USC/CHLA Summer Oncology Research Fellowship (SORF) Program for Medical Students

Children'S Hospital Of Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Physician-scientists in cancer research provide unique insights that are critical for continued advances in cancer therapy. There is a shortage of physician-scientists, which limits progress. The Summer Oncology Research Fellowship (SORF) Program for Medical Students at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC) and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) provides a unique oncology research experience by immersing outstanding medical students from across the United States in cancer research through mentored hands-on cutting edge team-science research projects and an interactive and highly-relevant educational curriculum. The goal is to inspire these highly motivated medical students to pursue a career that involves cancer research. By increasing the number and quality of students in the physician-scientist education pipeline and exposing them to cancer research, the SORF program addresses the shortage of such professionals, that stifles advances in pediatric and adult oncology. This first period of NIH R25 support for SORF has enabled major improvements in the program, that despite COVID limitations, resulted in 35 conference presentations and 24 co-authored peer reviewed papers by the 67 SORF students in 2020-2023. During this R25, immediately-recent (2017-2019) students also brought their SORF-based work to fruition as 19 published papers. In 2022 and 2023 two students took hiatus from medical school and entered PhD programs to become MD/PhDs, and three students took gap years in oncology-relevant research, an increase over years prior to this R25 support. Many of these students, all still in training, are now starting to enter residencies with trajectories and stated goals to go into oncology and related fields and to continue research. Thus, SORF is contributing to students who intend to continue in biomedical careers that involve active cancer research. This Multiple-PI renewal of our Cancer Experiences R25 support seeks to continue this essential support for SORF’s activity to enhance medical student understanding of how science is conducted in the 21st century and interest them in careers that involve cutting edge oncology research. Program activities include hands-on mentored research projects in adult and pediatric oncology using a team-science approach, interactive cancer research-focused educational activities, professional development in scientific communication, career development activities, and exposure to other trainees, scientists, physicians, patients and cancer survivors. Other goals of the program are to provide instruction in responsible conduct of research and to institute short- and long-term follow-up to obtain feedback and outcomes data on the Program. Thus, by increasing the ‘inflow’ at the beginning of the pipeline, modeling for them careers as physician-scientists and maintaining long-term contact with participants we anticipate strengthening the oncology research workforce.