ABSTRACT
In recent years, the number of educational medical resources accessible to residents and practicing radiation oncologists online has grown exponentially to include discussion boards, wikis, videos, podcasts, journal clubs, online communities, and interactive experiences to augment medical education. In this review, we identify, catalog, and critically evaluate educational websites, smartphone applications, web-based multimedia, and podcasts for radiation oncologists. Literature searches were conducted over a 2-month period (April to May 2022) using OVID-MEDLINE and PubMed with a combination of relevant search terms. Websites of relevant radiation oncology societies were reviewed for e-learning resources. Internet searches including the Google search engine, application stores, and podcast-publisher websites were conducted to identify digital resources for radiation oncology education. To ensure credibility, resources were assessed by two independent reviewers utilizing the criteria of authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, depth, and appearance per suggested formats for evaluating digital resources in medical literature. Literature searches using OVID-MEDLINE and PubMed yielded 425 citations. Those pertinent to radiation oncology provide examples of resource development, integrations into curriculum, interactive modules, case studies, and learner experiences. The multilevel search identified 47 free digital education resources including online radiation oncology tutorials, podcasts, videos, slide sets, applications, and other interactive resources, some requiring membership or a fee for full access. The myriad online educational tools available to radiation oncology residents represent excellent resources for continuing education. This review represents the first comprehensive summary of available online education resources for radiation oncologists to guide clinicians who are increasingly reliant on digital resources, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, current Association of American Medical Colleges guidelines discourage away rotations, posing significant challenges for attracting students to radiation oncology (RO). This is particularly concerning for medical students underrepresented in medicine (UIM) due to the potential of widening existing disparities in applicant and workforce composition. To proactively address this, we created a Radiation Oncology Intensive Shadowing Experience (RISE) to expose UIM students to the field of RO. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Key stakeholders within the residency program, including both UIM faculty and residents with experience in health disparities and medical education, designed a 1-week virtual RISE intended for fourth year UIM students recruited through established national organizations serving UIM medical students. A 1-week disease-specific curriculum was developed using 4 components: (1) foundational exposure to RO, (2) didactic teaching, (3) mentorship opportunities, and (4) a capstone experience. Mentorship was continuously weaved through the experience by attendings, peer resident mentors, and a UIM resident panel to optimize exposure. RESULTS: RISE was successfully initiated at 2 academic medical centers with 12 UIM students enrolled through August. Anonymized pre- and postclerkship surveys were developed for students, residents, and faculty involved in RISE to evaluate participants' satisfaction, resident and attending time burden, and perceptions of program effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: We created a unique virtual RO shadowing experience for UIM students to address a critical gap in exposure to RO, heightened by the corona virus disease 2019 pandemic, with the goal of improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in our field.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been intertwined with the movement for racial justice in the United States and has highlighted and risks aggravating educational and workforce disparities within radiation oncology. We discuss wide-ranging changes within radiation oncology training that are essential to developing and maintaining diversity, including utilization of competency-based educational models that allow for streamlining of training and examinations; responsiveness to the needs of residents and medical students of different gender, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic groups; and technological integration to increase educational efficiency and decrease barriers.
ABSTRACT
This editorial describes why surge planning in the community must account for potential infection outbreaks in jails and prisons, and why incarcerated people and those in contact with them, including over 450,000 correctional officers and thousands of healthcare staff working in prisons, are at significant risk of COVID-19 exposure. We then explain how our nation's jails and prisons will continue to serve as breeding grounds for devastating COVID-19 outcomes and offer specific guidance and a call to action for the immediate development of correctional healthcare strategies designed to protect the health and safety of patients and correctional and healthcare staff and the communities in which they are situated. Correctional officers and correctional healthcare professionals need the nation's reassurance during this dire time that they will not be abandoned and further stigmatized for responding to the needs of incarcerated people. Our collective health depends on it.