Bringing Cancer Prevention Research Competencies to the Classroom

The field of cancer prevention incorporates research all along the spectrum from basic science studies at the laboratory bench to epidemiology, behavioral sciences, and clinical studies, with the convergence of evidence from these different approaches aimed at implementing public health interventions that reduce the burden of this disease. Due to the necessity of multiple disciplines interacting in order to achieve a public health outcome, traditional discipline-specific training may not be adequately preparing the cancer prevention research workforce. We propose that cancer prevention researchers establish defined professional competencies which will allow them to shape the future directions of the field as well as to collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams, disseminate new findings beyond their own scientific circles, and advocate for their implementation for the public good. We previously proposed that these core competencies focus on knowledge of issues in other research fields, interdisciplinary communication, and leadership/teamwork. Here, we describe the reorganization of an existing course to incorporate activities deliberately designed to foster these competencies. We provide details about the course structure, student feedback, and ideas for future versions of this course. We hope this framework will be useful to others who are engaged in the collective effort to develop leaders in the field of cancer prevention research.