Relationship building
A first-year attending's clinical decisions get better with time. Their relationships with referring providers, peers, and patients don't — they compound. These playbooks cover the communication craft that shapes a sustainable practice: how to introduce yourself, how to keep a referrer warm, how to run a family meeting, how to say the hard things.
Patient communication in oncology — the frameworks that actually help
A plain-language orientation to breaking bad news, running family meetings, discussing prognosis, and handling the conversations that shape your practice. Grounded in the 2024 ESMO guideline and the 2026 ASCO update.
Peer relationships and hospital politics for new attendings
Tumor board etiquette, cross-covering colleagues, asking for a favor, and how to hold a position in a department disagreement without burning capital. A practical orientation for the first two years out of fellowship.
Building referring-provider relationships in your first attending year
How to introduce yourself to community internists, PCPs, and surgeons — and how to keep the referrals warm without becoming a burden on your own inbox. A practical orientation for the first twelve months of practice.
Written by practicing hem/onc attendings.
Every article on this pillar carries a named author. Guidance here is communication and workflow — not clinical decision-making. Adapt to your institution's culture and your patients' expectations.