Cancer Strategy
April 1999, Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 28 - 32

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Evaluation
International Summer School ‘Oncology for Medical Students’

Jakob de Vries1,2 & E Milly L Haagedoorn2

1Groningen University Hospital, Division of Surgical Oncology, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands      2WHO Collaborating Centre for Cancer Education, Groningen University Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Netherlands     

Correspondence to: Jakob de Vries MD PhD , Groningen University Hospital, Division of Surgical Oncology, P.O. Box 30.001, 6700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. Email:
E-mail: j.de.vries@chir.azg.nl     

Keywords
international;   undergraduate;   medical;   cancer;   education
Abstract

Since 1996 the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Cancer Education in Groningen, the Netherlands, annually organizes--under the auspices of the International Union against Cancer--an International Summer School ‘Oncology for Medical Students’. The aims are: helping students to become familiar with cancer care in general health practice; reducing fear for patients with cancer; learning more about cancer-related problems in other countries; and the interchange of international contacts between medical students. Contact with cancer patients is the focus of the course. Topics comprise clinical and psychological aspects of cancer care in general practice.

Students have to prepare an abstract for a poster presentation about an oncological topic in general health care in their country. The poster sessions are an integrated part of the teaching programme. The course ends with a written examination.

The students are asked to evaluate the programme on a questionnaire which is distributed on the first day and returned on the last day of the course. Nearly all students are very positive about the Summer School, although there is a slight difference between students who have decided to become an oncologist, and students who attend the course in order to learn more about cancer care in general practice.

Received 4 November 1998; Accepted 21 December 1998

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1999