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Choosing Your First Oncology Practice: Academic, Hospital, or Community

By Marketing

Staff Writer

March 16, 2026 in Education

Deciding on a career path after fellowship can feel overwhelming. With all the options available to new oncologists, it can be difficult to determine which practice setting will be the best fit for you and your career. Most choose among three types of practice settings:

Academic
Hospital-employed
Community oncology

Each setting offers different opportunities and challenges. Understanding how the pros and cons of each align with your professional and personal priorities will help guide your next step.

What are the pros and cons of each practice setting?

Academic

If you are focused on research or teaching, you may be considering an academic practice setting. These practices often provide access to clinical trials, along with strong teaching and mentorship opportunities. Well-known academic institutions can also offer professional prestige.

Potential challenges:

A slower pace of patient volume. You may focus more on research and teaching responsibilities than on seeing and treating patients.
Hierarchies within academic practices may result in less autonomy over your schedule and resources.

Hospital-Employed

A hospital-employed practice is a stable option for oncologists who enjoy working within a large health system. Practicing within a hospital setting can offer financial stability and job security.

Potential challenges:

Less autonomy over decision-making and patient care.
Increased administrative responsibilities may pull focus from patient care, potentially affecting personalized treatment and relationships.
Compensation structures may offer less upside potential, including limited or no ownership equity and no share in infusion center profits or drug margin.
Bureaucracy processes can lead to slower decision-making.

Community Oncology

Community oncology is a strong option if you’re focused on building lasting patient relationships and maintaining autonomy in clinical decision-making. Because many community oncology practices are physician-owned, there is often a greater emphasis on personalized patient care.

These practices also focus on remaining cutting-edge and advancing physician education, which can include access to clinical trials and advanced therapies that provide innovative treatment options.

Potential Challenges:

Administrative responsibilities may detract from time spent on patient care.
A longer ramp-up period may be required while building referral relationships and patient volume.

Working at an AON Community Oncology Partner Practice

Community oncology settings are an excellent choice for new oncologists seeking autonomy and a strong focus on patient-centered care. Working at a community oncology practice that is part of American Oncology Network (AON) helps alleviate many of the potential challenges.

AON equips its network physicians with the tools they need to thrive independently while providing comprehensive support. AON offers centralized administrative services to partner practices, allowing physicians to focus on patient care rather than operational burdens. This model supports continuity of care and improved work-life balance.

As a physician-owned network of practices, AON provides greater autonomy to physicians at its partner practices. This autonomy fosters strong, trusting patient relationships, enabling highly customized treatment plans and continuity throughout care. The goal is to support community oncology practices in operating at the highest level while keeping decision-making in physicians’ hands.

Taking the Next Step

The transition from fellowship to practice is an exciting time of growth and opportunity. Choosing a setting that aligns with your professional and personal values can help you build a meaningful career in oncology.

If you are interested in a career in community oncology, visit the AON careers page to view open opportunities at partner practices. The AON team is ready to answer your questions as you consider this next step in your career.

Visit the AON Careers Page Here!