Hematology-oncology bootcamp: Educational impact of an interactive, guideline-based “101” curriculum.

Abstract

9035 Background: Hematology-oncology is a rapidly evolving field, and incoming fellows often face early gaps in foundational knowledge during the transition from internal medicine. Mastery of core principles and guideline-based care is required before complex trial interpretation, yet traditional one-way didactic models may be insufficient. To address this, we implemented a structured, longitudinal bootcamp of ASCO- and ASH-aligned sessions delivered through interactive educational formats for fellows across all training years. Methods: Bootcamp curriculum included foundational content in anticancer pharmacology, 4 core-domain “101” sessions, NCCN-based case discussions, clinical trial design, academic career development, workshop on difficult clinical conversations and Kahoot-based heme-path and board review. Content was delivered through 6 different interactive formats over the first 10 weeks of the academic year during a weekly protected half-day. Fellows completed anonymous pre- and post-bootcamp questionnaires assessing self-reported confidence on a 5-point Likert scale. Secondary outcomes included overall knowledge improvement, clinical confidence, satisfaction, and educational format preferences. Pre- and post-intervention scores were compared using Mann-Whitney test. Results: Sixteen fellows completed the pre-bootcamp survey and 13 completed the post-bootcamp survey. There was statistically significant improvements across all 4 core-domains: General Oncology and foundations (2.9 to 3.8; p < 0.01), Classical Hematology (3.0 to 3.7; p < 0.05), Hematologic Malignancies (2.8 to 3.7; p < 0.05), and Solid Tumors (2.5 to 3.4; p < 0.05). Case-based discussions and chalk-talks were the most effective formats, used in both 101 sessions and communication workshop (Table). Moderate or major improvements in overall knowledge as well as inpatient/outpatient clinical confidence were reported by 92.3% fellows. Quality meal options encouraged in-person attendance for 84.6% fellows. Overall satisfaction with the bootcamp was high, with 84.6% fellows reporting agreement or strong agreement. Conclusions: Early delivery of foundational concepts through interactive, case-based “101” curricula improves fellows’ knowledge and clinical confidence. While traditional lectures remain important for trial interpretation, incorporating interactive formats enhance confidence and satisfaction for fellows. This structured, guideline-based bootcamp represents a scalable model for fellowship training. Educational format effectiveness. Educational Format Mean Effectiveness Score (1-5) ± SD Chalk-talks 4.2 ± 0.7 Case-based scenarios 4.2 ± 0.6 Kahoot-based interactive rounds 3.9 ± 0.6 PowerPoint 3.6 ± 0.7 Group-discussions 3.3 ± 1.1 Online Modules 2.5 ± 0.8