Improving Medical Education in Oncology: Enhancing Students' Understanding of Cancer Treatments Through...

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, requiring physicians to understand multidisciplinary treatments. This study assessed the impact of a clinical rotation in a cancer center on medical students' knowledge of cancer treatments from a multidisciplinary perspective. A traditional single-department rotation was compared to a multidisciplinary rotation to determine whether broader exposure enhances knowledge and prepares students for multidisciplinary care. This prospective, comparative study was conducted between April and September 2024 at Institut Godinot, a regional cancer center. Medical students were divided into two groups: Group A (traditional model), where students remained in a single department, and Group B (multidisciplinary model), where students rotated through pharmacy, medical oncology, nuclear medicine, radiology, radiotherapy, and surgery. Knowledge acquisition was assessed using a 20-item multiple-choice questionnaire before and after the rotation, with scores out of 20 representing oncology knowledge. Among the 40 students rotating during the inclusion period, 28 (70%) completed both pre- and post-rotation assessments and were included in the analysis. A total of 13 students were in Group A and 15 in Group B. Students in Group B showed greater improvement in post-rotation scores (14.4 ± 1.7 vs. 11.4 ± 4.2, p = 0.06). Group B also had a larger increase in their score (1.9 ± 1.9 points vs. - 0.9 ± 5.3 points, p = 0.07). Multidisciplinary rotations improved students' understanding of oncology, suggesting this model should be expanded and further evaluated for its long-term impact on clinical competency.