Oncology is a career revolved around a disease called cancer. There are different fields under oncology, consisting of surgical, medical, research, and radiation. Other areas are pediatric, gynecology, and hematology oncology. All types of oncologists work together for the sake of a patient.

Looking at this chart, we can see that pediatric, medical, and radiation oncology are the most popular fields. This may seem unfortunate, but the reality is that we may have a shortage of at least 4,000 medical oncologists by 2020. In fact, we may have a shortage of oncologists overall. With less physicians, less people will be treated.

Now, a question may spout: are you joining the oncology community out of pity? I didn't think much of cancer growing up. I wanted to join the medical field, but it wasn't until returning home during the summer of seventh grade that I first became interested in oncology. I recall having read an article in a magazine called Scientific American.

The article concerned the evolution of cancer and how current therapies are becoming ineffective. There was a report of a six year old girl becoming diagnosed with lung cancer in China, one of the worst polluted countries in the world. I think this is when my interest for oncology first began.

I'm looking into two particular fields within oncology: research and medical. Oncology research, or cancer research, has an expected growth rate of 13% by 2022. This is good news, but by 2030, the mortality rate, or amount of deaths from cancer, will double.

For this reason, cancer researchers must be objective and determined. They must be dedicated to their experiments because we will need more treatment options to compensate for the number of those diagnosed with cancer. With an optimistic yet realistic attitude, much can be achieved.

Cancer researchers work with doctors to either observe or experiment how new treatments affect different groups of people. Cancer research may also include creating more efficient and safer ways for radiation therapy or surgery. Other experiments may promote cancer prevention or ensured elimination.

But in order for a cancer researcher to experiment with patients, they need an M.D., or doctorate medical degree. They also need a physician's license within along with completion of residency. Without a doctorate medical degree and license, the cancer researcher can only test on lab animals.

In my opinion, cancer research itself is the foundation for all oncology. Despite this, cancer researchers make but only an average $79,840 a year. Those in the lab make about 100,000. So, compared to other fields of oncology, research doesn't seem too appealing with its low salary.

I'm surprised to find that many colleagues are joining the medical field just for money. As long as I can be financially stable, I'm fine. Rather, I envy those scientists who jump for joy when their treatment is a success. I want to experience that joy. It feels like my rightful place, if you will, and there are so many places to start.

Workplaces that I've constantly heard of within the oncologist field are Yale, Brown, and Stanford University. Rockefeller Research Center in New York is also a well known research center. Cancer institutes such as the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston is another well known place for cancer research.

Basically, cancer reseachers are solving a global issue: cancer. Right now, cancer researchers are creating immunotherapy, a type of therapy that increases your immune system's capabilities to detect and eliminate cancer. Unlike current existing therapies of radiation and drugs, immunotherapy utilizes your body.

But if immunotherapy is the ultimate weapon against cancer, then what would I do when finally entering the field of cancer research? Perhaps I'll develop a therapy for those who don't respond to immunotherapy. The field of medical oncology still interests me, though.

Before I continue: some of you may not know of the requirements for a medical education. When becoming an oncologist, you must complete your undergraduates degree. Medical school is then required where you would research, study, memorize key fundamentals, and learn in the clinic.

Residency then follows, allowing trainees to train under oncology. Fellowship comes next and can take two to three years. During fellowship you can continue practicing under oncology. You must earn your license afterwards which can take several years.

Now, I'll move on to medical oncology. The field of medical oncology is expected to grow 18% by 2022. As you may have seen earlier, the average salary for a medical oncologist is about $217,000. Depending on the workplace, salaries can vary, but medical oncologists normally work at multiple hospitals.

A medical oncologist's job consists of diagnosing, treating, and identifying cancer. Conducting physical exams, recording patient results, and writing prescriptions are a daily thing. Providing information and creating treatment plans for patients are major responsibilities until the patient either lives free of cancer, or passes away.

I may be in my mid thirties by the time I finally begin working, but right now, I have to focus on high school. It is highly recommended for oncologists to complete both physics and chemistry before transitioning to college. Until then, I'll be reading the latest news and studying quite hard.

Cancer rampaged upon the dinosaurs. The Egyptians viewed it as non treatable back as early as 3000 BC. Only about 30% of the oncology community is of women. I'm mixed, but many view me as African American. African Americans only make up about 2.3% of oncologists. It's as if cancer is warning everyone to stay away, but I'll resist.

We credit Hippocrates for cancer's name of carcinoma. We owe surgical oncology to John Hunter. And during the 1970's, scientists finally discovered how cancer is really caused. For me, it began with an article during the summer of seventh grade. Hopefully, this ancient story will end well: with the end of cancer.