ABSTRACT
Background: Knowledge of the career paths and employment situation of young medical oncologists is lacking. The aim of our study was to evaluate the current professional standing of young medical oncologists during COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Methods: The SEOM +MIR section conducted a national online survey in May 2021 of young medical oncology consultants (<6 years of expertise) and last year medical oncology residents. Using the electronic mailing available in the SEOM database, professionals from Spain were invited. Results: A total of 136 responses were eligible in the preliminary analysis. 86 (63%) were women. 106 (78%) were consultants and 30 (22%) were residents. 92 (68%) performed standard clinical care and 10 (7%) research activity. 97 (71%) were subspecialized in a main area of interest and almost half of them, 60 (48%), chose it because it was the only option available after residency. 75 (55%) had considered different employment opportunities other than standard clinical care and 33 (25%) showed an interest in increasing their research activity. 68 (50%) had considered working in foreign countries: 40 (29%) in the European Union. The main reasons were: 35 (26%) thought it might increase their professional development and 29 (22%) argued for better salary conditions abroad. Furthermore, 109 (80%) believed the professional standing in Spain was worse than other countries. After finishing their residency, only 20 (14%) were offered a job at their training hospital. Solely, 17 (12%) participants had an indefinite employment contract. 25 (18%) had previously signed a COVID-19 temporary contract. 55 (40%) were worried about their employment stability. Conclusions: The availability of subspecializing in medical oncology may depend on the job opportunity after residency rather than personal interest. The abundance of temporary contracts could have influenced the employment stability concerns observed. Our work contributes and is consistent with the ESMO values focused on the wellbeing of medical oncology professionals. Future mentoring strategies should engage in building a long-term career path for young medical oncologists. Legal entity responsible for the study: SEOM +MIR Section. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: V. Pacheco-Barcia: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: Eisai;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: Merck;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: Bristol Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: LEO Pharma;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: Kyowa Kirin;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: Grunenthal;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker FEE: Prostakan;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Speaker Fee: Lilly;Other, Other: Merck. D.A. Sanchez: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Janssen;Non-Financial Interests, Personal and Institutional, Leadership Role, National Representative of Young Doctors of Promotion of Employment in Organización Médica Colegial: Spanish Medical Association;Non-Financial Interests, Personal and Institutional, Leadership Role: President of the Murcian Health Service Company Committee;Non-Financial Interests, Personal and Institutional, Leadership Role: Vice-representative from the European Junior Doctors (EJD) in Oncology Section in UEMS (Uropean Union of Medical Specialties);Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Other: Member of +MIR Section of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Other: ESMO member;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Other: SEOM member. B. Obispo: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Novartis;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Sanofi;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Fresenius;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Angelini Pharma;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Rovi;Financial Interes s, Personal, Invited Speaker: Leo Pharma. A. Quilez: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Clovis;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Bristol Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: GSK;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: GSK. A. Sesma: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: MSD. D. Paez: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Amgen;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Amgen;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Sanofi;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Ipsen;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Advanced Accelerator Applications;Financial Interests, Personal, Research Grant, Research funding: Merck Serono. T. Quintanar Verduguez: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Novartis;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Novartis;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Abbott;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Nestle;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Consultancy: Astra Zeneca. M. Sánchez Cánovas: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Leo Pharma;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Angelini Pharma;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: KyowaKirin;Financial Interests, Institutional, Other: Leo Pharma;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: Sanofi;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: MSD;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: Esteve;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: Amgen;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: Servier;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: Angelini;Other, Personal, Other, Attending Symposia: Leo Pharma;Other, Personal, Other, Educational Programs: Angelini;Other, Personal, Other, Educational Programs: Sanofi;Other, Personal, Other, Educational Programs: Rovi;Other, Personal, Other, Educational Programs: Leo Pharma;Other, Personal, Other, Educational Programs: Servier;Other, Personal, Other, Educational Programs: Merck;Other, Personal, Other, Remunerations for authorship: KyowaKirin;Other, Personal, Other, Remunerations for authorship: Mylan. N. Tarazona: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Amgen;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Servier;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Pfizer;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Merck;Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator, Principal Investigator: Mutua Madrileña;Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: SEOM;Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: TTD Group;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Member of CIBERONC Liquid Biopsy Working Module since 2018: CIBERONC;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Member of ESMO Translational Research and Precision Medicine Working Group for the period 2019-2020.: ESMO;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Member of ESMO-MCBS Extended Working Group since 2019: ESMO;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Member of ESMO faculty member for the Gastro-Intestinal Tumours faculty group for the period 2019-2023.: ESMO Faculty;Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Member of Executive Committee SEOM +MIR 2020-2022.: SEOM +MIR. A. Fernandez Montes: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Bristol Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: MSD;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: MSD;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Servier;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Astra Zeneca;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Pierre Fabre;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Merck. E. Felip: Financial Interest , Personal, Advisory Board: Amgen;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: AstraZeneca;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Bayer;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Beigene;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Boehringer-Ingelheim;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Bristol Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Eli Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: F Hoffman-La Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Glaxo Smith Kline;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Janssen;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Medical Trends;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Merck Sharp & Dohme;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Merck Serono;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Peptomyc;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Pfizer;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Puma;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Regeneron;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Sanofi;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Syneos Health;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Takeda;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Amgen;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: AstraZeneca;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Bristol Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Eli Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: F Hoffman-La Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Janssen;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Medscape;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Merck Sharp & Dohme;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Merck Serono;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Peervoice;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau:Pfizer;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Springer;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker’s Bureau: Touch MEdical;Other, Personal, Other, Independent member of the board: GRIFOLS. A. Rodríguez-Lescure: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Pfizer;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Novartis;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: MSD;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Astra Zeneca;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Roche;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Novartis;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Pfizer;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Lilly;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Astra Zeneca;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Amgen;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: MSD;Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Pfizer;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Novartis;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Lilly;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: AstraZeneca;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: MSD;Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Merck;Other, Personal, Other, Travel, accommodations: Roche;Other, Personal, Other, Travel, accomodations: Pfizer. M.E. Elez Fernandez: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Amgen;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Array Biopharma;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Bayer;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Bristol Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Hoffman La- Roche;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Merck serono;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Sanofi;Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Servier;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Abbvie;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Amgen;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Array Pharmaceuticals;Financial Interests, Institution l, Research Grant: AstraZeneca;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Boehringer Ingelheim;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Bristol-Myers Squibb;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: GlaxoSmithKline;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Hoffman La-Roche;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Medimmune;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Merck Serono;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: MSD;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Novartis;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Pierre-Fabre;Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Sanofi Aventis. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.