An Introductory Course on Geriatric Oncology

The need to train oncologists to address the complexities of the aging population has been a focus of educational initiatives and strategies since the 1980s. However, large gaps in the dissemination and implementation of geriatric oncology curricula are still present. Currently, few resources exist for oncology training programs to implement a formal geriatric oncology curriculum. We aimed to create a formalized introductory course to teach oncology and geriatrics trainees the principles of geriatric oncology.

Curriculum presentations were delivered to both hematology/oncology and geriatrics fellows during five 1-hour didactic/workshop sessions over a 2-month period. In addition to didactic presentations, sessions included interactive learning components and a case-based workshop. Evaluation of the curriculum was conducted through pre- and postcourse knowledge and competency assessments, as well as individual session satisfaction surveys.

Fifteen (11 hematology/oncology and four geriatric medicine) clinical fellows participated in the first presentation of this curriculum during the 2022-2023 academic year. The mean score on the precourse knowledge assessment was 7.1 (SD = 2.5) out of a maximum score of 15 compared with a mean score on the postcourse knowledge assessment of 9.8 (SD = 3.0; CI: 8.0-11.6; t = -2.5; p = .02).

Course content was successfully implemented into the hematology/oncology and geriatric medicine fellowship core curriculum using the above methods. Future directions include presentation of course material to incoming trainees, content refinement based on satisfaction surveys, and interdisciplinary adaptation for trainees in other health care disciplines (e.g., nursing, advanced practice providers, etc.).