ArticleBMC medical education2021
Inspiring the future generation of oncologists: a UK-wide study of medical students' views towards oncology.
Article in BMC medical education, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Assessing the Impact of an Online Surgical Oncology Teaching Series on Learner Confidence on a Global Scale.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2026Article
- Research Survey on Recognition of Medical Oncology among Medical Students and Junior Residents in Japan.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2026Article
- Integrating positive psychology into undergraduate oncology education: development and evaluation of the 4C-HOPE teaching model.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Integrating Practice-Changing Studies in Gynaecologic Oncology Through Clinical Illustrations.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2025Article
- Ideas for mentorship in oncology for medical students and early career doctors: insights from a UK-wide oncology mentorship scheme.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Benefits of Mentoring in Oncology Education for Mentors and Mentees: Pre-Post Interventional Study of the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies' National Oncology Mentorship Scheme.JMIR medical education · 2023Article
- A nationwide survey of the current status of radiation oncology teaching in Spanish medical schools.Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology · 2023Article
- Activities Performed by ASCO-Sponsored Oncology Student Interest Groups in Latin America: Assessing Members' Preferences and Leaders' Challenges.JCO global oncology · 2022Article
- Medical student residency preferences and motivational factors: a longitudinal, single-institution perspective.BMC medical education · 2022Article
- Perceptions of oncology as a career choice among the early career doctors in Pakistan.BMC medical education · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOne in 2 people born in the UK after 1960 are expected to require oncology input in their lifetime. However, only 36% of UK medical schools provide dedicated oncology placements and teaching indicating a discordance between public health impact and training. We designed a UK-wide survey to capture medical students' views on current oncology teaching and the potential role of a national undergraduate oncology symposium as an educational, networking and motivational tool.
methodsWe undertook a national cross-sectional survey of UK medical students' views in oncology and satisfaction with teaching using pre-designed questionnaires. We also distributed a dedicated survey (pre and post-conference) to compare medical students' motivation towards a career in oncology after attending the national symposium. This study was prospectively approved by QMUL Ethics Committee (Reference number QMREC2348). Statistical analysis included univariate inferential tests on SPSS and GraphPad software.
resultsThe national survey was completed by 166 students representing 22 UK medical schools. Students reported limited interest, knowledge and exposure to oncology, lack of confidence in skills, and teaching dissatisfaction. Oncology was perceived as a challenging specialty (mean 4.5/5 ± 0.7), yet most students estimate receiving only 1-2 weeks of dedicated oncology teaching. The national symposium generated a statically significant increase in students' interest, knowledge, and confidence in skills surrounding oncology, improving students' perceived ability to cope with the emotional challenges in this field.
conclusionStudents' views towards oncology alongside their teaching dissatisfaction underpin the need to revisit and strive to improve current undergraduate oncology curricula. Increasing medical student oncology exposure by proposing outcome-based guidelines and adopting a standardised undergraduate oncology curriculum should be the foremost priority in inspiring future oncologists to ensure excellent cancer patient care.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.