Abstract
Radiation oncology (RO) teaching in undergraduate medical education (UME) is lacking worldwide with potentially detrimental effects on medical student career choices and patient care. The objective of this scoping review is to examine the extent of published literature describing RO educational and career-planning interventions in UME. Online databases were searched from respective dates of inception to June 2020 for articles that reported outcomes from RO educational and career-planning interventions in UME. Two independent reviewers screened entries for inclusion. Following full-text reviews, 25 articles were analyzed. Most interventions were a single session, involved clinical medical students, and were based in North America. Didactic teaching was most commonly used, though a majority included interactive learning in addition to or in place of didactic teaching. As expected, there was a heterogeneity of outcomes reported, and most studies collected data using surveys alone. Recurring topics included the multidisciplinary nature of oncology and psychosocial oncology. There was a paucity of studies reporting on formal mentorship programs and research programs. The data collated in this study can help develop new initiatives based on what has succeeded in the past. Areas that may benefit from future studies include mentorship programs, research programs, and interventions from outside North America.
Highlights
More than 1.8 million new cancer cases are estimated to be diagnosed in 2020 in the United States (US) alone [1]
These data are strikingly higher compared to the national average of graduating medical students pursuing radiation oncology (RO) in Canada and the US, which is less than 1% [18]
We identified 25 primary articles pertaining to RO educational and career-planning initiatives in undergraduate medical education (UME)
Summary
More than 1.8 million new cancer cases are estimated to be diagnosed in 2020 in the United States (US) alone [1]. Radiation oncologists play a pivotal role in the multidisciplinary management of many cancers, as radiotherapy is indicated in an estimated 52% of patients with cancer [2]. There is a lack of radiation oncology (RO) teaching in medical school. A survey of final-year medical students in Canada showed that one in five students did not receive any RO teaching, and 65% received less than 2 h of teaching [3]. In a survey of RO departments in the US, 25% of departments described no involvement in formal curricula at their affiliated medical school [4]. Disappointing results were found across Europe [5]
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