Academic Journal
Enhancing Oncology Education: Effects of a Structured Enrichment Elective on Medical Student Engagement and Career Intentions.
| Τίτλος: | Enhancing Oncology Education: Effects of a Structured Enrichment Elective on Medical Student Engagement and Career Intentions. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Chung A; School of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA., Zou K; School of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA., Tucker G; School of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA., Miller E; School of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA., Reisch J; O'Donnell School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA., Syed S; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. samira.syed@utsouthwestern.edu. |
| Πηγή: | Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education [J Cancer Educ] 2026 Aug; Vol. 41 (4), pp. 745-752. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Aug 26. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8610343 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1543-0154 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 08858195 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Cancer Educ Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: New York : Springer Original Publication: New York : Pergamon Press, c1986- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Medical Oncology*/education , Students, Medical*/psychology , Education, Medical, Undergraduate*/methods , Career Choice* , Curriculum*, Humans ; Male ; Female ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Adult |
| Περίληψη: | Despite cancer's significant impact on global health and its prevalence in clinical settings, oncology education in medical schools often remains fragmented and unstandardized, leaving many students feeling underprepared to care for patients with cancer. This study evaluates the implementation and impact of a 3-month oncology enrichment elective designed to address these educational gaps. From 2021 to 2024, we offered an oncology enrichment elective to medical students at a single institution. The curriculum included multidisciplinary didactic sessions and facility tours covering various oncology specialties. Data were collected through immediate post-course surveys and a 2025 longitudinal survey to assess both short and long-term impacts on students' oncology exposure and career interests. Students reported high satisfaction with the curriculum and its clinical relevance. The elective significantly enhanced exposure to underrepresented areas in oncology education, particularly radiation oncology and palliative care. Over two-thirds of respondents indicated the elective influenced their residency choice, with a similar proportion expressing interest in oncology careers. Thematic analysis revealed that students valued personalized faculty insights and requested more interactive learning experiences. An oncology enrichment elective effectively addresses gaps in cancer education during medical school, particularly during condensed pre-clerkship curricula. The model demonstrates potential for improving student comfort with oncology concepts and enhancing multidisciplinary understanding of cancer care. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to assess long-term impacts on knowledge retention and career trajectories. (© 2025. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethics Approval: The UT Southwestern Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) determined that this project did not meet the definition of research under 45 CFR 46.102 and therefore did not require IRB approval or oversight. Competing interest: The authors declare no competing interests. |
| References: | J Cancer Educ. 2016 Dec;31(4):679-686. (PMID: 26123764) Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2015 Mar 1;91(3):669-77. (PMID: 25583687) World Neurosurg. 2016 Feb;86:120-6. (PMID: 26361323) Adv Med Educ Pract. 2016 Oct 05;7:567-570. (PMID: 27785118) Med Sci Educ. 2021 Feb 23;31(2):697-707. (PMID: 34457920) |
| Grant Information: | P30 CA142543 United States CA NCI NIH HHS |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Cancer care; Curriculum development; Enrichment elective; Medical education; Multidisciplinary oncology; Oncology curriculum; Pre-clerkship education; Undergraduate medical training |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250826 Date Completed: 20260828 Latest Revision: 20261008 |
| Update Code: | 20261008 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s13187-025-02720-0 |
| PMID: | 40856964 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1543-0154 |
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| DOI: | 10.1007/s13187-025-02720-0 |