title: The effectiveness of the Ivan H. Smith Memorial Studentships program on encouraging medical students to pursue a career in radiation oncology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Founded in 1963, the Ivan H. Smith Memorial Studentship (ISMS) is a summer program that familiarizes students with the work of several cancer centers and aims to attract medical students into oncology.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we attempted to evaluate the impact of the ISMS Program on career choice in radiation oncology (RO).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 5.9 times as many ISMS recipients from 1971 to 1981 who completed training in RO compared to the number of graduates exiting post-MD training in RO in 1989.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although few former ISMS students entered RO, the ISMS encourages medical students into this field.
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. kate.barrett@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mistry
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hayter
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poldre
authors.forename: Marilynne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*