What does a surgical oncologist do?
Surgical oncologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real surgical oncologist resumes:
- Initiate preventative measures, recognize emergent problems and care for patients requiring long term pain management.
- Research and update billing policies as changes are make by CMS.
Surgical oncologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 77% of Surgical Oncologists are proficient in GI, General Surgeons, and Chemotherapy. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Compassion, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Surgical Oncologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- GI, 77%
General, GI, Pediatric, Orthopedic and Gynecology).
- General Surgeons, 16%
Work to treat cancer patient as a team work member with general surgeons
- Chemotherapy, 7%
Follow them throughout their hormone therapy, secondary hormonal manipulations, and chemotherapy treatment.
Common skills that a surgical oncologist uses to do their job include "gi," "general surgeons," and "chemotherapy." You can find details on the most important surgical oncologist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a surgical oncologist to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what surgical oncologists do because "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Additionally, a surgical oncologist resume shows how surgical oncologists use communication skills: "strengthened knowledge of the importance of communication skills between physicians and patients"
Compassion. Another essential skill to perform surgical oncologist duties is compassion. Surgical oncologists responsibilities require that "patients who are sick or injured may be in extreme pain or distress." Surgical oncologists also use compassion in their role according to a real resume snippet: "calm and educate patients regarding procedures performed, using special care and techniques with compassion to young children. "
Physical stamina. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of surgical oncologists is physical stamina. This skill is critical to many everyday surgical oncologist duties, as "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "accompanied physician during physical exams.reorganized all exam rooms for more efficiency. "
The three companies that hire the most surgical oncologists are:
- Legacy Health4 surgical oncologists jobs
- HealthTrust3 surgical oncologists jobs
- WellSpan Health2 surgical oncologists jobs
Compare different surgical oncologists
Surgical oncologist vs. Upper extremity surgeon
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between surgical oncologists and upper extremity surgeon. For instance, surgical oncologist responsibilities require skills such as "clinical trials," "melanoma," "gi," and "epic." Whereas a upper extremity surgeon is skilled in "surgical procedures," "physical therapy," "appointment scheduling," and "clinical education." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, upper extremity surgeons reach higher levels of education than surgical oncologists. Upper extremity surgeons are 13.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 10.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Surgical oncologist vs. Foot and ankle surgeon
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, surgical oncologist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "clinical trials," "melanoma," "gi," and "epic." Meanwhile, a foot and ankle surgeon has duties that require skills in areas such as "private practice," "cme," "patient care," and "emr." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Foot and ankle surgeons tend to reach lower levels of education than surgical oncologists. In fact, they're 14.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 10.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Surgical oncologist vs. Reconstructive surgeon
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a surgical oncologist is likely to be skilled in "clinical trials," "melanoma," "gi," and "epic," while a typical reconstructive surgeon is skilled in "cosmetic surgery," "cme," "emr," and "exam rooms."
Most reconstructive surgeons achieve a lower degree level compared to surgical oncologists. For example, they're 6.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Surgical oncologist vs. Eye physician
Types of surgical oncologist
Updated January 8, 2025
