Career paths of physicians who received an American Cancer Society Regular Clinical Fellowship

The authors conducted a survey of American Cancer Society Regular Clinical Fellowship recipients from 1975 to 1976 and 1985 to 1986 and directors whose programs were awarded fellowships in 1985 to 1986. The survey ascertained the career paths taken or planned by the surveyed fellows, program directors' estimates of the career paths chosen by their programs' fellows from the last 5 years, and to elicit opinions on the role of the fellowship program. Response rates exceeded 70% across the three groups. The survey found that there has been a shift toward full-time academic oncologic practice and away from community oncologic practice by fellows. Program directors indicated the fellowship program afforded more benefits to fellows than fellows perceived, with the exception of the contribution to fellows' salaries. Program directors and fellows agreed on the most important aspects of a fellowship program (support a year of otherwise unavailable training and require exposure to research) but were in less agreement on other characteristics.