The brown university cancer prevention and survivorship curriculum: A case study on program development in an internal medicine residency.

Abstract

11031 Background: Advances in screening, early detection, and treatment have increased the number of cancer survivors. Cancer survivors have a unique set of medical, psychosocial, physical, and financial challenges. Though it is critical for provider teams to be attuned and equipped to address these issues, we identified two training programs in this discipline. Medical residency clinical education does not fully explore the role of cancer preventative services and survivorship experiences available to patients and their families. We developed an elective at Alpert Medical School at Brown University/Lifespan Internal Medicine Residency Program (Brown) to improve medicine residents’ knowledge and clinical skills on different aspects of the cancer control continuum, with a focus on prevention, early detection, survivorship and surveillance. Methods: In 2020, a team of Brown internal medicine (IM) residents, faculty and one hematology oncology (heme/onc) fellow examined the existing cancer prevention and survivorship infrastructure, identified key faculty and clinics, and examined existing programs at peer institutions. A needs assessment was completed by Brown IM residents and heme/onc fellows. We then designed the Cancer Prevention & Survivorship Elective, an innovative and novel educational elective for medical residents to promote interest, awareness, and understanding of cancer prevention and survivorship. The 6 module one month elective features didactics and clinical experiences offered via a live and independent study fashion. The elective brought together 27 disciplines, 64 faculty lecturers from 10 peer institutions across the United States and included 20 unique clinics. Residents completed anonymous pre- and post-course surveys to measure their understanding and degree of confidence in different aspects of cancer prevention and survivorship, not limited to surveillance, health disparities and global perspective, primary and secondary prevention, late and long-term effects, and quality of life. Results: In January 2023, ten residents, ranging from first- to third-year IM and medicine-pediatrics, participated in the live elective. Two IM residents have registered to complete the elective via independent study in 2023. To date, the Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Elective has improved IM residents’ confidence, comfort and clinical skills in treating patients along the cancer care continuum. Conclusions: This curricula serves as an example for inter-institutional collaboration, and highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach when caring for patients at high-risk of developing cancer and surviving cancer.