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Alrawa SS, Elgadi A, Alfadul ESA, Alshikh S, Hammad N, Abdelhafeez A. Undergraduate oncology education in Sudanese public medical schools; a national cross-sectional study. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 23:940. [PMID: 38072981 PMCID: PMC10712034 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04883-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer was the fifth leading cause of death in Sudan general hospitals in 2020, and its incidence is increasing. Medical students' cancer education is key in cancer control. Evaluating the current education is the first step in optimizing it. The aim of this study was to assess undergraduate oncology education in Sudan public medical schools as reflected by the graduates of the year 2021-2022. METHOD This was a cross-sectional institution-based study. A validated online questionnaire was sent between 8 September and 11 November 2022 to graduates who were selected using a stratified random sampling technique from 17 Sudan public medical schools. The data were collected using Google Forms and analyzed using R software version 4.2.2 and Microsoft Excel 2022. RESULTS A total of 707 graduates completed the questionnaire. They reported generally poor exposure to oncology. Palliative and radiation oncology in addition to chemotherapy daycare units were never attended by 76.0%, 72.0%, and 72.0% of graduates, respectively. The massed oncology curriculum was associated with increased hours of lectures dictated to medical (p = 0.005), radiation (p < 0.001), and palliative oncology (0.035). It was associated with an increased likelihood of assessment in breaking bad news (p < 0.001), counseling cancer patients (p = 0.015), and oncology-related knowledge (p < 0.001). The massed curriculum was associated with a decrease in interest in pursuing an oncology career (p = 0.037). Students were generally confident in their oncology competencies, and no difference was observed in relation to the curriculum approach (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION This study reflected poor exposure to oncology at the undergraduate level in Sudanese public medical schools. The massed oncology curriculum was associated with formal assessment of oncology-related competencies and better exposure to some disciplines, such as radiation and palliative oncology. Nonetheless, it was associated with decreased interest in an oncology career. In spite of the poor exposure, graduates were confident in their skills in oncology-related competencies. Further objective analysis of competence is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salma S Alrawa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
| | - Ammar Elgadi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | | | - Shahd Alshikh
- Faculty of Medicine, Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Nazik Hammad
- Department of Oncology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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Oettle M, Büttner M, Forster M, Gajdi L, Mücke J, Nieto A, Heuser S, Huber J, Walter F, Corradini S, Niyazi M, Belka C, Dreyling M, Fischer MR, Fleischmann DF. Principles of oncology taught in a one-week course. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:17071-17079. [PMID: 37750957 PMCID: PMC10657289 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05377-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing challenges in oncology require evolving educational methods and content. International efforts to reform oncology education are underway. Hands-on, interdisciplinary, and compact course formats have shown great effectiveness in the education of medical students. Our aim was to establish a new interdisciplinary one-week course on the principles of oncology using state-of-the-art teaching methods. METHODS In an initial survey, medical students of LMU Munich were questioned about their current level of knowledge on the principles of oncology. In a second two-stage survey, the increase in knowledge resulting from our recently established interdisciplinary one-week course was determined. RESULTS The medical students' knowledge of clinically important oncological topics, such as the diagnostic workup and interdisciplinary treatment options, showed a need for improvement. Knowledge of the major oncological entities was also in an expandable state. By attending the one-week course on the principles of oncology, students improved their expertise in all areas of the clinical workup in oncology and had the opportunity to close previous knowledge gaps. In addition, students were able to gain more in-depth clinical knowledge on the most common oncological entities. CONCLUSION The interdisciplinary one-week course on the principles of oncology proved to be an effective teaching method to expand the knowledge of the future physicians to an appropriate level. With its innovative and interdisciplinary approach, the one-week course could be used as a showcase project for the ongoing development of medical education in Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Oettle
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Büttner
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marie Forster
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Gajdi
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Mücke
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Nieto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja Heuser
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johanna Huber
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Franziska Walter
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Corradini
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Niyazi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Claus Belka
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Dreyling
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin R Fischer
- Institute of Medical Education, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel F Fleischmann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Pavlidis N, Madry R, Peeters M, Sandrucci S, Markowska J, Peccatori F, Costa A, Eriksen JG, Ricardi U, Poetter R, Schrijvers D, Vermorken JB. ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology for Medical Students: 4 Years of Experience (2016-2019). JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER EDUCATION 2022; 37:1239-1244. [PMID: 33387267 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-020-01947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology is intended to fill the gap of the undergraduate fragmented oncology education, to provide insight into all theoretical and practical aspects of oncology, and to encourage future professional choices towards an oncology discipline. Students are exposed to (a) preclinical cancer topics; (b) natural history of the disease; (c) laboratory diagnostic tests; (d) medical, radiation, surgical, and palliative treatment; and (e) direct or through multidisciplinary patients' approach. Students are obliged to attend (i) all theoretical lectures, (ii) clinical case presentations, (iii) laboratories and ward visits, and (iv) to prepare and present a specific project under supervision. Participation is limited to 24 medical students who are selected through a competitive application process. Between 2016 and 2019, 96 students from 29 countries have attended. Data analysis derived from a given questionnaire demonstrates that most of the participants have declared that (1) they have achieved their expectations and objectives, (2) they have highly rated both clinical and non-clinical teaching oncological topics, and (3) they have been stimulated in developing a professional career in the field of oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Pavlidis
- Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
- European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
| | - Radoslaw Madry
- Medical University K. Marcinkowski and Clinical Hospital of the Transfiguration, Poznan, Poland
| | - Marc Peeters
- Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | | | - Janina Markowska
- Department of Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Fedro Peccatori
- European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Fertility and Procreation Unit, Gynecologic Oncology Programme, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Jesper Grau Eriksen
- Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Richard Poetter
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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