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Giannopoulos E, Agarwal A, Croke J, Golden DW, Hirsch AE, Jimenez RB, Malik NH, Papadakos J, Quartey NK, Samoil D, Wu CHD, Ingledew PA, Giuliani M. Exploring the Perceived Educational Impact of COVID-19 on Postgraduate Training in Oncology. JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER EDUCATION 2023; 38:829-836. [PMID: 35726080 PMCID: PMC9208832 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-022-02192-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This study sought to report the degree to which postgraduate trainees in radiation oncology perceive their education has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was administered from June to July 2020 to trainee members of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO) (n = 203). Thirty-four trainees responded with a 17% response rate. Just under half of participants indicated that COVID-19 had a negative/very negative impact on training (n = 15; 46%). The majority agreed/strongly agreed that they feared family/loved ones would contract COVID-19 (n = 29, 88%), felt socially isolated from friends and family because of COVID-19 (n = 23, 70%), and had difficulty concentrating on tasks because of concerns about COVID-19 (n = 17, 52%). Changes that had a negative/very negative impact on learning included limitations to travel and networking (n = 31; 91%) and limited patient contact (n = 19; 58%). Virtual follow-ups (n = 25: 76%) and in-patient care activities (n = 12; 36%) increased. Electives were cancelled in province (n = 10; 30%), out-of-province (n = 16; 49%), and internationally (n = 15; 46%). Teaching from staff was moderately reduced to completely suppressed (n = 23, 70%) and teaching to medical students was moderately reduced to completely suppressed (n = 27, 82%). Significant changes to radiation oncology training were wrought by the pandemic, and roughly half of trainees perceive that these changes had a negative impact on training. Innovations in training delivery are needed to adapt to these new changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ankit Agarwal
- Western Radiation Oncology/El Camino Health, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Croke
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel W Golden
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ariel E Hirsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachel B Jimenez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nauman H Malik
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Janet Papadakos
- Cancer Education, Princess Margret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cancer Care Ontario, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Diana Samoil
- Cancer Education, Princess Margret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Paris-Ann Ingledew
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Meredith Giuliani
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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