Dr Oscar Oglina was diagnosed with stage three liver cancer aged four. Now 24, he tells us how his experiences shaped his life and career path.
I was diagnosed with cancer back in 2001. My mum had felt a hard lump on my stomach and some abdominal swelling. Unsure about what was going on, she sent me to the GP. A series of referrals sent me from GP to local hospital to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where in just 24 hours I was given my cancer diagnosis. My parents were told I had cancer of the liver, hepatoblastoma, that was stage 3 and to be treated as stage 4.
GOSH became my home for the next year as I went through chemotherapy to shrink the size of my cancer, to prepare for a big operation to remove the cancer from my liver. The team there were fantastic. From the doctors and nurses to the surgeons and play specialists, every member of the multi disciplinary team was brilliant, and my parents particularly remember Professor Spitz as my surgeon, who was one of the best surgeons in the world at that time.
Everyone at GOSH was so caring and thoughtful, and brilliant at not only putting me at ease, but my family as well. It’s important to remember that as well as myself going through this experience, my wonderful parents were too, and I want to thank them for their support and for being my rocks during this time.
Having experienced all that I had done with my cancer journey, I felt passionately about pursuing a career in healthcare. I knew that I possessed a level of empathy that I could give to patients that I wouldn’t have done had I not been through what I had, and this spurred me on throughout school to work hard and earn a place at medical school.
Starting university
In 2016, I was offered a place to study medicine at Bristol University, where I spent the next six years studying and working on placement. My university experience was a fantastic journey and one I’ll always cherish. Bristol itself is an incredible city and allowed me to explore the best art, food and music the UK has to offer. It also has much history, and so much to explore.
Academically, my university experience was challenging. My pre-clinical years saw me sit through 30+ hours a week of lectures and labs, a timetable that was drastically unfavourable when compared to that of my non-medic colleagues. I also spent my early medical school years doing classes I never thought I’d do like anatomy class working with cadavers (dead bodies donated to science), which was a crazy thing to become a ‘normal’ part of your day.
After my pre-clinical preparatory years, I moved into my clinical years going into placement. This period really tested my commitment to medicine as I was on ‘outplacement’ living out of the city in faraway hospitals, away from friends, but it gave me the opportunity to practise and learn from real-life patients. Despite the challenging times, this was all a sacrifice I was ready to take on when applying myself to this intense course.
Outside of university, I really enjoyed hanging out with friends, keeping active and charity work. One of the biggest things I got involved in was the medical school’s charity show that raises money for Young Lives vs Cancer. I started watching the production as a fresher, but left university running the show with my friends, which saw us raise over £60,000 for young people with cancer. This was the most ever raised across the 30-year history of the show, and as someone who had gone through cancer, it felt rewarding to help sick people beyond the remits of a doctor.
My first job in medicine
The summer of 2021 saw me graduate medical school and move to Essex where I was fortunate enough to have a competitive academic job alongside being a clinical doctor. Everyone told me being a doctor is a rollercoaster - it brings the highest of highs and sometimes the lowest of lows and, reflecting on the last eight months, I’ve so far found that to be true. Despite times of long and unsocial hours, and days where I’m mentally, physically and emotionally challenged, it’s offset by the rewarding moments where I’ve been able to help people and actively make a difference to someone’s life.
I’ll always be so grateful to all those at GOSH and I’m fortunate to now work with them on a professional level for various projects and campaigns. Recently, I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the
hospital and my old ward. It was surreal returning to a place I was once a patient, as a doctor. It was a true ‘full-circle’ moment and really reminded me why I’m doing what I’m doing.
My time at GOSH had a really big influence on my thought process and on just how I want to go about life and the things I want to do and, looking back, I think it was there that the seeds of
wanting to become a doctor were first really sown. I knew from very early on that I wanted to give back to the NHS and help other children like me, knowing firsthand the difference that can be made.
In sharing my story, I want other young patients to know there is so much to life beyond cancer, and I want children and their families to be empowered in the knowledge that ambitions can be
realised, and dreams can be reached!
My time at GOSH had a really big influence on my thought process and on just how I want to go about life and the things I want to do. Looking back, I think it was there that the seeds of wanting to become a doctor were first really sown.
From Contact magazine issue 98 - Spring 2023
