Citations

PURPOSE In 2015, ASCO established a program designed to support medical interest in cancer-related careers: Oncology Student Interest Groups (OSIGs). The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of current student leaders of ASCO-sponsored OSIGs and their perceptions of cancer-related careers. METHODS We reviewed the list of all ASCO-sponsored OSIGs between 2015 and 2021. For this study, we focused on OSIGs that were sponsored during the 2019-2020 academic year. All student leaders of the 89 OSIGs active in that academic year were invited to participate. RESULTS The number of groups has more than tripled in the 6 years since the program's inception. The number of international groups has increased to become almost one fifth of all OSIGs; however, the range of countries represented remains limited. The majority of OSIG leaders were female. Eighty two percent of OSIGs were returning members, with most of their leaders being registered ASCO student members. Almost all participants reported an interest in pursuing a cancer-related specialty. Only a minority (14.8%) reported having a family member working in a cancer-related career. However, 85% reported having experience with a cancer diagnosis in their family. The majority of the respondents had a favorable perception of medical oncology as a specialty. Participants reported the highest levels of interest in medical oncology and pediatric oncology. CONCLUSION The number of ASCO-sponsored OSIGs has steadily increased since the creation of the program. Most participants reported an interest in pursuing a cancer-related career. To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide insights into the makeup of this program around the world. Additional efforts are needed to increase the global reach of the program, particularly in low-income countries.

PURPOSE To describe the characteristics of the members of the ASCO-sponsored Oncology Student Interest Groups (OSIGs) in Latin America. METHODS This was a multicenter cross-sectional study. We surveyed 97 OSIG members from three medical schools in Peru and Mexico. We administered a 60-question survey covering topics including personal background, oncology training experience, and professional practice expectations and preferences. RESULTS A little more than one half of the surveyed OSIG members were female. More than one half had a visa to visit the United States and had an advanced level of English. One half of the OSIG members were also ASCO members. Most participants agreed or strongly agreed that participation in their OSIG increased their interest in cancer-related specialties (94%) and provided professional networking opportunities (94%) and that it was accessible to all students (91%). Most participants believed that their OSIG had sufficient resources to carry out its activities. Students were asked to rate their interest when they entered medical school versus at the time of the survey. Most of the members were strongly interested in pursuing surgical oncology. The majority of members were somewhat interested or very interested in palliative care and medical oncology. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study that provides data on medical student perceptions of the Latin American OSIGs sponsored by ASCO. Student perceptions of medical oncology and the impact of OSIGs were generally positive. Given the shortages of oncology specialists in Latin American and elsewhere, strategies to engage medical students in the pursuit of cancer-related careers are becoming increasingly essential.