Recognising inequalities in haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and cellular therapy training

Abstract

Despite advances in haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) and cellular therapy in recent years, exposure to the discipline in medical school and early post-graduate training can vary substantially around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic heralded a new era of virtual networking and collaboration, which permitted us—as trainees—to work together and lobby for those across the globe who work in resource-poor settings and have little or no access to clinical trials and the latest advances in the field of transplantation and cellular therapy. By contrast, the pandemic might worsen existing inequalities and complicate access to specific treatment environments, thereby imposing social and psychological pressures, especially on early-career physicians and researchers. One of our main objectives in establishing the Trainee Committee within the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in January, 2021, was to address the inequalities in transplantation and cellular therapy exposure and education among medical students and junior doctors internationally. To address these issues, we felt that it was important to first recognise the limitations that individuals working in different settings face so that we can determine the most appropriate ways of dealing with them.