| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Clinical and Medical |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Head of Department (Clinical) |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 2 to 8 years after DM in a cancer centre or multi-specialty hospital |
Oncologist job description template
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Job title: Oncologist
Department: Clinical and Medical
Reports to: Head of Department (Clinical)
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Oncologist diagnoses and treats cancer. In most Indian hospitals the title means a medical oncologist, who plans chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and hormone treatment, and works with surgical and radiation oncologists through a tumour board. They see patients in OPD and the day-care chemotherapy unit, manage side effects and emergencies, and support patients and families through long treatment. A good oncologist stages each cancer correctly, follows evidence-based protocols and is honest about the goals of care.
Key responsibilities
- Confirm diagnosis and stage with biopsy, immunohistochemistry and imaging before starting any cancer treatment.
- Present every new case at the tumour board with surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists, and record the agreed plan.
- Prescribe chemotherapy, targeted, immunotherapy and hormone regimens, with doses checked against weight, kidney and liver function.
- Supervise the day-care chemotherapy unit, including pre-medication, safe drug handling and management of infusion reactions.
- Treat side effects and oncological emergencies such as febrile neutropenia, tumour lysis, spinal cord compression and high calcium.
- Order tumour markers and response scans at set intervals, and change treatment when the disease progresses.
- Discuss prognosis, treatment goals, costs and options such as clinical trials or palliative care with patients and families.
- Help patients reach insurance, government schemes and drug assistance programmes through the hospital's patient support team.
- Refer patients to palliative care early for pain and symptom control, and arrange home care where possible.
- Follow survivors for recurrence and late effects, and advise screening for relatives where a cancer may be inherited.
Requirements
- DM or DrNB in Medical Oncology after MD in General Medicine or Paediatrics
- Valid registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council
- Training in haemato-oncology or bone marrow transplant is an advantage
- 2 to 8 years after DM in a cancer centre or multi-specialty hospital
KRAs and KPIs for a Oncologist
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Tumour board review | 100 percent of new cancer patients discussed at the tumour board before treatment starts |
| Time to treatment | First treatment within 14 days of confirmed diagnosis for 85 percent of patients |
| Chemotherapy safety | Zero dosing errors reaching the patient, with every near miss reviewed |
| Febrile neutropenia | Antibiotics within 60 minutes of arrival for 90 percent of febrile neutropenia cases |
| Palliative referral | Patients with advanced disease referred to palliative care within 30 days of diagnosis |
| Patient experience | Day-care feedback score at or above 4.5 out of 5 each quarter |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Chemotherapy protocol software, Infusion pumps, Biosafety cabinet for drug preparation, PET-CT and MRI viewing workstation, Electronic medical records.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Department (Clinical), Clinical Director
Interview questions for a Oncologist
- A 55-year-old with metastatic lung cancer asks whether chemotherapy will cure him. How do you answer?
- What do you check before signing a chemotherapy order?
- A patient on chemotherapy arrives with fever and a neutrophil count of 300. What do you do?
- The best targeted drug is expensive and the family's means are limited. How do you decide with them?
- Describe a tumour board disagreement and how it was resolved.
- When do you stop active treatment and move to comfort care?
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What does an oncologist do?
An oncologist diagnoses and treats cancer. A medical oncologist plans and gives chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy, manages side effects and emergencies, and follows patients through treatment and survivorship. Oncologists agree each patient's plan with surgeons, radiation oncologists and pathologists.
What is the difference between a medical, surgical and radiation oncologist?
A medical oncologist treats cancer with drugs such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. A surgical oncologist removes tumours by operation. A radiation oncologist treats cancer with radiotherapy. Most patients need two or three of these, and the tumour board brings them together to agree the order of treatment.
What qualification is needed to become an oncologist in India?
A medical oncologist completes MBBS, an MD in General Medicine or Paediatrics, and then a DM or DrNB in Medical Oncology. Surgical oncologists need an MS in General Surgery followed by an MCh or DrNB in Surgical Oncology, and radiation oncologists need an MD or DNB in Radiation Oncology.