The National Cancer Institute R25 Cancer Education Grants Program: A Workshop Report

Experiential Learning in Career Development

This manuscript demonstrates the learning experiences of graduate public health students through mentored field research in cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention over the past 13 years. The program has been funded through an R25 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 2006 and has supported nearly 200 students from different universities in the USA. Included are data on student recruitment, selection, mentorship, and evaluation of research training in US minority settings as well as foreign countries. Examples of students' learning experiences and life-long skills that shaped students' careers are presented. The insights that fostered the experiential learning idea among key leaders at the NCI Cancer training branch have proven to be sound.

Medical Oncology Education in Egypt Over the Past 50 Years: the Experience of the National Cancer Institute of Cairo University

This manuscript outlines the progress of education in the field of medical oncology in Egypt over the past 50 years. The manuscript illustrates the origin of the Egyptian medical oncology program since the creation of the only specialized cancer center in the country, the National Cancer Institute of Cairo University (NCI-Cairo) in 1969, from Cairo University Medical School. The manuscript also outlines the NCI-Cairo's educational program for developing a cadre of academic medical oncologists for NCI-Cairo, other Egyptian medical institutions, and countries in the Middle East and Africa. We also emphasize the capacity building that resulted over the past 50 years from academic and professional standpoints, the changing curriculum in medical oncology, and the differences between the medical oncology and clinical oncology education programs in the country. Medical oncology research resulted from international collaborations and highlighted needs for cancer prevention and control. Finally, we propose possible future directions for medical oncology education and research in the country and a roadmap for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that are developing their medical oncology programs.

Factors Associated with Having Ever Considered a Cancer Research Career

Increasing cancer workforce diversity is a priority for the National Cancer Institute. Cancer research encompasses a wide range of disciplines including basic, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences, but many research development programs are narrowly focused. Our aim was two-fold: to describe undergraduate students' knowledge of and interest in cancer research careers and to identify factors associated with having ever considered a cancer research career. Undergraduate students (n = 857) completed a paper questionnaire. Most students associated cancer careers with bench science and healthcare or public health, but less so for applied fields. Most respondents (69%) received career counseling in high school but only 4% had cancer-specific career counseling. Nearly half the respondents (49%) indicated they or an immediate family member had been diagnosed with cancer, and 17% had attended a cancer appointment. Only 10% of respondents indicated that they had ever considered a career in cancer research. Associated factors included cancer-specific career counseling (odds ratio [OR] 8.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.60, 18.03), attended a cancer appointment (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.34, 4.20), being slightly (vs. very) worried about developing cancer (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.15, 0.68), and Other (vs. White) race (OR 2.83; 95% CI 1.34, 5.97). Personal experience with cancer and knowledge of cancer careers appear to be driving factors in career choice for cancer research. Increasing student exposure to cancer careers, possibly in junior high or high school, may be one mechanism for recruiting more underrepresented undergraduate students into cancer-related fields of study.

Phobia among residents in board training programs in Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2019

Background:

Phobia is an extreme form of anxiety or fear which is triggered by a given situation or object or even danger associated with a situation or object for more than 6 months. There are three main forms of phobia: social phobia (social anxiety disorder), specific phobia, or agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a form of anxiety disorder where one fears and avoids situations or places that might cause them to panic. The main purpose of this study is to investigate phobia among residents in broad training programs in Abha city and compare phobia between residents in broad training programs and general practitioners in Abha city.

Methods:

It is a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in Abha city of Saudi Arabia from December 2019 to March 2020. It included a representative sample of medical doctors under broad training programs and general practitioners (none trained) in all the health-care centers. A link for the survey questionnaires was created and shared with the respondents. The questionnaire included sociodemographics of the participants, the Kutcher Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Psychometric Properties and Clinical Utility of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Anxiety Disorders Sample for specific phobia.

Results:

The study included 300 physicians. Majority of them (81%) were in the age group between 25 and 30 years. Males represent 54% of them. There was no statistically significant difference between resident physicians and general practitioners regarding the avoidance of different social situations.

Conclusion:

Overall, the residents in board training programs in Abha city expressed lower levels of discomfort, anxiety, distress, avoidance, fear, and life interference of some social and specific situations compared to general practitioners.

Twenty-five-Year Follow-up of Short-term Cancer Research Trainees at the University of Alabama at Birmingham: a Brief Report

Long-term follow-up is needed to evaluate the impact of short-term cancer research programs on the career trajectories of medical and graduate students. Participation in these programs may be crucial in fostering the next generation of cancer research scientists. This report presents the career outcomes and research productivity of 77 medical and public health students with 25 years of tracking data following their participation in a summer cancer research training program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 1990-1998. Of 64 summer trainees with contact information, complete survey responses were received from 55 (86.0%) individuals. Over half reported clinical care of cancer patients and 18.2% stated that they were engaged in cancer research. Literature searches confirmed that 23.4% (18/77) of trainees have published cancer research papers. Future studies should explore the optimal timing of short-term post-baccalaureate academic cancer training experiences to identify participant characteristics and institutional factors that influence career choices and determine research productivity.