Diana Lee

Biography

Diana is a recent graduate of the U of T/Michener joint program in Medical Radiation Sciences (Radiation Therapy stream). She is currently happily working at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as a Radiation Therapist. 

Where do you work?

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Toronto, Ontario)

What is your current role (name of current position)?

Radiation Therapist

What is your typical day like?

A typical day involves performing tests and checks on the equipment to ensure proper operation before delivering radiation therapy treatment to cancer patients. This often involves lifting and transferring patients who may not be ambulatory, helping them into the appropriate position for accurate treatment, delivering the actual radiation treatment, monitoring any side effects from treatment and providing patient care and support. You will always work with a partner, who assists you in verifying treatment parameters and setting up the patients. The unit I am currently working on specializes in breast, lung, esophagus and liver cancer – so there is a wide variety of patients that I see on a daily basis!

What is the most satisfying aspect of your work?

Building relationships with my patients.

Most patients will come in for around 20-30 treatments, so you get the opportunity to establish a close rapport with your patients as you are the one to see and treat them daily. They develop a sense of trust in you as their caretaker. It is very rewarding to see how patients progress every day, and to do what you can to make their journey through cancer treatment a little less scary or overwhelming.

What’s next professionally?

One of the main reasons Radiation Therapy appealed to me as a profession was the many opportunities for professional development - namely, research and education. There is a strong culture in the field that is very supportive of research and innovation in Radiation Therapy, so I find that to be very exciting as a recent graduate. For now, I would like to build up some experience treating patients before deciding what is next!

What advice do you have for prospective students who are considering the program/profession?

You have to enjoy working with people and have strong communication skills! You get the benefit of working with patients directly while also working with sophisticated technology in a fast-paced environment. People often ask me if it is difficult to work with cancer patients every day. While this job can be challenging, it can also be incredibly meaningful and rewarding. A good thing about this program is that you get the opportunity to shadow Radiation Therapists in the clinical setting shortly after first year, so you can experience what the profession is like firsthand! 

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For more information about the MRS Program visit www.medicalradiationsciences.ca