He Always Looks on the Bright Side of Life
By Rodney Campbell, ABR Communications Manager
2025;18(3):10
When it comes to choosing a radiation oncologist, Jamie Cesaretti, MD, has one piece of advice: “Try to pick an optimist.”
Dr. Cesaretti has long believed in the value of optimism, a perspective that has served him well since his third year of medical school at SUNY Stony Brook. He was inspired by a lecture from Jonathan Haas, MD, at NYU Langone Hospital on Long Island in the late 1990s.
The tone of the talk stuck with him even more than the content.
“I remember that he was just so positive and engaged … it made a major impression,” Dr. Cesaretti said.
The two physicians recently reconnected, and Dr. Haas was surprised to learn the impact of his presentation. He told Dr. Cesaretti he had only been out of residency for a few months at the time.
“I told him, ‘I had no idea what you were doing, but you were extremely charismatic and optimistic,’” Dr. Cesaretti said with a smile. “I knew I needed to figure out what he did and thanked him for being such a kind mentor so early in both our careers.”
Dr. Cesaretti, who holds a master’s degree in clinical research from NYU School of Medicine and completed his residency at Mount Sinai, tries to bring that same spirit to his volunteer work with the ABR. As a long-time question writer and oral examiner, he sees volunteering as a unique opportunity to collaborate with peers and gain insights.
“I see it as a kind of intellectual frameshift from my day-to-day clinical work,” he said. “You’re exposed to incredibly talented people at all stages of their careers. It’s both inspiring and humbling. Early on, my temptation was to write cases that the committee members would find singularly interesting in their own clinical practice. It took some time to realize that very nuanced questions are not a fair test of a resident’s knowledge base. The more useful questions are often very practical and broadly applicable.”
Dr. Cesaretti is a co-owner of Florida Physicians Specialists/Terk Oncology in Jacksonville, Florida, where he focuses on prostate cancer care. He believes his private practice experience adds a useful perspective to his ABR work.
“Academic centers sometimes have access to resources that just aren’t feasible in community settings,” he said. “But we do have tools like brachytherapy and VMAT, which remain foundational in radiation oncology.”
ABR Trustee Brian J. Davis, MD, PhD, also has served as a radiation oncology oral examiner. A friend of Dr. Cesaretti for more than 20 years, he said his colleague is a knowledgeable member of the specialty’s volunteer group.
“Jamie is an expert in the radiotherapeutic management of prostate cancer and permanent prostate brachytherapy,” Dr. Davis said. “He is a solid contributor to the ABR … an overachiever who’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable.”
For Dr. Cesaretti, part of what keeps his enthusiasm alive is the collaborative nature of his clinical work.
“I really enjoy the team-based side of prostate oncology generally and brachytherapy specifically,” he said. “Working in the OR with surgeons and in concert with other specialists – it’s a high-energy, highly impactful environment. You see the outcomes of what you’re doing almost immediately in terms of patient care.”
Just as that early lecture helped shape his career path, Dr. Cesaretti hopes to encourage the next generation of physicians with a similar positive outlook for the field.
“I don’t think that it is the technical details that inspire the next generation to join our field,” he said. “It’s the energy that they see one bring to their work. When a fellow practitioner sees that you’re genuinely excited about what you do, that’s what sticks with them, the dedication.”
