Cancer Specialists

Medical Oncology is a subspecialty of internal medicine.  Doctors who specialize in internal medicine treat a wide range of medical problems.  Medical oncologists treat cancer and manage the patient’s course of treatment.  A medical oncologist might also consult with other physicians about the patient’s care or refer the patient to other specialists.  Most physicians who treat people with cancer are medical doctors and they have an M.D. degree, or osteopathic doctors who have a D.O. degree.  The basic training for both types of physicians includes 4 years of premedical education at a college or university, 4 years of either medical school to earn an M.D. or D.O. degree, and postgraduate medical education through internships and residences. This training usually lasts 3 to 7 years.  Physicians must pass an exam to become licensed to practice medicine in their state.  Each state has its own procedures and general standards for licensing physicians.  When choosing a doctor for your cancer care, you will probably find it helpful to know some of the terms used to describe a doctor’s training and credentials.
Hematology is also a subspecialty of internal medicine.  Hematologists focus on diseases of the blood and related tissues.
Radiation Oncology is a subspecialty of radiology.  Radiation oncologists specialize in the use of radiation to treat cancer.
Surgery is a specialty that pertains to the treatment of disease by surgical operation.  General surgeons perform operations on almost any area of the body.   Physicians can also choose to specialize in a certain type of surgery.
Specialists are physicians who have completed their residency training in a specific area.  Independent specialty boards certify physicians after they have fulfilled certain requirements.  These requirements include meeting specific education and training criteria, being licensed to practice medicine, and passing an examination given by the specialty board.  Doctors who have met all of the requirements are given the status of “Diplomate” and are board certified as specialists.  Doctors who are board eligible have obtained the required education and training but have not completed the specialty board examination.After being trained and certified as a specialist, a physician may choose to become a subspecialist. A subspecialist has at least one additional year of full-time education in a particular area of a specialty. This training is designed to increase the physician’s expertise in a specific field.  Specialists can be board certified in their subspecialty as well.Almost all board-certified specialists are members of their medical specialty society.  Physicians can attain Fellowship status in a specialty society, such as the American College of Surgeons (ACS) if they demonstrate outstanding achievement in their profession.  Criteria for Fellowship status may include the number of years of membership in the specialty society, years practicing in the specialty, and professional recognition by peers.