For Doctors
We wouldn’t be where we are today, without the help of our board-certified, volunteer physicians.
How to Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering with thesecondopinion, please call the Medical Director at (415) 775-9956, email mail@thesecondopinion.org or send a letter to thesecondopinion, 1200 Gough Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94109
Why volunteer with thesecondopinion?
“What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.”
At the heart of our program is the gift of service from our volunteer roster of Board Certified physicians. Their experience in cancer treatment is critical to our mission.
Requests for our service have been increasing and we hope to reach more vulnerable patients in need with more physicians.
We are currently recruiting physicians to volunteer with us. We encourage applications from pathologists, radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons with oncology sub-specialties. Our volunteer physicians come from medical facilities from throughout the greater Bay Area.
This is an invaluable and extremely rewarding experience for doctors and patients alike. Whether we confirm what their own physicians have recommended, offer a different opinion, or provide additional suggestions relating to diagnosis or treatment, our patients are profoundly grateful for the information we provide. Our format also has the added value of providing physicians from diverse practices an opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with each other.
Who can volunteer?
You qualify to volunteer if you:
- Have an active or volunteer California license.
- Are board-certified in your specialty.
Questions frequently asked by doctors:
How easy is it to volunteer?
You can volunteer at the convenience of your calendar. While some physicians are able to participate as often as once a month, others attend a few times a year or only when a particular expertise is needed.
Panel sessions are currently held on Wednesdays or Fridays from 12:30 to 2:30 pm and we provide lunch. Three panels are held each month, and three patients are seen at each session, with four to seven physicians participating.
We provide medical liability insurance.
Case materials are prepared by a Panel Chairs for review and sent to volunteer panelists well in advance of each session. On the panel day, records, radiology and pathology are jointly reviewed by the panel physicians, recommendations are made then discussed with patients and family members
who are able to ask questions or express concerns.
We digitally record the session for the patient and their family. A consultation letter is prepared by the Panel Chair and is sent to the treating physicians and to each patient as well.
How often can I volunteer?
You can volunteer as often as you like. Generally, we would like your help about every six weeks. We try to make this as easy as possible, we even provide Malpractice Insurance and lunch!
Who else volunteers?
We currently have over 70 board‑certified, volunteer physicians from a variety of specialties. We attract doctors from throughout the Bay Area. View a list below of our current volunteers.
How is this different from a tumor board?
Tumor Boards are convened to answer questions from physicians in cancer care and rarely actually engage patients. Our process is convened to answer questions from patients and their family members; in fact, patients and family are in the room with the panel to facilitate this discussion.
What if I want to participate but cannot get there?
The true value of our program is for patients to directly engage with panel members. However, we realize that sometimes this can be challenging, and are in the process of developing ways to involve some disciplines from remote locations via video conferencing or similar approaches.
I’m not sure if I’m ready to volunteer. Can I visit a panel and see if it might be a good fit for me?
Yes, you are welcome to visit a panel so you can see first hand the impact our services have on cancer patients and their families. Email us at mail@thesecondopinion.org to inquire about scheduling a visit.
Medical Oncologists
Ravi Arora, MD
Raji Ayyar, MD
Norman Cohen, MD
Peter Gordon, MD
Howard Kleckner, MD
David Lakes, MD
Susan Lessin, MD
Judith Luce, MD
Joseph Mason, MD
Alan Newman, MD
Pathologists
Gregory Bean, MD
Lynne Brewer, MD
Sara Calkins, MD
Michael DiMaio, MD
Robert Freedman, MD
Regan Fulton, MD
Harris Goodman, MD
Hava Liberman, MD
Christine Louie, MD
Melike Pekmezci, MD
Laura Tabatabai, MD
Radiation Oncologists
Roy Abendroth, MD
Nicola Ally, MD
Michael Bastasch, MD
Lisa Boohar, MD
Barry Chauser, MD
Amy Gillis, MD
Jane Marmor, MD
Milan Patel, MD
Gordon Ray, MD
Mack Roach, III, MD
Mark Rounsaville, MD
William Wara, MD
Meiwen Wu, MD
Radiologists
James Gorder, MD
Alisa Gean, MD
Virginia Griswold, MD
Deborah Kass, MD
Frank Mainzer, MD
Jay Mall, MD
Douglas Sheft, MD
Edward Talberth, MD
Jim Wallman, MD
General Surgeons
Carol Tabak, MD
Surgical Sub-Specialists
Breast Surgery
Shoko E. Abe, MD
Karen Goodwin, MD
Nima Grissom, MD
Susan Heckmann, MD
Susan Kutner, MD
Colorectal Surgery
Ahmed Alkoraishi, MD
Gastroenterology
Joanne Imperial, MD
Gynecologic Oncology
John Tatman, MD
Head and Neck Surgery
Bruce Jacobsen, MD
Matthew Lando, MD
Steven Sloan, MD
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Charles Binkley, MD
Neuroradiology
Alisa Gean, MD
Oncologic Surgery
Giovanni Begossi, MD
Richard Godfrey, MD
Thoracic Surgery
Carol Tabak, MD
Thoracic Oncology
James Jett, MD
Urology
Jim Crotty, MD
Antonio Otero, MD
Carl Thomas, MD
Timothy Tsang, MD
Nuclear Medicine
Charles Moser, MD
Genetic Counselor
Robin F. Lee, MS, LCGC
Pharmacy Oncology
Robert Ignoffo, PharmD
Clinical Dietitian
Jennifer Midori Yan, RD, CSO
Advisory & Inactive
Emily Bergsland, MD (Med Onc)
Andrew Ko, MD (Med Onc)
Maxwell Meng, MD (Urologist)
Jeanne Quivey, MD (Rad Onc)
Joe Hsu, MD (Rad Onc)
Still have questions?
Contact us below and we’ll be happy to help you.