Physician explores integrative approaches in cancer care through clinical internship

The intersection of conventional oncology and integrative medicine is gaining renewed attention as patients and providers seek comprehensive approaches to cancer care. At FirstHealth of the Carolinas Cancer Center in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Dr. Chiamaka Grace Ohanebo is immersing herself in this evolving field through a clinical internship that combines cutting-edge cancer treatment with evidence-based […]

The intersection of conventional oncology and integrative medicine is gaining renewed attention as patients and providers seek comprehensive approaches to cancer care. At FirstHealth of the Carolinas Cancer Center in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Dr. Chiamaka Grace Ohanebo is immersing herself in this evolving field through a clinical internship that combines cutting-edge cancer treatment with evidence-based complementary therapies.
Since August 2025, Dr. Ohanebo has been participating in integrative oncology clinics where patients receive support that extends beyond chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Working alongside multidisciplinary teams, she is exploring how practices like yoga, meditation, music therapy, and art therapy can improve quality of life for patients undergoing cancer treatment or navigating survivorship. This approach acknowledges what many patients instinctively understand: cancer care needs to address not just tumor biology but the physical, emotional, and spiritual toll the disease and its treatment exact.
The internship provides comprehensive exposure to modern cancer care. Dr. Ohanebo participates in genetic counseling sessions for undiagnosed and at-risk patients, where complex family histories and genomic data converge to inform screening and prevention strategies. She has observed advanced surgical procedures including robotic-assisted gynecologic surgeries and laparotomies, gaining insight into the technical precision and perioperative considerations that characterize current surgical oncology.
Her involvement extends to radiotherapy planning, where she witnesses how precision medicine principles translate into carefully calibrated treatment targeting cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. This exposure deepens her understanding of how different treatment modalities complement each other and how clinical decision-making evolves as new evidence emerges.
Dr. Ohanebo also supports ongoing clinical trials through patient recruitment and observing the informed consent process. This experience illuminates the complex ethical considerations involved in research, the importance of clear communication with patients facing difficult choices, and how clinical trials drive the incremental advances that improve outcomes over time. She participates in tumor boards covering breast, gynecologic, and lung cancers, where specialists from different disciplines collaborate to determine optimal treatment pathways for individual patients.
What distinguishes this internship is its attention to the socioeconomic dimensions of cancer care. Through participation in financial counseling clinics, Dr. Ohanebo is confronting how economic barriers shape who receives treatment, which options are accessible, and how social determinants of health influence cancer outcomes. This focus on health equity aligns with her broader commitment to serving underserved populations and understanding the structural factors that create disparities.
Dr. Ohanebo brings unique preparation to this role. Her fellowship training in integrative medicine from the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine equipped her with evidence-based knowledge of how complementary approaches can support conventional treatment. Her prior clinical experience ranges from her intern year rotating through multiple specialties at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital to delivering obstetric and gynecologic care at Federal Medical Center in Nigeria to providing holistic care at RenCare Clinic in Lagos.
Additionally, her work founding Sage Impact Foundation demonstrates her commitment to addressing health through education and community engagement. The foundation has reached over 600 female students with health education covering topics including chronic disease awareness, early marriage prevention, menstrual hygiene, and female genital mutilation, recognizing that health promotion begins long before patients enter clinics.
As cancer treatment becomes increasingly personalized and complex, there is growing recognition that optimal care must address the whole person. Dr. Ohanebo’s internship represents an investment in developing expertise that bridges conventional and integrative approaches, combining the best of evidence-based medicine with attention to quality of life, patient preferences, and healing beyond tumor response. For patients navigating cancer’s challenges, such comprehensive care offers not just the hope of survival but the possibility of thriving through treatment and beyond.