Former engineer finds second career in cancer data management
Roland Rodriguez loved being a chemical engineer. Frankly, after three decades in the petrochemical industry with a good paycheck, he wasn’t considering a change.
Then came 2020. COVID-19 suspended projects at his Houston engineering firm, and without projects to manage, Rodriguez got laid off. A year later, no new jobs had turned up.
“That’s when I started reevaluating the role of work in my life,” he said. “I started looking for something with a deeper meaning.”
The layoff became his chance to pursue more than a paycheck but a purpose.
Rethinking medical field
That day didn’t seem likely until 2021. Without any petrochemical prospects, he considered
other options. He kept returning to his college minor and the medical field.
“I really enjoyed my biomedical engineering classes and thought this may be the area God is directing me to now,” he said.
Rodriguez reflected on transferable skills that could align with a community college degree program. While browsing San Jacinto College’s website, he discovered cancer data management.
It was a “This is it!” moment. The program trains students to maintain cancer registry data used for treatment plans and research.
“I’ve always enjoyed using computers for data collection, entry, and analysis as an engineer,” he said. “I wanted to combine these skills along with my passion to help others and use them in a health care profession.”
Returning to school
Rodriguez applied and got accepted into San Jac’s cancer data management program in spring 2022. He pursued full-time “online anytime” classes, which meant he didn’t commute to or from campus the entire two years.
Entering the program, Rodriguez faced two mental hurdles. First was navigating 100% online coursework. Although computer-savvy, he wasn’t sure online classes would be the best fit.
With a laptop, dual monitors, and a stable internet connection, he found online classes not only convenient but ideal.
“I wanted to see, especially in that first semester at San Jac, how these online courses went and if they were meeting my needs or not,” he said. “Boy, they exceeded expectations.”
His second challenge was re-entering the job interview circuit after 30 years. Here — like the cancer data management program itself — San Jac prepared him well. Career services staff helped him do practice interviews, update his resume, and write his first cover letter.
When Rodriguez graduated with his advanced technical certificate in fall 2023 and passed the certification exam the following spring, he felt ready for both the interview process and the profession.
Fighting cancer
Although nervous that recruiters might not see past his age, Rodriguez landed a job quickly. In July 2024, he started as a certified oncology data specialist at Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center at Sugar Land.
He is enjoying the start of his second career. What draws him to the oncology field is knowing he's making a difference.
If you’re motivated and want to make a change in your life in a positive direction, you’ll do what it takes.
Rodriguez pulls data from patient medical records — everything from demographics to cancer type, behavior, stage, treatment, and outcome. He also sits on tumor boards, where oncologists discuss and determine the best treatment plan for each cancer patient.
“I enjoy hearing their reasoning — how they go about treating the cancer but also how they treat each cancer patient holistically and with dignity and respect,” he said.
Rodriguez also has personal reasons for pursuing cancer data management. He lost his mom to metastatic breast cancer in 2000.
“It’s just an awful disease and something we need to eradicate,” he said. “That’s what keeps me going. I’m excited to be in the field now, using all my technical skills to help with this fight.”
Trusting the journey
Looking back, Rodriguez realizes none of his hurdles were insurmountable. Pivoting to a new field and searching job listings again might have seemed a “harrowing task.” But once he found San Jac’s cancer data management program, everything fell into place.
“If you’re motivated and want to make a change in your life in a positive direction, you’ll do what it takes,” he said.
Today, Rodriguez wakes up excited to work. Not only does he learn something new each day, but he’s helping cancer researchers take one step closer to a cure.
When the door closed on engineering, Rodriguez says God clearly opened a new one.
“Some people try to force things to happen and get a certain result,” he said. “That wasn’t my case at all.”
