An Unlikely Journey to MSK: One Employee’s Story
When Ivan A. Roman was a college student working part-time at Target many years ago, he met a woman who would deeply impact his life – and indirectly lead him to a job at MSK.
After leaving that job at Target, Ivan stayed in touch with several friends. Five or six years later he got word that the woman – who had supported him and many colleagues even while dealing with her own challenges – was diagnosed with cancer.
“It broke so many people’s hearts to get this news, but none more than our little group,” Ivan said.
The friends rallied around her, traveling every day from Long Island to MSK in NYC to be by her side.
“There were tons of complications, and she had a poor prognosis, so we decided to make sure she wasn’t ever alone,” he said. “We had a lot of laughs in those last days.
Ivan, his friends, and the staff at MSK did all they could to make sure every day was enjoyable for her. They shared memories from their pasts and dreams for the future, and even brought in a small slot machine since she couldn’t visit her beloved casinos.
“Seeing how well MSK treated her – the care, the personal attention – I was floored that a hospital would be so great,” he said. “I still remember leaving for the last time, she was getting discharged the next day and going back to her home state to watch her daughter get married before passing away. She was gone within a few weeks, but not without leaving a mark on so many people.”
He didn’t know it at the time, but this experience would shape Ivan’s career in the future.
Forging a New Career Path
In addition to working at Target, Ivan has worked other retail jobs as well as in construction, project management, and IT consulting. But soon after losing his friend, he wanted a change. He wanted to pursue a career where he was helping people.
“I thought long and hard about where I could go and actually help people. MSK won out in the end, and I can honestly say that in my time here I have helped more people than I ever could have imagined,” he said. “I took the most random path possible to land at MSK, but I feel like I have found a home.”
Ivan’s worked at MSK for five years and is Team Leader in the Lymphoma and Myeloma services, where he oversees coordinators, assists with rolling out projects, and helps to streamline operations within the services.
Before joining MSK, Ivan admits he didn’t realize all the work and collaboration that go into a single follow-up appointment, scan, and treatment. It’s hard work, he says, but being part of the team is everything he hoped for.
“Our patients are coming here having heard what is likely the worst news of their lives. We have a team that takes that experience and can turn it into the best decision of their lives,” he said. “I will always be in awe that one interaction, one phone call or one email can mobilize a literal army of people to fight the good fight alongside them.”
In addition to caring for patients who are battling cancer, Ivan is proud of MSK’s leading role in transforming cancer care for the future.
“MSK’s commitment to leading the way with research is inspiring,” he said. “There are ways to do things that we all know, but the innovation here makes me proud to come in daily.”
Advice for Candidates
Ivan said a passion for helping others is critical when working in healthcare. So is maintaining self-care and healthy boundaries.
“For healthcare in general, we tend to have a personality type where we put others before ourselves. Don’t fall into that trap,” he said. “We all have limits. One of my favorite sayings is “you can’t pour from an empty pot’.”
COVID has only exasperated the situation.
“There have been times over the last few years where I’ve been anxious, happy, overwhelmed, fulfilled, and exhausted within the same minute since coming on board here,” he said. “I wouldn’t change a thing, and I am thankful for all I have had the privilege to give to our patients and our teams.”
