Why choose a career in Haematology?

Haematology is unique in that it represents a major clinical specialty with an integral laboratory component. This allows haematologists to be involved in all aspects of diagnosis and management of their patients, including clinical assessment, performing bone marrow biopsy, interpreting blood/bone marrow morphology and other specialised tests in the laboratory, making a diagnosis and treatment.

The close link between haematologist and laboratory can provide the satisfaction of understanding a medical condition down to the  cellular/molecular level.

Haematology remains at the cutting-edge of scientific advances in medicine, and many trainees undertake periods of clinical or laboratory research during their haematology training. The first gene to be cloned was that for beta globin, and non-plasma derived factor VIII was one of the first tangible products of recombinant technology.

Haematology was one of the first specialties to embrace large randomised controlled trials, and as a result has a much broader evidence base than most fields of medicine. The recent discoveries of the genetic and molecular basis of many haematological disorders is directly translating into new treatments and better outcomes.

Haematologists manage a broad range of medical conditions, both malignant and non-malignant. This includes haemato-oncology/transplantation, haemostasis/thrombosis, transfusion medicine, red-cell disorders and paediatric haematology.

Consultant haematologists are expected to maintain a core competence in both laboratory and clinical haematology, to provide an on-call and emergency service. However, most haematologists have further competencies in one or more sub-specialties within the discipline.

Haematologists provide the medical professional leadership in the laboratory, and oversee interpretation of morphology and histology of haematological specimens, immuno¬phenotyping, cytogenetics/FISH and molecular tests as well as providing and an advisory service on haematological matters to other hospital departments.

A career in haematology will take you to every part of the hospital. You may find yourself advising on transfusion in massive haemorrhage, treating thrombocytopenia in intensive care, anticoagulating obstetric patients with prosthetic valves, reviewing HIV patients with cytopenias, investigating the elderly with anaemia and seeing infants with haemoglobinopathies, treating myeloma or performing bone marrow transplantation.