THE WORST JOB IN THE WORLD

Linda and Ella share the bald look

Let’s say you are a bright, hard-working high school senior with very good grades, cogitating on your future.  Being a normal human being you will be looking for a profession that pays well and stands high in societal respect.  Being a naive  kid you aren’t the least bit worried about how long your training will take - and being from a prosperous family – how much it will cost.  Unless you are 6’ 8” or weigh 280 lbs., professional sports aren’t for you.  What to do?  May I make a suggestion?  Go to a good college, major in pre-med, then go to medical school and become a gynecological oncologist.

You won’t have much trouble getting a job, that’s for sure.  The NYTimes presents an article about how scarce gynecological oncologists are at present – and how much more scarce they will be very soon.  Here is the article; it’s well worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/well/live/a-shortage-of-oncologists.html?_r=0

I have no figures about how well GOs are remunerated, but I’ll bet that in monetary terms it’s tons.  As to societal respect, well –Mother Teresa ranks higher, but not by all that much.  However, there are drawbacks.  To become a GO you are required to study and apprentice for what must seem like half your life.  (That eager 18 year old can count on earning her living by age, say, 32 – if all goes well.)  You must deal each day with people who are indisputably very sick.  Some of those people will be terrified, and will lean on you for hope.  And, of course, no matter how good you are, many of your patients will die.

I remember once telling a GO that he had the worst job in the world.  I was distraught, of course – you can guess the circumstances.  I wish I hadn’t said that.  Even more, I wish I had added my profound thanks for taking on such a difficult but essential profession.

Being an oncologist requires a level of courage and dedication that I am sure I never had.