M. A. Santos Teles1, S. B. Shah1, N. J. DeNunzio2, S. Kim2, and M. D. Mattes2; 1Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Purpose/Objective(s):Clinical exposures during the first two years of medical school (MS1-2) provide students an opportunity for early networking, mentorship and career exploration, and may be particularly valuable for small specialties like radiation oncology that are underrepresented in most medical school curricula. However, many students may not seek out shadowing on their own. The hypothesis of this pilot study is that creating a structured, extracurricular, student-run multidisciplinary oncology shadowing program will be feasible, and viewed positively by students and faculty. Materials/
Methods: A student-run oncology interest group at a single allopathic US medical school collaborated with oncologists at its affiliated cancer center to create an oncology shadowing program for MS1-2 students. Three radiation oncology (RO), two medical oncology (MO), and four surgical oncology (SO) faculty participated. A quarterly sign-up form was sent to all MS1-2 students via email with available shadowing sessions with each subspecialist, along with faculty-provided instructions on expectations, contact information, location of the clinic, and any educational materials for students to review in advance. Electronic surveys were sent to the students (immediately after shadowing) and faculty (after 18 months of program operation) to capture their experiences. Question styles included five-point Likert-type scales (1=low, 5=high), multiple choice, and free text. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests are reported. Results: A total of 57 of the 97 participating students, and all 9 of the 9 participating faculty, responded to their surveys (response rates 59% and 100%, respectively). Demographically, 34 students (60%) were female, and 44 (77%) were MS1. Thirty students (53%) shadowed in RO, 23 (40%) in SO, and 4 (7%) in MO. Most students were very satisfied with their interactions with faculty ( mean Likert-type rating of 4.14 ± standard deviation 0.85), and with the overall experience compared to previous shadowing outside of this program (3.84 ± 0.85). Fifty-four students (96%) would recommend the experience to a classmate. Compared to their baseline interest in RO, students who shadowed in RO reported significantly greater interest afterwards (mean Likert rating 2.80 vs. 3.33, p = 0.02); no significant difference in interest level were observed for MO and SO. Four faculty (44%, including all three ROs) reported many more students shadowing as a result of this program. Seven faculty (78%) felt the experience was best for students when residents or fellows were also present. All physicians planned to continue hosting student shadowing for the program. Conclusion: A structured, student-run, oncology shadowing program was feasible to implement, and viewed favorably by faculty and student participants. This type of program offers a relatively simple way to increase interest and exposure in oncology.
