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Can you tell us a little bit about your work and current research?

To tell you about my work as a specialist in Medical Oncology, I must first briefly present the situation in Romania. Unfortunately, in Romania, a medical oncologist must overcome many difficulties. As a resident, you become a specialist in medical oncology following 5 years of specialization in the field and an examination. Then, after another 5 years, you will specialize in medical oncology and receive the title of “Primary Doctor” (this is the highest professional degree in medical care, in other words: Senior Medical Oncologist).

Unfortunately, research into Medical Oncology in Romania isn’t particularly developed. I would like to engage more in research but since I am the only researcher in medical oncology with a first degree, I struggle to find collaborators. This is also made more difficult, as there are no research positions for young doctors who I could collaborate with. Finally, I have limited time to apply to research, as I spend much of my day in healthcare settings.

What initially drew you to the field of Oncology?

When I first became a doctor, I wanted to specialize as soon as I could. I attended the first exam which I had the chance to participate in and this was in Oncology. Despite my reasoning for joining the field, in just a short space of time, I realized that Oncology is a very dynamic specialty and is of the utmost importance, as cancer is the second highest cause of death in the world.

What is a day like for you at the Institute of Oncology?

In general, working days at the institutes are similar. My day starts at 8am with a report addressing surgeons and anesthetists. Then I start seeing my patients of which I can see 20-30 patients a day for consultations and treatment. Some patients also require admission to continuous hospitalization, but most are treated in outpatient settings. Towards the end of my day, I send referral tickets to the laboratory for further investigation.

Bureaucracy consumes a lot of the time which I would rather spend with my patients. I can spend a large portion of my day writing a patient’ register for the pharmacy, writing and releasing prescriptions and writing anamnesis.  If I am monitoring a clinical study monitoring, I will usually try to schedule fewer patients than I would on a regular day.

If it is a patient’s first time at the institute, they will be referred to a surgeon and the radiotherapy department for a consultation.  In the case of palliative care, I will consult other colleagues as I do not usually have the time to see these patients. After the doctor in charge of the patient presents their case to me, I can make the decision regarding their treatment.

When I arrive home, my work continues. I read and write articles for the journal “Oncolog Hematologist” where I am an editor in chief. I also write for other journals or for F1000Prime and I prepare my presentations for my upcoming conferences.

What do you most enjoy about your work?

I am happiest in my work when my patients go into remission or when I see improvement in their condition.  I also feel satisfied when I find time to edit papers in the journal “Oncolog Hematologist”

Can you give details about one of the highlights of your work?

There have been many highlights throughout my career that I am very proud of. Firstly, when I made the first international course under the aegis of ESMO in Romania. I have also published the first GCP book in Oncology in Romania with international participation. Another moment I am very proud of is when I obtained the recognition of our institution; ESMO designed Center for integration of Medical Oncology with Palliative Care. Of course, I was honored to receive the invitation to join theF1000 Faculty.

Finally, the greatest highlight in my work is when more effective treatments are made available for my patients, such as immunotherapy.

What do you like most about being a faculty member of F1000Prime?

I appreciate F1000Prime because it requires me to read interesting articles and give my opinion on which articles I believe are of the greatest merit. I also hope that through my recommendations I can help others, by giving them a summary of what a study is about. For me, F1000Prime covers a gap that exists in Romania within medical and research education.