For the first time ever, we are expecting that more than 2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
Previous reports have always bumped up against the 2 million mark, but never surpassed it. Not until now.
If you missed it, the American Cancer Society released their Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 report, & in this report, they estimate that 2,001,140 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024.
While treatable & in some cases curable, cancer is becoming a bigger problem than we probably thought possible. Survivors are surviving longer, but at what cost…to their lives, their independence, their function, their mobility, their quality of life?
PTs are perfectly primed & positioned to step up & care for this rapidly expanding patient population. But this requires you to step out of your comfort zone & step into being a competent, confident clinician commanding your expertise in this field.
And this is exactly why it’s so important to specialize in oncology NOW.
But what about …?
The instant I bring up oncology specialization, I can already picture what you might be doing:
Eyes rolling, shaking your head, laughing out loud, imagining all the uphill battle you’ll have to face to actually specialize.
And I get it. Specializing in oncology is probably one of the most challenging things you’ll do in your career. Heck, oncology is probably one of the hardest specializations in physical therapy.
So let’s break down some of those common barriers.
Lack of exposure to or experiences in OncoPT
Many PTs have limited exposure to OncoPT during school & subsequent training. Unless you’re in a facility that has a long-established cancer rehab program, you may not see much of the oncology patient population. But hear me when I say this: you may not see them, but these patients see YOU.
When I first heard THE Dr. Nicole Stout say this, my brain fell out of my head. But after my initial shock at the profound nature of this statement, I get it:
Even though you may not *think* you’re practicing in cancer rehab, you most likely are. How many of your patients have a previous history of cancer? Considering there’s more than 18 million cancer survivors living in the US, it’s probably way more patients than you think.
You’re probably thinking, Elise, just because I’ve seen some patients with a history of cancer doesn’t mean I actually know how to treat them during cancer treatment. Friend, I’ve got a podcast with nearly 300 released episodes showing you how to do exactly that.
You don’t have to do a residency in oncology to get started on this path. You don’t have to do a clinical rotation in oncology to start helping patients with cancer today. If you are a PT & want to help patients live their best life, then you totally have what it takes.
Uncertain if you have what it takes
Specializing in oncology rehab can seem daunting or complicated. With so many diagnoses, treatments, & side effects to learn about, this process can seem impossible.
But so does eating an elephant in one bite.
Specializing is not an overnight endeavor. It’s a journey, designed to take clinicians months, maybe even years.
The emotional toll of specialization
I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t an emotional toll of specializing in oncology. It’s a big challenge – but I know you’re up for it.
When I started my own specialization journey, I was burnt out. I was in the middle of leaving my job, starting a new job, & oh yeah there was a pandemic happening. Not good timing on my part.
But surprisingly, the more I dove into specialization, the more I came out of my burnout. I found myself enjoying reading about OncoPT again. I reflected on past patient cases, cringed a bit at what I needed to improve upon, & One of the most surprising aspects of my own specialization journey
Introducing…The 3 Step Framework for a Finished Case Report!
Writing your oncology case report is a huge undertaking.
And it’s easy to make silly mistakes that can derail your entire writing process.
That’s why you need my brand new masterclass: The 3 Step Framework for a Finished Case Report.
In this free masterclass, you’ll learn
- The THREE of the BIGGEST mistakes to avoid when writing your case report
- The SECRETS to actually finishing your case report, no matter your patient case
- My 3 step framework for starting (& finishing) your oncology case report
Save your seat at TheOncoPT.com/framework.
Again, that’s TheOncoPT.com/framework
Want to watch the episode instead?
Watch this week’s episode of TheOncoPT Podcast on our YouTube channel!