At our institution, we aim to foster interest in oncology through the Student Oncology Society (SOS). The SOS was formed in 2010 and since then has hosted numerous oncology-related events, such as career panels, patient survivorship celebrations, and movie screenings. The purpose of this study is to report the experiences from former student leaders of the SOS, particularly how their participation informed their career choice. Complete survey responses were obtained from 26 of 32 former SOS student leaders (response rate 81.3%). Out of the 26 respondents, 19 (73.1%) are pursuing an oncology-related specialty. The three most common competencies that were affected by participation in SOS, noted by 21 (80.8%) respondents, were learning about pathways to careers in oncology, understanding the multidisciplinary approach to cancer care, and coordinating events. By mean Likert score, the most important factors in career choice for respondents who eventually pursued an oncology field were having a mentor in oncology (4.44), a clinical rotation in oncology (4.31), research involvement (4.22), and SOS involvement (3.17). While SOS involvement played a role in career choice among our student leaders, having a mentor was cited to be the most important factor for choosing an oncology career. Thus, implementation of formal mentorship initiatives within the framework of oncology interest groups should be explored.
Keywords: Leadership; Medical education; Medical student; Oncology interest group; Specialty interest group.
© 2021. American Association for Cancer Education.