Professional standing of young medical oncologists in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide survey by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) +MIR Section

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 BureauPfizer;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.