Jenna Kocsis, MD

Chief Resident Radiation Oncology, PGY-4
ARRO Exec Board Communications and Advocacy
Cleveland Clinic

I remember growing up and repeatedly telling my mom, a registered nurse, that I did not want to be a doctor. Nevertheless, during summer breaks in high school, she encouraged me to shadow people from different fields of medicine; yet after doing so I never felt that surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics or critical care was right for me. I started college at Fordham University majoring in engineering physics, with the hope that eventually, I would find a practical use for my interest in math and problem solving. However, my mom still did not give up. In her new role in Nursing IT, she was helping to implement a software update in the radiation oncology department and happened to meet a medical physicist. She immediately connected me with him thinking it would be an excellent compromise on her desire for me to be in the medical field while still aligning with my interests. After shadowing him a few times, I was excited to learn that this was a field that combined medicine, problem solving and technology. I eventually shadowed a radiation oncologist to learn more about the field. I was instantly hooked and knew I had found the career for me: one that combined physics, problem solving, technology and medicine, with the incredible responsibility of helping patients and their families through one of the most difficult diagnoses of their lives.

I applied to medical school with the hope of one day being a radiation oncologist, and I pursued that goal during med school by getting involved in research, shadowing and leadership opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic began at the end of my third year, and I became worried about how the match process would happen in this uncertain time. While I was only able to do one in-person rad onc rotation, I was able to form an amazing network of online mentors and peers and even completed a virtual radiation oncology rotation. Opening the match day envelope was the culmination of all my hard work, and I knew I landed right where I was supposed to be. Radiation oncology is one of the best fields of medicine, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Posted December 19, 2024