Who are the attendings? Dr. Joel Okoli & Dr. Derrick Beech

How is the week structured?

You will be spending your time with either Dr. Okoli or Dr. Beech. Throughout the week, both attendings have either cases (surgeries in the OR on the 6th floor or 4th floor) or clinic (either at the Cancer Center on the 9th floor or Howell Mill, where only Dr. Okoli has clinic). Cases are more important than clinic so if one attending has a case, attend that over clinic.

Clinic Days: Wednesday 9AM -12:30PM ; Friday 8:30AM to 4PMClinic Location: 9B CANCER CENTER (meet the attending in the back room )Surgery Days: Monday (Dr. Beech); Tuesday (Dr. Okoli)Breast Tumor Board: Monday 4PM -5PM

Tumor board takes place on the 9th floor conference room (it is the equivalent room of the residents room on the 7th). There you will just take a seat on the side and listen and take notes, some of these patients might end up being Dr. Okoli’s patient at some point that week.

What are OR days like with each attending?

Dr. Beech will not expect you to know about the patient or the surgery he is doing because his cases fall on Monday. He will ask questions occasionally throughout the case, but if you do not know the answers, he will help you out. The time spent in the OR with Dr. Beech is more conversational.

Dr. Okoli has his cases on Tuesdays so it is important after tumor board on Monday to specifically ask Dr. Okoli which cases he has and who the patients are so you can look them up on EPIC and be prepared to quickly “present” the patient as the surgery begins. It is IMPERATIVE that you know the main details of the powerpoints he has on breast cancer and endocrine issues…he WILL ask you questions directly from them. Being in the OR with Dr. Okoli is much more of a “pimping” session but if you get comfortable with his powerpoints you will be prepared for his questions.

What are clinic days like?

Clinic with both attendings will be a mix of new patients and follow ups. Dr. Beech likes each patient to be seen by a student first and then you will leave, update him and then you and Dr. Beech will go in together. Dr. Okoli has you take a full H&P for all the new patients and he goes in with you for all follow ups. They will be “pimping” you during this time but it is much more relaxed than in the OR.

On Wednesdays you will go to Dr. Okoli’s clinic at Howell Mill. It is located in the big office building that says Piedmont on the top across from the Wendy’s, Verizon, shopping complex on Howell Mill right before you hit the 75/85 junction.

What else should you know?

Below are the slides with questions that are scattered throughout Dr. Okoli’s Breast Cancer lecture! The actual presentation is 120 slides long, the slides have been pulled out for convenience. These questions will come up during the lecture he gives the first week of the rotation as well as on the Oncology quiz.