Devising the optimal preclinical oncology curriculum for undergraduate medical students in the United States.

A third of women and a near majority of men in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. To prepare future physicians for this reality, we have developed a preclinical oncology curriculum that introduces second-year medical students to essential concepts and practices in oncology to improve their abilities to appropriately care for these patients. We surveyed the oncology and education literature and compiled subjects important to students' education including basic science and clinical aspects of oncology and addressing patients' psychosocial needs. Along with the proposed curriculum content, scheduling, independent learning exercises, and case studies, we discuss practical considerations for curriculum implementation based on experience at our institution. Given the changing oncology healthcare landscape, all (new) physicians must competently address their cancer patients' needs, regardless of chosen specialty. A thorough and logically organized cancer curriculum for preclinical medical students should help achieve these aims. This new model curriculum, with accompanying strategies to evaluate its efforts, is essential to update how medical students are educated about cancer.

Quantitatively and qualitatively augmenting medical student knowledge of oncology and radiation oncology: an update on the impact of the oncology education initiative.

PURPOSE: The Oncology Education Initiative was established in 2007 in an effort to advance oncology and radiation oncology education at the undergraduate level. As a continuation of the initiative, the aim of this study was to determine whether these structured didactics would continue to increase overall medical student knowledge about oncologic topics. METHODS: Preclerkship and postclerkship tests examining concepts in general oncology, radiation oncology, breast cancer, and prostate cancer were administered. The 21-question, multiple-choice examination was administered at the beginning and end of the radiology clerkship, during which a 1.5-hour didactic session was given by an attending radiation oncologist. Changes in individual question responses, student responses, and overall categorical responses were analyzed. All hypothesis tests were two tailed with a significance level of .05. RESULTS: In the 2009-2010 academic year, 155 third-year and fourth-year students had average examination score improvements from 62% to 68.9% (P < .0001). Every topic (100%) showed improvement in scores, with the largest absolute improvement seen in the radiation oncology category, which increased from 56.5% to 71.8% (P < .0001). As the year proceeded, average examination scores increased among third-year students and decreased among fourth-year students. CONCLUSIONS: In the successive years since its inception, the Oncology Education Initiative continues to show a significant improvement in medical students' knowledge of cancer. The initiative has also succeeded in providing radiation oncology education to all graduating medical students at the authors' institution. Dedicated oncology education in the undergraduate medical curriculum provides students with a better understanding of multidisciplinary oncology management.