Medical Students Summer in Oncology at Anderson Research (Med Students SOAR) program

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PROJECT SUMMARY The goal of the Medical Students Summer in Oncology at Anderson Research (Med Students SOAR) program is to provide 25 talented first-year medical students per year with an individualized, hands-on research experience in oncology under the mentorship of our expert faculty, while exposing participants to multidisciplinary cancer care through clinical observations and interprofessional simulation trainings. An increase in knowledge of all areas of oncology will be included in the curricula, as well as career development and networking opportunities. The program objective is to promote careers in cancer research, which is in line with the NCI’s mission to enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. This objective will be accomplished through a formalized 8- to 10-week program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. MD Anderson, an NCI-designated cancer center that is widely recognized for its outstanding clinical care and number one ranking in awarded NCI grants, is ideally positioned to provide this research experience. Our highly regarded clinical care combined with an emphasis on research makes it an environment unparalleled for mentored research and educational programs. The Program Directors (Marites Melancon, PhD; Vickie Shannon, MD; and Jillian Gunther, MD, PhD) are faculty members with successful research programs and experience in leading education programs. Participating faculty members are not only committed educators but also internationally recognized experts in various fields, spanning basic, translational, and clinical research. Students will be matched with faculty mentors, and they will discuss and decide on the research project prior to the summer. During the summer session, students will complete their projects with structured mentoring and evaluation. Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research will be included. Students will also learn about other areas of cancer biology and career development through program lecture series, clinical observation, interprofessional clinical simulation, near-peer mentoring, communication skills workshops, and seminars. The program will culminate in a Summer Experience Final Exposition, in which students present their research project to faculty, students, and staff. Our recruitment plan seeks to attract highly qualified applicants from all racial, ethnic, and gender groups but with increased representation from underrepresented groups based on race, ethnicity, disability, or other social, cultural, or economic disadvantages. Successful implementation of this program will directly address the need to cultivate interest in oncology, and specifically cancer research, early in medical careers in order to recruit and retain future cancer researchers.