OU Childrens Physicians
1200 N Phillips Ave, Ste 10000
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Phone
405-271-4412
Additional Information
First Name: Rene
Last Name: McNall-Knapp
Title: MD
Primary Hospital: Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center
Specialty: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
County: Oklahoma
Gender: F
Please briefly describe your practice or specialty.
I practice pediatric hematology and oncology, which is the diagnosis and treatment of children with blood disorders and cancer. My main focus is children with brain tumors.
Why did you choose medicine and your field in particular?
When I was seven years old, back in the time when all TV doctors were men, I always said I wanted to be a nurse. My mom looked at me one day and said, “You know, little girls can be doctors, too.” It stuck and I never wanted to do anything else. I am so happy I chose medicine in general and my specialty because it is fulfilling on so many levels – academically I’m never bored, and there are new challenges every day. Emotionally, getting to be part of these special children’s lives is amazing.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the child and family are understandably distressed. I love to be there and offer them hope. I work with a great team of specialists and can honestly say that we are more likely to have this child grow up and be an active healthy adult than lose the child to cancer.
Describe one of your best moments as a doctor.
One young man I met when he was critically ill my first month here as an attending physician. I sat down with him and his parents in the ER and explained my suspected diagnosis and the intensive treatment needed over the next 24 hours to make sure he would get through it. His mom looked at me and said, “You go, girl!” I always tell families of newly diagnosed patients I expect to receive invitations to high school graduation, college graduation, wedding and baby showers (in that order). Nine years later I received an invitation to his high school graduation with a note from him thanking me for saving his life.
