title: Medical Student Knowledge of Oncology and Related Disciplines: a Targeted Needs Assessment.
abstract: Despite increasing numbers of cancer survivors, non-oncology physicians report discomfort and little training regarding oncologic and survivorship care. This pilot study assesses medical student comfort with medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, hospice/palliative medicine, and survivorship care. A survey was developed with input from specialists in various fields of oncologic care at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. The survey included respondent demographics, reports of experience with oncology, comfort ratings with oncologic care, and five clinical vignettes. Responses were yes/no, multiple choice, Likert scale, or free response. The survey was distributed via email to medical students (MS1-4) at two US medical schools. The 105 respondents were 34 MS1s (32 %), 15 MS2s and MD/PhDs (14 %), 26 MS3s (25 %), and 30 MS4s (29 %). Medical oncology, surgical oncology, and hospice/palliative medicine demonstrated a significant trend for increased comfort from MS1 to MS4, but radiation oncology and survivorship care did not. MS3s and MS4s reported the least experience with survivorship care and radiation oncology. In the clinical vignettes, students performed the worst on the long-term chemotherapy toxicity and hospice/palliative medicine questions. Medical students report learning about components of oncologic care, but lack overall comfort with oncologic care. Medical students also fail to develop an increased self-assessed level of comfort with radiation oncology and survivorship care. These pilot results support development of a formalized multidisciplinary medical school oncology curriculum at these two institutions. An expanded national survey is being developed to confirm these preliminary findings.
authors.affiliation: Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oskvarek
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braunstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Mark K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Olwen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Stacie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. dgolden@radonc.uchicago.edu.|Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. dgolden@radonc.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Golden
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Medical oncology; Palliative care; Radiation oncology; Surgery; Survivorship; Undergraduate medical education