Oncology Education in Medical Schools: Towards an Approach that Reflects Australia’s Health Care Needs

Abstract

Cancer has recently overtaken heart disease to become the number 1 cause of mortality both globally and in Australia. As such, adequate oncology education must be an integral component of medical school if students are to achieve learning outcomes that meet the needs of the population. The aim of this review is to evaluate the current state of undergraduate oncology education and identify how Australian medical schools can improve oncology learning outcomes for students and, by derivative, improve healthcare outcomes for Australians with cancer. The review shows that oncology is generally not well represented in medical school curricula, that few medical schools offer mandatory oncology or palliative care rotations, and that junior doctors are exhibiting declining oncology knowledge and skills. To address these issues, Australian medical schools should implement the Oncology Education Committee's Ideal Oncology Curriculum, enact mandatory oncology and palliative care clinical rotations for students, and in doing so, appreciate the importance of students' differing approaches to learning.

The status of radiation oncology teaching in Australian and New Zealand medical schools

“…Unfortunately, physicians outside of oncology report a significant discomfort and little training in oncological and survivorship management, which can eventually impede multidisciplinary oncologic care . In the past few decades, medical education has undergone significant changes including growth in graduate‐entry medical degrees, problem‐based curricula and the widespread transition to Doctor of Medicine (MD) programmes . Greater emphasis is now placed on communication, ethics, clinical research, self‐motivated learning and a multidisciplinary approach to illness .…”

“…Greater emphasis is now placed on communication, ethics, clinical research, self‐motivated learning and a multidisciplinary approach to illness . Despite these new teaching models, graduating doctors are consistently exhibiting poor oncology knowledge and skills . This issue is not unique to oncology as many other disciplines, including surgical anatomy, psychiatry and ophthalmology, have recently reported fundamental gaps in conceptual knowledge which is not preparing junior doctors for current practice …”

“…10 In the past few decades, medical education has undergone significant changes including growth in graduate-entry medical degrees, problembased curricula and the widespread transition to Doctor of Medicine (MD) programmes. 11,12 Greater emphasis is now placed on communication, ethics, clinical research, self-motivated learning and a multidisciplinary approach to illness. 13 which is not preparing junior doctors for current practice.…”

“…Despite these new teaching models, graduating doctors are consistently exhibiting poor oncology knowledge and skills 11. This issue is not unique to oncology as many other disciplines, including surgical anatomy, psychiatry and ophthalmology, have recently reported fundamental gaps in conceptual knowledge Time dedicated to oncology teaching (days per entire course) in each medical school.…”

The Impact of Curriculum Design in the Acquisition of Knowledge of Oncology: Comparison Among Four Medical Schools

“…This problem-oriented style of teaching could work very well for oncology, due to its often very complex diagnoses and rapidly changing treatment options [ 3 ]. However, several authors found a knowledge deficiency in oncology among first- and second-year students in problem-based teaching universities in the USA and Australia [ 4 – 8 ].…”