My Experience of Being Diagnosed with Cancer in OMS Residency with Dr. Dan Tran

06/18/21 • 43 min

Until you show your patients that you care, it doesn’t matter to them how much you know; that is one of the biggest lessons that Dr. Dan Tran learned through his experience of being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer during his second-year residency. Another is that we never know how much time we have left on earth and it’s so important that we make time for the things and people we love. Although Dan has been living a close to normal life for the past three years thanks to a miracle drug he has been taking, it is unclear how long the power of the drug will last, and his future is very uncertain. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, Dan manages to stay positive amidst this uncertainty, and we can all learn a lot from his inspirational outlook, as well as his expertise as an oral surgeon and assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Key Points From This Episode:

How Dan ended up in the academic world, after always thinking he would work in private practice.
Dan’s main focus at the moment, and what he loves about his work.
The initial symptoms of the cancer that Dan was later diagnosed with.
What finally encouraged Dan to get an MRI, and the first thing he thought when he got the results.
Procedures that Dan underwent following his diagnosis.
The medication that Dan has been taking for three years, and the uncertainty of his future.
Lessons that Dan has learned through his cancer diagnosis, from both a doctor and patient perspective.
How Dan balances the things that are important to him, knowing that he may not have long to live.
A mentor of Dan’s who still hovers over him in his mind.
Why working with computers and 3D printing throughout his life has helped Dan in his career.
There are always a team of people behind any success story

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Dan Tran

Virginia Commonwealth University

The White Coat Investor

Key Points From This Episode:

How Dan ended up in the academic world, after always thinking he would work in private practice.
Dan’s main focus at the moment, and what he loves about his work.
The initial symptoms of the cancer that Dan was later diagnosed with.
What finally encouraged Dan to get an MRI, and the first thing he thought when he got the results.
Procedures that Dan underwent following his diagnosis.
The medication that Dan has been taking for three years, and the uncertainty of his future.
Lessons that Dan has learned through his cancer diagnosis, from both a doctor and patient perspective.
How Dan balances the things that are important to him, knowing that he may not have long to live.
A mentor of Dan’s who still hovers over him in his mind.
Why working with computers and 3D printing throughout his life has helped Dan in his career.
There are always a team of people behind any success story

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Dan Tran

Virginia Commonwealth University

The White Coat Investor

Previous Episode

Dr. Julie Chavez and Personal Trainer Chuck Turner on Pearls to Avoiding Neck and Back Pain

As oral surgeons, we spend a lot of our lives in positions that aren’t good for our bodies, and which can end up causing us a lot of pain. Your host, Grant Stucki, knows this all too well. Today’s episode is a lesson in what so many of us are doing wrong, and how we can start looking after ourselves better. Our guests today are Dr. Julie Chaves, an oral surgeon, and Chuck Turner, a personal trainer; the two of whom have been working together for almost 10 years in order to help Julie correct the damage that she has done to herself through her work and to educate others on how to prevent the onset of musculoskeletal disorders. Oral surgeons are so focused on helping others that we tend to neglect our own health, but this shouldn’t be the case. Julie and Chuck highlight the importance of listening to our bodies and being aware of all our movements. Whether or not you are currently experiencing back and neck pain, this episode could change your life!

Key Points From This Episode:

Julie’s circuitous route to becoming an oral surgeon.
The journey Chuck went on to find the career that he is passionate about.
Education that Chuck provided to people working in corporate settings.
How Chuck and Julie’s relationship formed.
A pattern that Chuck noticed amongst his clients.
An example of an exercise that Chuck gives to his clients, and how it improves posture and reduces pain.
The toll that oral surgery has on one’s body.
Measures that can be taken by oral surgeons to prevent pain.
Chuck shares some ways to make a standing position less harmful for your body.
A paper that Julie and Chuck are hoping to publish soon.
Why we should start treating our bodies how we treat our cars.
Changes that Julie has made since the pandemic and the positive impact this has had on her.
Major back issues that Grant suffers from.
The importance of listening to your body and bringing awareness to your movements.
A lesson from Chuck on how to do certain movements correctly.
Not all exercise is good for you.

Tweetables:

“There’s a lot of damage that takes place over time but people think when they get injured it was an actual incident.” — Chuck Turner [0:06:40]

“What I do is important but what you do and making you aware of what you do outside at work is even more important.” — Chuck Turner [0:11:48]

“Strengthening ourselves in certain ways can help us to weather the storm a little bit better.” — Dr. Julie Chavez [0:16:17]

“The best position at work, regardless of what you do, is the next position.” — Chuck Turner [0:20:08]

“What’s the point of working hard for 30 years and retiring if you’re decrepit and in chronic pain and you can’t enjoy yourself?” — Dr. Julie Chavez [0:24:20]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Sustainable Surgeon Project

Next Episode

Dr. Robert Marx: Nuances of dealing with the OKC (Odontogenic Keratocyst)

Due to a gene abnormality, the World Health Organization labeled the odontogenic keratocyst as a tumor, but that is not the case. Today we are joined by an expert on the subject, Dr. Robert Marx, to discuss the nuances of diagnosing and treating odontogenic keratocysts. Dr. Marx is the Chief of oral maxillofacial surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and has a wealth of experience dealing with this particular condition. He explains that they are not tumors but in fact cysts. Tuning in, you’ll hear about what symptoms patients with odontogenic keratocysts experience, how to diagnose them, and what radiographic features distinguish them from other types of cysts. Dr. Marx discusses the difference between decompression and marsupialization, how to save the unerupted teeth associated with these cysts, and he talks about his experiences with BMP. Find out when to biopsy and nucleate at the same time, when you should try to shrink a large lesion down prior to nucleation, and how to identify signs of basal cell nevus syndrome in a patient with more than one keratocyst. For some clarification on this somewhat confusing subject, tune in today.

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to Dr. Robert Marx and his career as an oral maxillofacial surgeon.
Why Dr. Marx believes that odontogenic keratocysts are cysts and not tumors and why there is confusion about this.
What types of patients are high-risk for odontogenic keratocysts.
The radiographic features that distinguish them from other types of cysts.
The symptoms of odontogenic keratocysts and how to diagnose them.
How best to treat odontogenic keratocysts to reduce the risk of recurrence.
The difference between decompression and marsupialization.
How to deal with unerupted teeth associated with odontogenic keratocysts.
Dr. Marx’s experiences with BMP.
When to biopsy and nucleate at the same time.
When to try to shrink a big lesion down with a decompression tube prior to nucleation.
Signs of basal cell nevus syndrome to look for in a patient with more than one keratocyst.
Why you shouldn’t worry about recurrences: they are usually new primaries.
Why you should do a follow-up on a yearly basis and what you should look for.
Hear about Dr. Marx’s favorite quote and how cleaning fish helps him with his oral surgery skills in the four rapid-fire questions.
Dr. Marx talks about the novels and the non-fiction books he’s written.
Closing thoughts by Dr. Marx on the importance of oral maxillofacial surgery as a profession.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Robert Marx on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-e-marx/

Miller School of Medicine — https://med.miami.edu/

Killing Crazy Horse — https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Crazy-Horse-Merciless-OReillys/dp/1627797041

Books by Dr. Robert Marx — https://www.amazon.com/Robert-E-Marx/e/B004LUVCSY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_6&qid=1624351335&sr=1-6

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720 441 6059