Oncology training in Latin America: are we ready for 2040?

• Published in: The lancet oncology 2020-10, Vol.21 (10), p.1267-1268
• Main Authors: Duma, Narjust, Moraes, Fabio Ynoe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Burnout; Cancer therapies; Curricula; Economic crisis; Education; Family physicians; Internal medicine; Lung cancer; Medical students; Oncology; Pharmacists; Physicians; Population; Thorax; Training
• ISSN: 1470-2045; 1474-5488
• DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30158-3

The centralisation of oncology training limits the number of residency openings and opportunities for students attending medical schools in rural areas, and with many students having limited financial resources, moving to the country's capital for training is not possible. Many other organisations have shown increasing interest in global oncology, including the Union for International Cancer Control with their young leaders programme and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer through the creation of local workshops (eg, the School of Thoracic Oncology) at their Latin American meeting. Besides these initiatives, we still lack programmes tailored to trainees in Latin America (particularly on research), where challenges might be different than the trainees from other parts of the world. Financial support would be essential for many of these initiatives to last. [...]we hope non-profit organisations, international societies, and local institutions will remain interested in investing in educational resources for the future oncologists of Latin America. Oncology training for nurses, pharmacists, and other allied health-care professionals is also vital in improving oncology care in the region.Finally, promoting the importance of research and high-value care could be the beginning of change, but knowing about the magnitude of research without having the time or mentorship can worsen trainees' burnout and hardships in Latin America. [...]we can be successful if we (1) improve the care of our patients with cancer, (2) expand training and education of the next generation of oncology physicians, and (3) promote adequate use of resources in the oncology setting.