Parents do not have the luxury of time in choosing a pediatric oncologist. At diagnosis, the family is usually sent to the nearest children’s hospital where the child is assigned a pediatric oncologist (attending) or fellow who is in charge of all treatment. Often the assigned oncologist is a good match, and the family finds the doctor to be competent, caring, and easy to communicate with.

Justin’s oncologist had remarkable interpersonal skills. At our first meeting he said, “Justin has leukemia. There are two kinds of leukemia, and both of them are treatable.” So right away he emphasized the positive. He then wrote on his notepad what all of Justin’s blood counts were; he told us what normal counts were and explained clearly what we needed to do next. He was very reassuring. It has been years since that day, and he has always been very caring. He still frequently calls us on the phone.

If you don’t develop a good rapport with the oncologist assigned to your child, you can ask to be assigned to a different oncologist you may have met on rounds or during clinic visits. Most parent requests are accommodated, as hospitals realize the importance of good communication between family members and doctors. Your child will, however, still be seen by several different doctors throughout treatment, because most institutions have rotating doctors on call.