Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Cancer Center Clinical Oncology and Research Symposium for Medical Students, Residents, Fellows and Faculty

Background Medical students, residents, and other learners have limited exposure to oncology, which may lead to inadequate information, misconceptions, and challenges with recruitment efforts into oncology specialties. Furthermore, mentorship and involvement in oncology research can be challenging as these fields often require fellowship training and are not part of core clerkships or curriculum. We designed and implemented a multidisciplinary symposium to enhance exposure, provide education, connect students with mentors, and facilitate oncology research. This approach can also be adapted to multidisciplinary fields outside of oncology. The aim of this manuscript is to provide a roadmap with example content for creation of oncology symposia. Methods The design and implementation of a symposium required recruitment of key stakeholders in the multidisciplinary team, and partnership with administrative staff and relevant institutions. Event promotion was aided by advance registration, social media teams, and sharing of the agenda via email groups, calendars, and newsletters. Date selection, clear expectations for speakers, and day-of logistics were all considered. Pre- and post-surveys were used to evaluate sessions to improve future symposia. Results Two oncology symposia were conducted, with over 50 learners attending across the two symposia. Surveys distributed prior to the event suggested significant interest in clinical oncology and cancer research, with enhanced knowledge and mentorship/research opportunities post-symposia. Conclusion Multidisciplinary, multi-institutional symposia were implemented across two years with improved attendance and favorable results. A roadmap for setting up an initial symposium and subsequent yearly symposia is provided to facilitate implementation of this innovative educational opportunity for learners.