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My main aspiration in life is to become a radiation therapist. I have previously worked in the community on health matters though those were not the actual fields that I feel I ought to be. For instance, I worked as a sexual health advocate for a period of three years where I spoke to people about the need for safer sex. I have also done a course in counseling and I have been using such skills to help people with stress manage themselves.
Apart from the above, I am also a certified suicide prevention candidate and have been working in a hotline known as Scarlet Listener where people call seeking help in certain stressful issues of life. In case we can not help them, we offer referral services. I also worked as a Medical Assistant and computer consultant for a pediatrics office for a period of five years. In that sector, I prepared the patients and also did keep the records. I also shadowed an Ear Nose Throat doctor for 2 yrs in which I talked to patient and recorded their symptoms and background information
With the current change of climatic conditions, there has been an increase in cancerous ailments posing threat to the lives of people. It is one of the most dreaded disease in our time not forgetting that still majority of people do not have the knowledge. Most people have died without having known that they were suffering from cancer. This is one of the main reasons why I want to pursue the radiation therapy. It has been defined as the medical use of ionizing radiation as one of the procedures of treating malignant cells.
I have always wanted to be of help to the community and I am confident that by pursuing this profession, I will have achieved my goal. The research indicates that many people especially in Africa lack information about cancer. Some of them are the notion that once you acquire such an ailment, you automatically die as there is no cure. This kind of biased information has been in the public domain for decades due to the fact that even the physicians treating the cancer patients do little as far as dissemination of information is concerned.
One of the main reasons I feel fit for this kind of profession is the fact that I have been a counselor for a period of time now. I have also been working with clients in assisting them to cope with various stresses in life. Therefore, with such prior experience, I have the confident that I can render better services to the patients that I will encounter.
Though rated one of the best method of cancer treatment, radiation therapy has also some of its limitations. Though no pain at all felt in the process of treatment, experts say that some of the major side effects of that kind of therapy are fatigue and skin irritation. The fatigue is said to be as a result of the treatment process that the patient has to go through and may last for several days. The skin on the other hand may end up losing its elasticity due to the damage of the epithelial lining. However, this depends on the part of the body that is exposed to the radiation as some are hard as compared to the rest. One of the other major side effects is epilation or the hair loss which occurs within the fields of radiation.
One of my major steps will therefore be to let the society know what cancer is all about, and to offer them hope that there is still survival to the victims. Another reason for pursuing Radiation Oncology is the fact that unlike the other means of treatment, it offers both palliative and curative options. Palliative occurs in the event where cure becomes impossible. Those exposed to this kind of therapy are able to have longer life. It could therefore be used as the expert try to find the cure for cancer. On the other hand, radiation therapy can be used to cure patients who begin treatment earlier before the malignant cells spread in the affected areas.
The other major reason I want to pursue this kind of profession is the fact that it is flexible when it comes to job market. Being still new in the world of medicine, it means that the market is not flooded. Cancer is also a universal disease meaning that there are no geographical boundaries when it comes to working. Majority of the countries still lack the necessary skills and man-power as far as the radiation therapy is concerned. Due to lack of capital too, many countries especially in the third world have not embraced this new treatment technology. This therefore means that there is high demand for the professions in this kind of treatment.
The other reason is because a radiation therapist works closely with radiation oncologist whose main work is to administer medicine to the cancer patient. The therapist is required to monitor the progress of the patient such as keeping the images of the affected area so as to know if there is any progress in the life of the patient. Apart from that, the therapist is supposed to make sure that the patient is taking the drugs as prescribed. In case of any side effects, the radiation therapist has the prerogative of advising the radiation oncologist to consider using other alternative means. Though it could be monotonous and tiring to monitor the patient for long hours, the fact that we work in team makes me like this kind of work. The responsibility of the care of the patient therefore lies in the hands of the therapist and the oncologist.
The other main reason why I want to pursue this kind of profession is because it is well paying compared to other fields in medicine. Though it requires competent, experienced and skilled man-power, it is rewarding. This is because of the fact that it is not flooded as we saw earlier and therefore, there are great opportunities of getting a job. The world today has experienced an increase in the number of people suffering from cancer calling for proper measures to be taken in order to save the lives. Most of the researchers attribute such increase in cancerous infections to the lifestyles that people have acquired in the recent times and the destruction of the environment. The later for instance, has led to the increase of skin cancers due to the deterioration of the ozone which is protective layer against harmful radiations from the sun. This is the main reason the world leaders have been calling for the need to conserve the environment to curb further damages and increase in cancer patients.
With the knowledge I have acquired in several fields of medicine, I have the confidence that I can perform well in this profession. Any kind of assistant that is accorded to me to achieve this goal will be highly appreciated.
