Creating Sustainable Education Programming to Build Capacity for Collaborative Global Cancer Control

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Medical Education
• Oncology

Background:

• The Global Oncology Enrichment Program (GOEP) addresses disparities in global oncology education for cancer health professionals.
• The program is hosted on the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer Campus, utilizing a mixed synchronous/asynchronous or asynchronous-only delivery model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact and sustainability of the GOEP across two distinct delivery formats.
• To assess participant demographics, motivations, barriers, and confidence levels in global oncology.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 256 participants from 2020 to 2024.
• Pre- and post-course surveys measuring demographics, motivations, barriers, and confidence.
• Learning management system data tracked course engagement.

Main Results:

• The mixed-format cohort (n=219) demonstrated significantly higher completion rates (91.1%) than the asynchronous-only cohort (n=37, 8.9%; P=.04).
• Networking and mentorship were key motivators for the mixed-format group; however, they also reported more barriers.
• Confidence in global oncology topics improved significantly across all participants who completed both surveys (n=99).

Conclusions:

• The GOEP effectively improved participant confidence in global oncology.
• While asynchronous delivery enhances scalability, the mixed-format model fosters greater engagement and completion.
• Hybrid learning models are recommended to balance scalability with engagement, promoting mentorship and capacity building in global oncology education.