Bergman Drew T, McNamara Colin J, Gayne Alexys C, Jr Thomas Charles R, Kapadia Nirav S
Department of Radiation Oncology and Applied Sciences, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Tufts University School of Medicine, Newton, MA, USA.
J Cancer Educ. 2025 Feb;40(1):88-92. doi: 10.1007/s13187-024-02476-z. Epub 2024 Aug 5.
Visiting electives provide an opportunity for medical students to engage with radiation oncology (RO) programs, likely influencing residency match outcomes. However, some student's out-of-pocket costs may be prohibitive, and in attempts to offset the financial burden of visiting electives, particularly for students underrepresented in medicine (URiM), some institutions offer scholarships. Here, we characterized the current domestic landscape of funded RO electives. Visiting electives were identified through the FREIDA and VSLO databases in April 2024. Funded elective availability and departmental characteristics were identified via internet search by two independent reviewers. Fisher's exact test was used to determine whether there was a difference in the distribution of scholarships across the US due to the small sample size. Ninety-two visiting electives were identified, with 40 programs offering URiM elective scholarships (43.5%). Twelve (30%) were funded specifically by RO departments, and 28 (70%) were part of broader institutional URiM scholarship initiatives. The median stipend provided was $2000 (IQR $500), range $1000-$5000. Analysis of scholarships by US census division and metro area revealed unequal distribution. Electives in New England, Mountain, and East North Central divisions had higher funding proportion compared to electives in the East South Central, West South Central, and Middle Atlantic divisions. Only 1/9 electives in New York City were funded compared with 4/6 in Los Angeles. Departments with funded electives had more faculty physicians and medical residents. In our review of the 2024 landscape, over 40% of RO electives offer financial support. However, we identified geographical disparities in the distribution of scholarships, highlighting the need for interventions to address unequal access to a wide array of training programs. Our study represents a valuable resource for students interested in RO and highlights the continued need to positively contribute to increasing diversity in the field. Future work exploring the impact of funded electives is needed.
选修实习为医学生提供了参与放射肿瘤学（RO）项目的机会，这可能会影响住院医师匹配结果。然而，一些学生的自付费用可能过高，为了减轻选修实习的经济负担，特别是对于医学领域代表性不足的学生（URiM），一些机构提供奖学金。在此，我们描述了当前国内有资金支持的RO选修实习的情况。2024年4月通过FREIDA和VSLO数据库确定了选修实习项目。由两名独立评审员通过互联网搜索确定了有资金支持的选修实习的可用性和科室特征。由于样本量较小，使用Fisher精确检验来确定美国各地奖学金分布是否存在差异。共确定了92个选修实习项目，其中40个项目提供URiM选修奖学金（43.5%）。12个（30%）由RO科室专门资助，28个（70%）是更广泛的机构URiM奖学金计划的一部分。提供的津贴中位数为2000美元（四分位距500美元），范围为1000 - 5000美元。按美国人口普查分区和大都市区对奖学金进行分析，发现分布不均。新英格兰、山区和东中北部地区的选修实习获得资金的比例高于东南中部、西南中部和大西洋中部地区的选修实习。纽约市只有1/9的选修实习获得资助，而洛杉矶为4/6。有资金支持的选修实习的科室拥有更多的教职医生和住院医师。在我们对2024年情况的审查中，超过40%的RO选修实习提供经济支持。然而，我们发现奖学金分布存在地域差异，这凸显了采取干预措施以解决获得各种培训项目机会不平等问题的必要性。我们的研究为对RO感兴趣的学生提供了宝贵资源，并强调了继续积极为该领域增加多样性做出贡献的必要性。未来需要开展探索有资金支持的选修实习影响的工作。
