with cancer paitents. My qualities work in well with the personal and physical qualities needed for this job. I think this job won't change much over time because there will always be a need for people to work with and understand this disease that effects so many peoples lives. (Unless someone comes up with an instant cure for cancer that actully works in the not so distant future)

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