A National Needs Assessment Identifies Training Gap in Integrative Oncology Education

Use of integrative oncology (IO) has increased substantially, with a majority of cancer patients reporting use of integrative therapies alongside conventional treatment. Despite growing patient demand and expansion of integrative services at cancer centers, structured educational pathways for oncology providers remain limited. This national needs assessment evaluated interest in IO training and identified perceived barriers and priorities for curriculum development. An 18-question survey was distributed nationally to hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, and palliative care program directors, physicians, fellows, and internal medicine residents planning to enter these specialties. Programs were identified through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Surveys were sent electronically with informed consent and distributed weekly for two 4-week sessions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. A total of 208 eligible participants responded to survey. The majority (71.6%) considered IO valuable or essential, meanwhile expressing interest in formal education (64.2%) in IO education. Most respondents had little or no prior integrative medicine training (85.4%). Program directors endorsed the training at valuable (50%) or essential (13.3%). Key barriers included lack of curriculum, limited faculty expertise, inadequate funding, and time constraints. Participants preferred certificate programs (48%) or fellowship distinction tracks (44%) over a standalone IO fellowship. This national needs assessment demonstrates a national training gap and support the development of structured, scalable educational pathways in integrative oncology.