Medical student exposure to oncology is imperative given the prevalence of cancer, growing need for survivorship care, and ever-evolving therapies. Our institution offers a Cancer Care Elective for undergraduate medical students focused on clinical shadowing, but the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated completely redesigning a virtual alternative. In this study, we utilize a post-elective survey to 1) assess whether the novel virtual elective effectively promoted student learning and 2) identify which components were most impactful. We created an entirely virtual, semester-long course with structured mentorship, subspecialty panels, physician-led didactics, and patient exposure. Students attended multidisciplinary tumor boards and presented on oncologic topics. A post-elective survey assessed the course’s impact on students’ knowledge and the perceived value of each elective component. Of the 29 enrolled students, 12 responded to our survey (41%). Most students reported that the elective highly enhanced their understanding of medical (67%), surgical (75%), and pediatric (66%) oncology. The highest rated didactic involved patients discussing their cancer journeys, with 80% of students reporting that this session enhanced their understanding of patient–physician collaboration. Students reported that physician mentorship helped them better understand oncology (90%) and promoted interest in pursuing an oncologic career (100%). This study demonstrates that our virtual Cancer Care Elective was effective at increasing student understanding of oncology in practice. The results also suggest that patient exposure and physician mentorship are particularly educational and encouraging.
4-part noon lecture series through Spring 2021 that was available to all IM residents. The curriculum culminated in a daylong symposium in April 2021including a keynote address, workshops, and race-based caucusing-for which all residents on outpatient rotations were granted protected time to participate. For the symposium, residents designed 6 original interactive workshops, facilitated by University of California, San Francisco faculty, that deconstructed race in the core areas of practice: clinical medicine, medical education, and research. Participants were guided through seminal literature and case studies and tasked with identifying personal and structural areas for antiracist intervention in their practice as physicians. The day concluded with race-based caucusing for residents identifying as people of color and those identifying as White.The symposium was well received. Formal evaluation is underway with the intention of broader dissemination, as few published curricula on structural racism exist. 2 The IM department has adopted a curricular footprint with longitudinal antiracist education for all residents and will continue to sponsor the antiracist working group to address other areas of systemic racism in medicine.The time is now for medical schools and health systems to embrace antiracist change. Resident physicians can be catalysts for reform. Our work should be amplified with programmatic support by way of faculty partnerships, funding, and dedicated curricular time.
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