Buy a brand new journal and use it only for career-related entries.  Have it with you when you conduct career research.  Makes notes not only about the information you locate during your research, but you personal thoughts and feelings about what you’ve found.  Write down questions that arise while doing your research and work to get answers for them.  Practice job interview questions and answers.  Makes notes about things that went well and didn’t go well in interviews. Your career journal can be as structured or carefree as you want.  There are no set rules as to what it should or should not contain.  Allow it to reflect your personality so you’ll feel comfortable writing in it on a regular basis. There are many places you can go to research different types of jobs and careers, including your guidance counsellor, a university career center, a career coaches and websites, government websites, journals and magazines, newspapers, blogs, books, and more.  Start by selecting one or two of these options and investigate the details regarding a career in medicine, specifically oncology.  Learn about the details of what the job does, what type of work environment they have, educational requirements, potential pay ranges, and even what the future job market may look like.  Read the advice and opinions of people who are already medical doctors and oncologists, possibly via personal blogs or a day in the life of articles.  Record your findings, ideas and questions in your career journal. All major hospitals and medical clinics will have formal volunteer programs.  Contact the volunteer coordinator and determine the application process.  Apply for a volunteer position.  Focus on departments or organizations related to oncology.  Consider volunteering for a local cancer charity event, like a marathon, golf tournament, or daffodil days.  Use the opportunity to speak with cancer patients and their families. Consider volunteering at a camp for children with cancer.  Use the opportunity not only to make the kid’s happy, but to see how the disease affects children and the potential you have to help them in the future. While volunteering think about what it would be like to be in a similar environment on a regular basis.  What sorts of things bother you?  Can you overcome them?  Do you find it emotionally difficult to deal with the patients?  Use this as a learning experience to help assess if oncology is still the right career goal for you. You will definitely have the opportunity to do something like this while in medical school, but you may want to complete a job shadow at least once before medical school to gain a better understanding of what an oncologist does on a daily basis.  Some hospitals may have formal job shadowing programs, but you can also reach out personally to a department or doctor to request a job shadow.  The volunteer program at a hospital, or the career center at a medical school, may be able to recommend a specific oncologist to contact directly.  Or they may be able to provide you with a formal process to follow to sign up. Bring your career journal with you to take notes.  As a job shadower, you’re there to observe, not necessarily participate.  Watch what goes on and write down your questions, ideas and observations. Once the doctor is finished with his/her patients, go over your questions with them.  There are no bad questions. Dress appropriately.  If you’re in a hospital setting you’ll probably be on your feet for a long time, so make sure you’re comfortable.  But also dress professionally as you want to project a respectful image to both the doctor and the patients. Write about your experiences in your career journal. Send the doctor you shadowed, and anyone else who helped make it happen, a thank you card afterwards.  Maybe throw in a coffee gift card too - no doubt every doctor would appreciate coffee! Be very respectful of the patients.  Information you learn that is of a personal nature will be confidential and you should not talk about it with anyone other than the doctor your shadowing.  Do not assume every patient is going to want you around, allow the doctor to introduce you and if the patient is uncomfortable, wait outside the room. A mentor is someone who is an experienced oncologist who has agreed to advise and counsel you about oncology and an oncology career.  You may not be able to obtain a mentor such as this until your internship or residency as a mentee really should be pursuing the career already.  Formal mentoring programs do exist.  If your medical school or hospital has one, definitely take advantage of it.  If they don’t, actively seek out a mentor informally by becoming involved with the work of an oncologist you admire.  Use your career journal to make notes of your observations, ideas and questions. Remember to look at your career journal on a regular basis.  Determine if you have any outstanding questions you'd like answered - and get them answered.  Write down any new thoughts and ideas that have come to mind since the last time you wrote in your journal.  Keep track of any experiences you've had that are career-related, even if they aren't specifically related to medicine.  Reevaluate your career goals and/or plans if you feel they've changed.

Summary: Keep a career journal. Conduct research about medical careers. Volunteer at a hospital, medical clinic or nursing home. Shadow an oncologist. Develop a mentor/mentee relationship with an oncologist. Review your career journal regularly.


. The act of breathing supplies oxygen to your entire body. Breathing deeply uses the entire capacity of your lungs to oxygenate blood. Though normal breathing levels aren’t unhealthy, deep breathing reaches the peak level of oxygen flowing through your body. Pay special attention to your diaphragm while slowly inhaling and exhaling full deep breaths. Feel your diaphragm lowering while you inhale and exhale fully until you feel your stomach muscles tighten and your diaphragm lift. Like deep breathing, laughing forces more air out of your lungs, which leads to a greater inhalation of fresh air and a higher supply of oxygenated blood. Laughing also works abdominal muscles and increases lung capacity. Aerobic exercise doesn’t necessarily make your lungs stronger on its own. However, great cardio-respiratory fitness makes it easier for your lungs to supply your heart and muscles with oxygen. This puts less strain on your lungs, allowing them to function properly with less work. The American Heart Association recommends at least thirty minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise five days a week or more in order to maintain good cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that diets rich in fresh fruit and fish are associated with benefits to lung health. This is especially the case with those who experience asthma, COPD, and other common lung diseases. A 2010 study also showed that a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy) can decrease the risk of lung cancer. The hairs in your nose act as a filter and only let extremely fine particles through. Your nose can filter particles as small as a single grain of pollen with 100 percent efficiency. This makes breathing through your nose a much better option than breathing through your mouth. Sickness, allergies, and other conditions can all lead to common nasal congestion. A plugged nose means you’re pulling 100 percent of germs and pollution directly into your lungs by breathing through your mouth. This can exacerbate conditions such as asthma and other lung complications or even cause them in those who don’t already suffer from them.  Treat common allergies with antihistamines or other decongestants to help keep your nose clear.  Additionally, overly dry nasal passages that can accompany sickness make nose hairs less effective at filtering air. Consider using a humidifier or even an over-the-counter nasal mist to keep your nasal passage moist and properly filtering the air you breathe. In addition to its myriad other positive effects, drinking plenty of water is good for your lungs. You lungs have a mucosal lining, and staying hydrated keep the lining thin, which helps your lungs function more efficiently. If you have asthma or another respiratory condition, ensure you see your doctor for regular exams to help control the condition. Albuterol, a prescription bronchodilator, works well to help with asthma symptoms, for instance. Yearly flu vaccines and pneumococcal vaccinations can help lower the risk of respiratory infections. This also means less risk of developing associated lung complications such as pneumonia. Smokers between the ages of 19 and 65 should get a pneumococcus vaccination. Also, anyone with chronic heart disease, chronic lung disease, alcoholism, chronic liver disease, or who is over the age of 65 should get the pneumococcus vaccination.
Summary: Breathe deeply more often Laugh more. Get regular cardio. Make dietary changes. Breathe through your nose. Keep your nose clear. Stay hydrated. Take medication if you have a lung condition. Stay current on your vaccinations.