Co-Director of the Testicular Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic at Virginia Mason Medical Center; Co-Primary Investigator for the Northwest National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program; Executive Officer of Cancer Control and Prevention Research for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG); and Treasurer for the ASCO Board of Directors.

AC: What led you to oncology?

Dr. Nichols: During medical school in Oregon, I initially thought that I would become a general internist. Throughout residency, though, I began to favor a deeper and narrower understanding of subspecialty medicine. In the late 1970s, oncology was in its infancy, but I imagined that the next few decades would increase our understanding and provide meaningful treatment options for patients with cancer. I was banking on getting in on the ground floor of a dynamic subspecialty, and, as it turns out, that’s what happened!

AC: What’s the last book you read?

Dr. Nichols: Big Data by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier. A fascinating look at the benefits and downsides of the data tsunami.

AC: What hobbies do you enjoy?

Dr. Nichols: My sons run an organic vegetable and heirloom turkey farm outside of Portland. I enjoy helping around the farm and selling the products at the local farmers’ markets. We also have a tradition of family Sunday dinners, so I am often on the business end of organizing, preparing, and serving big dinners for our families.

AC: Do you have a personal motto?

Dr. Nichols: I have always been a fan of Apple and their commitment to changing the world through innovation. I love the 1997 tagline, “Think Different.”

AC: What career could you see yourself in if you weren’t an oncologist?

Dr. Nichols: I got my undergraduate degree in computer science, back when the whole computer science building did not have the capacity of my smartphone today. A number of my friends entered the early iterations of the computer/informatics sector. That was plan B if I didn’t get into medical school. I have an inner geek, so I likely would have taken that path.

AC: What changes do you envision for the field in the next 10 years?

Dr. Nichols: I imagine the current policies and technologies in medicine and the world will have profound effects on the practice of medicine and, in particular, medical oncology. Cancer informatics will begin to mature and, in the accountable-care era, we will be seeing large electronic collaborations forming across traditional business boundaries. Clinical decision-making will likely move from the exclusive domain of the individual provider and patient, to a more guideline- and pathway-driven approach.

AC: What would you say to a young physician thinking about entering the field of oncology?

Dr. Nichols: The oncology workforce is changing rapidly and how patients actually receive care will undoubtedly move in the direction of “better, cheaper, and faster.” I would tell the young, aspiring oncologist to anticipate team management with patients and nonphysician providers, and to learn how to work within these team concepts. Also, if the current pace of discovery continues, there will likely be a substantial change in how oncologists learn and apply dynamic, just-in-time knowledge sets to the care of their patients. Gain and retain your social media and search skills!