Initiation of a multidisciplinary summer studentship in palliative and supportive care in oncology

Figures & data

Table 1 Studentship goals and objectives

Goals and objectives: students

To introduce the importance of supportive care for patients and family members

To provide a humane, person-centered understanding of issues encountered by patients and their families following a cancer diagnosis

To provide opportunities to practice broadly applicable skills such as empathetic listening and interprofessional communication

To provide experience with MDT practice, its advantages and challenges, and the roles and responsibilities of other team members

To complete an exploratory investigation and an end-of-rotation presentation on a topic of the students’ choosing

Goals and objectives: steering committee

To advocate for students to be exposed to, and practice, supportive care

To mentor students of various health disciplines within MDT

To stimulate interest in oncology and palliative and supportive care

Specifically, steering committee mentors will:

Encourage students to develop team process skills and provide feedback related to team process and communication skills

Encourage students to actively pursue patient-related experiences

Facilitate weekly reflective tutorials

Assist students to develop a learning plan for their exploratory project and presentation

Liaise with respective faculty contacts

Assist with securing funding

Abbreviation: MDT, multidisciplinary team.

Table 2 Summary of studentship structure

Goal	To expose students to the full spectrum of oncology, from diagnosis to end of life, across a broad range of tumor sites and in a variety of care settings
Oversight	Multidisciplinary steering committee
Duration	6 weeks in summer
Educational components	Mandatory clinical time Flexible clinical time Weekly facilitated reflective discussions Exploratory investigation (research project) Presentation on the research project and clinical experiences
Timing of evaluation	Baseline (first day) Completion of studentship (final day) 6 months later
Method of evaluation of students	General surveys Attitudes to Health Professions Questionnaire Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale
Successful completion	Students must achieve the objectives (Table 1), participate in the five educational components, and demonstrate satisfactory conduct, professionalism, engagement, commitment, and attitude
Financial support	Honorarium provided for each student

Figure 1 Average change in Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale scores, from baseline to 6 weeks (n = 8; *n = 7).

Note: Positive changes in scores indicate that the respondents’ opinions of their own profession improved over the course of the studentship.

Figure 2 Average change in Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale scores, from baseline to 6 months (baseline and 6 weeks: n = 8 [except *n = 7]; 6 months: n = 4).

Note: Higher scores indicate that the respondent holds a higher opinion of their own profession.

Figure 3 Average change in Attitudes to Health Professions Questionnaire scores, baseline to 6 weeks (n = 8).

Note: Negative changes in scores indicate that the respondents’ opinions of other health care professions improved over time.

Figure 4 Average change in Attitudes to Health Professions Questionnaire scores, baseline to 6 months (baseline and 6 weeks: n = 8; 6 months: n = 4).

Note: Smaller scores indicate that the respondents have a more positive view of other health professions.

Figure 5 Average change in scores of the caring and subservient subscales of the Attitudes to Health Professions Questionnaire, baseline (pre) to week 6 (post), demonstrating the degree to which physicians (MD), registered dietitians (RD), and rehabilitation (Rehab) (speech-language pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy) professionals are viewed as caring and subservient by others.

Table 3 Examples of qualitative student feedback (n = 8)

Category	Feedback
What did you learn from the studentship?	The importance, advantages, and challenges of working in an MDT and the necessity of good team communication The role of emotion and compassion in health care A framework of health care for patients with advanced cancer An appreciation of the disease experience of cancer patients A broader understanding of the complex needs of [oncology] patients That the experience of being a patient is incredibly overwhelming, frightening, and exhausting
What were the most helpful or interesting aspects?	Fireside chats were a time for meaningful reflection and debriefing, enabling us to put our learning into perspective Participating in patient classes provided insight into their experience Exploring supportive care in different settings was enlightening Shadowing other disciplines will better inform my collaborations and consultations with other professionals in future Time within my own discipline to practice clinical skills
What surprised you about the studentship?	How excited and welcoming the clinical mentors were How valuable it was to learn with a student from a different discipline. We discussed our experiences during the times we were together. Alone it would have been a very different and less rich experience How much I changed as a person and how my professional outlook changed in such a short time I didn’t expect we would participate in so many different programs
What surprised you about working with other disciplines?	The huge psychosocial component of disciplines not traditionally considered to be “supportive” The amount of information which can be overlooked if only one discipline assesses a patient It made me realize how much collaboration is not occurring in other clinical situations I never sensed a hierarchy in the MDT (which is what I had expected)
What will you take from this experience?	A different definition and a better understanding of patient-centered care and the value of compassionate support A better appreciation as to how disciplines benefit patients within an MDT Individual growth … a realignment of professional and personal priorities A reminder of the absolute necessity of showing respect and compassion for patients and fellow team members A better perspective on my own life struggles More confidence working with other disciplines as a result of knowing what they do I hope this will make me a more compassionate caregiver

Abbreviation: MDT, multidisciplinary team.