Abstract
Background. Since 1978, the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has oncology education (POE) program for medical and other health professional students to do two‐to‐four‐month clinical and/or basic research rotations in pediatric oncology. Limitations in funding, recruitment capability, and faculty interest held student numbers to 0‐18 per year. Methods. In early 1997, the program announcement and an on‐line application were put on the Web site, <http://www.stjude.org/poe>. An applicant's online submission is delivered immediately to the program director's e‐mail inbox, promptly acknowledged via e‐mail, transferred to a digital database, and forwarded electronically to prospective institutional preceptors. Results. The program accepted 36 of 61 applicants (56% minority) in 1997. A supplemental funding award enabled expansion of the program to include students preparing for health professions or biomedical sciences careers. In 1999, 75 of 139 applicants were accepted (47% minority) from 39 schools in 18 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Ireland. Conclusions. Effective use of the Web and e‐mail made it possible to inform students effectively about the institution and program, match students with preceptors, increase the number of minority participants, and expand the regional program into a national one.