Implementing a Novel "Frontiers in Neoplasia" Curriculum to Engage Fourth-Year Medical Students in Evidence-Based, Multidisciplinary Oncology Care

Curtis Liu; Cole Ferguson; Mayuri Vaish; Mona Arbab; Radhika Kainthla; Kiran A Kumar; Chul Ahn; Sandra L Hofmann; Samira Syed

doi:10.1007/s13187-024-02557-z

Implementing a Novel "Frontiers in Neoplasia" Curriculum to Engage Fourth-Year Medical Students in Evidence-Based, Multidisciplinary Oncology Care

J Cancer Educ. 2025 Jan 2. doi: 10.1007/s13187-024-02557-z. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Curtis Liu¹, Cole Ferguson¹, Mayuri Vaish¹, Mona Arbab^{2

3}, Radhika Kainthla^{4

3}, Kiran A Kumar^{2

3}, Chul Ahn^{3

5}, Sandra L Hofmann⁴, Samira Syed^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, USA.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
³ Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
⁴ Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
⁵ O'Donnell School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
⁶ Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. Samira.Syed@UTSouthwestern.edu.
⁷ Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. Samira.Syed@UTSouthwestern.edu.

PMID: 39747707
DOI: 10.1007/s13187-024-02557-z

Abstract

Few medical students are exposed to evidence-based, multidisciplinary oncology care, and few studies in oncology education reflect consolidated pre-clinical curricula. We developed a four-week curriculum, "Frontiers in Neoplasia," for fourth-year medical students, which included didactic lectures, interactive site visits, and team-based simulations of tumor boards and clinical trial design. A mixed methods approach was utilized to investigate the course's impact on students' understanding and interest in oncology, involving pre- and post-course responses to Likert-scale and open-ended questions. Quantitative results were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, while open-ended course feedback was analyzed using iterative thematic coding analysis. Of the 107 fourth-year medical students enrolled between 2021 and 2024, 94 (88%) completed the pre-survey and 96 (90%) completed the post-survey. Students enjoyed the course, with 96.9% of students reporting they would choose this course again. Quantitative analysis showed a significant increase in students' comfort in evidence-based medicine in oncology (p < .001) and interest in keeping up-to-date with oncology literature (p < .001). Qualitatively, students reported enjoying the multidisciplinary curriculum, diverse hybrid-format learning modalities, and applicability of coursework to their careers. Exposure to our novel oncology curriculum featuring dynamic learning experiences and hybrid format significantly increased medical students' interest and understanding of evidence-based medicine in multidisciplinary comprehensive cancer care. Our findings support the hybrid learning model, which provided flexibility and student engagement. Through this course, we successfully increased interest and understanding of cancer care among final-year medical students, and we believe this program could be applied to other medical schools.

Keywords: Evidence-based medicine; Hybrid-learning; Multidisciplinary; Neoplasia; Oncology education; Undergraduate medical education.