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ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology for Medical Students: 4 Years of Experience (2016–2019)

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Abstract

The ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology is intended to fill the gap of the undergraduate fragmented oncology education, to provide insight into all theoretical and practical aspects of oncology, and to encourage future professional choices towards an oncology discipline. Students are exposed to (a) preclinical cancer topics; (b) natural history of the disease; (c) laboratory diagnostic tests; (d) medical, radiation, surgical, and palliative treatment; and (e) direct or through multidisciplinary patients’ approach. Students are obliged to attend (i) all theoretical lectures, (ii) clinical case presentations, (iii) laboratories and ward visits, and (iv) to prepare and present a specific project under supervision. Participation is limited to 24 medical students who are selected through a competitive application process. Between 2016 and 2019, 96 students from 29 countries have attended. Data analysis derived from a given questionnaire demonstrates that most of the participants have declared that (1) they have achieved their expectations and objectives, (2) they have highly rated both clinical and non-clinical teaching oncological topics, and (3) they have been stimulated in developing a professional career in the field of oncology.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all event organizers Mrs. Christine Verfaillie, Arta Leci, Alessandra Nappa (ESTRO), Carine Lecoq, Ana Galan (ESSO) and Dolores Knupfer (ESO) for their valuable support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

    Nicholas Pavlidis

  2. European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    Nicholas Pavlidis, Fedro Peccatori & Alberto Costa

  3. Medical University K. Marcinkowski and Clinical Hospital of the Transfiguration, Poznan, Poland

    Radoslaw Madry

  4. Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

    Marc Peeters & Jan B. Vermorken

  5. University of Turin, Torino, Italy

    Sergio Sandrucci & Umberto Ricardi

  6. Department of Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland

    Janina Markowska

  7. Fertility and Procreation Unit, Gynecologic Oncology Programme, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Fedro Peccatori

  8. Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

    Jesper Grau Eriksen

  9. Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Richard Poetter

  10. Department of Oncology, ZNA Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium

    Drisk Schrijvers

Authors
  1. Nicholas Pavlidis
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  3. Marc Peeters
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  7. Alberto Costa
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  8. Jesper Grau Eriksen
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  12. Jan B. Vermorken
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Consortia

in addition to a list of contributors

  • Mario Airoldi
  • , Marco Allaix
  • , Suleyman Altinta
  • , Sebastien Anguille
  • , Andrew Baildam
  • , Marcella Baldewijns
  • , Halina Batura-Gabryel
  • , Alessandra Beano
  • , Bettina Blaumeiser
  • , Gerben Borst
  • , Alessandro Camandone
  • , Guido Casalis Cavalchini
  • , Szczepan Cofta
  • , Jacques De Greve
  • , Wim Demey
  • , Katarzyna Derwich
  • , Ann Driessen
  • , Riccardo Faletti
  • , Hans-Henning Flechtner
  • , Kevin Francis
  • , Sofie Goethals
  • , Wojciech Golunski
  • , Marjan Hertoghs
  • , Lucien Hoekx
  • , Ann Janssens
  • , Aldona Karczewska-Dzionk
  • , Agnieszka Kolacinska
  • , Mieczyslaw Komarnciki
  • , Niels Komen
  • , Joanna Kufel-Grabowska
  • , Pawel Kurzawa
  • , Witold Kycler
  • , Paolo Leombruni
  • , Willen Lybaert
  • , Marcin Mardas
  • , Paul Meijnders
  • , Franco Merletti
  • , Tim Mertens
  • , Piotr Milecki
  • , Jezry Moczko
  • , Mario Morino
  • , Dawid Murawa
  • , Daan Nevens
  • , Koenzaad Norga
  • , Jonathan Nowak
  • , Paulina Nowak
  • , Morco Oderda
  • , Bart Op de Beeck
  • , Konstantinos Papadimitriou
  • , Paul Parizel
  • , Piotr Pienkowski
  • , Grzegorz Poprawski
  • , Marta Porebiak
  • , Patrizia Racca
  • , Katarzyna Rajewska
  • , Marlene Rasschaert
  • , Christian Rolfo
  • , Omidreza Sedigh
  • , Elzebieta Senkus-Konefka
  • , Evelien Smits
  • , Pol Specenier
  • , Maarten Spinhoven
  • , Joanna Stanislawiak-Rudowicz
  • , Monika Szarszewska
  • , Wiebren Tjalma
  • , Piotr Tomczak
  • , Becky Trinh
  • , Stefano Vallero
  • , Mariacarla Valli
  • , Guy Van Camp
  • , Peter Van Dam
  • , Jan Van der Brande
  • , Marieka Vandewiele
  • , Guido Van Hal
  • , Carl Van Laer
  • , Paul Van Schil
  • , Viggo Vantendeloo
  • , Lies Verheuen
  • , Joris Verlooy
  • , Umberto Vitolo
  • , Jacek Wachowlak
  • , Sofie Wouters
  • , Dirk Ysebaert
  •  & Paolo Zola

Contributions

All authors participated in data collection, analysis and interpretation, drafting, and final approval of the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicholas Pavlidis.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Consent to Participate

All participants that answered the survey were considered to have consented to participate.

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Research Involving Human Participants

This is an observational study. The European School of Oncology has confirmed that no ethical approval is required.

Informed Consent

All participants that answered the survey were considered to have consented to participate in the study.

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Pavlidis, N., Madry, R., Peeters, M. et al. ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology for Medical Students: 4 Years of Experience (2016–2019). J Canc Educ 37, 1239–1244 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01947-3

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