LMIC-26. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ST. JUDE GLOBAL VIRTUAL PEDIATRIC NEURO-ONCOLOGY FELLOWSHIP (VPNOF): INCREASING PEDIATRIC NEURO-ONCOLOGY CAPACITY IN LOW- AND MIDDLE- INCOME COUNTRIES (LMIC)

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND Most children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors reside in LMICs, yet their complex management is limited by the availability of trained pediatric neuro-oncologists (PNO). The St. Jude Global VPNOF was designed to train pediatric oncologists (PO) in LMICs as CNS tumor experts while remaining in their home countries. METHODS The VPNOF structure was initially developed through semi-structured interviews of physicians who had served as global mentors or mentees in pediatric oncology. Employing a modified Delphi method, we identified the key components necessary to virtually train POs in LMICs to become PNOs. RESULTS A two-year fellowship program was designed with a curriculum tailored for POs in LMICs. Two main components were identified as critical to the objective of building PNO capacity: mentorship and clinical training. Mentorship involves a triad with one global and one loco-regional mentor per fellow, aiding in the fellow’s career and institutional goal setting to advance PNO care. Clinical training includes regularly scheduled virtual tumor boards and didactics, and ad-hoc case discussions with mentors while managing patients at their home institution. Additionally, fellows travel to their mentors’ institution twice for a four-week clinical rotation. In 2022, five fellows from Armenia, China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Pakistan were selected. In 2023, an additional six fellows were selected from China, Costa Rica, India, Romania, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. To date, 18 months of the two-year fellowship have resulted in the establishment of multi-disciplinary approaches, increased patient volume, increased evidence-based practices, and publication by the first cohort of 21 abstracts and two journal publications to date. CONCLUSIONS The VPNOF is an innovative approach to leveraging global mentorship to train PO in resource-limited settings to become PNOs. Virtual mentorship and training have led to implementation of new practices aimed at improving quality of care for children with CNS tumors in LMICs.