Experiences of a cancer survivorship elective in a US medical school: The first 10 years.

Abstract

9025 Background: Cancer survivorship care is an increasingly important competency in medical education, but early introduction in medical school curriculum is uncommon, and longitudinal evaluation of survivorship curricula is limited. We report here our 10 years’ experience of a dedicated UME cancer survivorship course. Methods: A 15-week elective was offered to pre-clerkship Y2 students (5-14 participants /y) annually from 2016-25, including one fully remote class in 2020. Attendees had a year of prior longitudinal clinical experience. Key topics of the curriculum were developed from ASCO and NCCN Survivorship Guidelines. Sessions were facilitated by a clinical oncologist (MCF) and co-hosted by rotating guests with clinical experience in cancer care. These included a primary care physician, survivors, caregivers, a medical geneticist, a palliative care nurse, social workers, a nutritionist, and a PT/OT specialist. The final assessment was a proposed individualized survivorship care plan (SCP), based on a one-to-one interview with a survivor. Students completed pre- and post-course surveys, assessing satisfaction with course structure, change in confidence dealing with topics covered, and the course’s influence on specialty choice. Likert scale responses (1-4) were analyzed using paired t-tests and Cohen’s d for confidence changes. Descriptive statistics summarized satisfaction and career impact. Results: Of 102 students participating over 10 years, 90 returned pre/post surveys (88%). Students overall reported a high level of satisfaction with the course (mean 3.60/4, SD 0.49), particularly valuing guest sessions with survivors (3.84/4), caregivers (3.86/4), and social work (3.91/4). They felt the course was adequately rigorous for the M2 level (3.59/4), provided useful skills for future interprofessional collaboration (3.60/4), and was effectively tested by the final assignment (3.47/4). Multimedia assignments were the most valuable to students (3.47/4). Confidence in speaking to and caring for cancer survivors increased very significantly post-course (mean change +0.75, t = 7.81, p < 0.001, d = 1.02), and students felt that the skills they learned were relevant to their future careers (3.53/4). Over half of students (56%) indicated the course strengthened their interest in pursuing an oncology-focused field while another f26% indicated an interest in remaining committed to cancer-related issues in some capacity. Conclusions: A dedicated undergraduate cancer survivorship curriculum is novel, feasible, sustainable, and highly valued by medical students. The course produced significant gains in confidence, increased interest in oncology, and highlighted the educational value of interprofessional, survivor-centered learning. Early integration of survivorship education may improve future physician comfort with holistic cancer care and enhance career interest in the field.