Through the eyes of a 12th-grade student from Canada

From the perspective of a Canadian student in grade 12,

Becoming a doctor has always been a dream of mine. Whenever I was asked the infamous question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" as a kid; my answer was always a doctor. Part of the reason for this response was my grandmother. My grandmother is a doctor and it was one of her greatest dreams to have someone in her family carry on that legacy. As a young girl whose hero was her grandmother, the choice to become that person came fairly easy. As the years passed, even though I knew I wanted to be a doctor, I never knew what specialty. My answer to the question of what specialty changed every week. If it was obstetrics this week, then it was cardiology the next and pediatrics the week after that. Oncology was the one speciality I never truly considered. I remember someone once suggested that I give oncology a try and my immediate response was “Why would I choose to constantly be surrounded by death and despair?” However, all that changed when I met Dr. Aju at the beginning of my internship. My first impression of Dr. Aju was that he was awfully positive for someone who worked in oncology. After all, cancer is not exactly a word that elicits many warm feelings. Another thing I noticed instantly was how much he cared for his patients. He made sure to develop an individual relationship with each and every one of them as well as their families. The difference he made in their lives was evident and I quickly realized how being a good oncologist requires far more than mere medical expertise.

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Despite having such a busy schedule, Dr. Aju still made the time to take me under his wing and teach me about his profession. He talked to me about the challenges he faces as an oncologist. During our conversations, he mentioned one of his biggest challenges is how late cancer is often diagnosed. The main reason for this is a lack of knowledge. Most people don’t know the symptoms cancer presents which leads them to ignore them until it's too late. Another challenge I observed was how many patients didn’t have the finances to treat this disease. The

majority of the new medicines that are being produced from cancer research cost an arm and a leg. This makes such medicines inaccessible to the numerous patients who need and deserve it. As someone who grew up in Canada, a country where everyone has insurance, it was extremely eye-opening to see truly how many people struggle to afford the treatment they need to survive.
All things considered, I think this internship really opened my eyes to the world of oncology. For one, it challenged my initial notion of being a field filled with nothing but sorrow and loss. While spending time with Dr. Aju and his team , I saw so many patients walk in through those doors. Something that caught my eye however was that not a single one of those patients ever left the office feeling helpless or hopeless. Dr. Aju and his team always found a way to ease their fears and lift their spirits. Witnessing this first hand and seeing the impact they made on their patients' lives compelled me to begin considering oncology as a specialty I could pursue in the future.

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Through the eyes of a 12th-grade student from Canada

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Through the eyes of a 12th-grade student from Canada

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