BONUS: the National Oncology Network for Students and Junior Doctors

Khoury, Emma; Heritage, Sophie; Fulton-Ward, Taylor; Joseph, Prince Josiah; Keshwara, Sumirat M; Selby, Peter J.

doi:10.1016/j.clon.2022.06.008

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…At a national level, student or trainees' groups and societies, such as the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) [11] and the National Oncology Trainees Collaborative for Healthcare Research (NOTCH) [80], should organise regular events and courses. As mentoring can increase interest in the field [81], and BONUS has developed a national oncology mentorship scheme in the past, organising a similar scheme dedicated to geriatric oncology or including mentors from geriatric oncology in the current scheme are encouraged.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This narrative piece has been produced with input from undergraduates (medical students or future doctors) and postgraduates (medical and surgical doctors in training) involved in the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) [11], as well as members of the SIOG UK country group (a multidisciplinary group of all SIOG members in the UK). This included input from oncology (surgical, medical, haematology, and radiation) and geriatric specialties.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Geriatric Oncology as an Unmet Workforce Training Need in the United Kingdom—A Narrative Review by the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) and the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) UK Country Group

Khoury,

Nuamek,

Heritage

et al. 2023

Cancers

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Cancer is a disease associated with ageing. Managing cancer in older adults may prove challenging owing to pre-existing frailty, comorbidity, and wider holistic needs, as well as the unclear benefits and harms of standard treatment options. With the ongoing advances in oncology and the increasing complexity of treating older adults with cancer, the geriatric oncology field must be a priority for healthcare systems in education, research, and clinical practice. However, geriatric oncology is currently not formally taught in undergraduate education or postgraduate training programmes in the United Kingdom (UK). In this commentary, we outline the landscape of geriatric oncology undergraduate education and postgraduate training for UK doctors. We highlight current challenges and opportunities and provide practical recommendations for better preparing the medical workforce to meet the needs of the growing population of older adults with cancer. This includes key outcomes to be considered for inclusion within undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.

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Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Geriatric Oncology as an Unmet Workforce Training Need in the United Kingdom—A Narrative Review by the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) and the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) UK Country Group

Khoury,

Nuamek,

Heritage

et al. 2023

Cancers

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“…The British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) implemented a National Oncology Mentorship Scheme (NOMS) in the autumn of 2021 [ 20 ]. The aim of this study is to describe the development of NOMS, to discuss applicant motivations, and to investigate the benefits and limitations to the mentor and the mentee from participating in the scheme.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Mentoring in Oncology Education for Mentors and Mentees: Pre-Post Interventional Study of the British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies' National Oncology Mentorship Scheme

Fulton-Ward¹,

Bain²,

Khoury³

et al. 2023

JMIR Med Educ

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Background Formal education of oncology is lacking in many undergraduate medical curricula. Mentoring schemes can expose participants to specific areas of medicine and may address the shortfalls in oncology education. Few mentoring schemes have been designed within the United Kingdom, especially within oncology. There is a need to understand reasons for mentor and mentee participation in such schemes and to identify ways to minimize barriers to engagement. Objective This study identifies motivations for participation in an oncology mentoring scheme and its benefits and limitations to both the mentee and the mentor. Methods The British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies launched a National Oncology Mentorship Scheme (NOMS) on September 1, 2021. Mentees (medical student or foundation doctor) were paired with mentors (specialty registrar or consultant), for 6 months of mentoring. In total, 86 mentors and 112 mentees were recruited to the scheme. The mentees and mentors were asked to meet at least 3 times during this period and suggestions were provided on the content of mentoring. Mentees and mentors were invited to complete a prescheme questionnaire, exploring motivations for involvement in the scheme, current experiences within oncology, and knowledge and interests in the field. At the end of the scheme, mentors and mentees were asked to complete a postscheme questionnaire exploring experiences and benefits or limitations of participation. Paired analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. For free text data, content analysis was applied to summarize the main themes in the data. Results Of the 66 (59%) mentees who completed the prescheme questionnaire, 41 (62%) were clinical, 21 (32%) preclinical medical students, and the remainder were junior doctors. For mentees, networking was the primary reason for joining the scheme (n=25, 38%). Mentees ranked experience of oncology at medical school at 3 on 10 (IQR 2-5). In this, 46 (53%) mentors completed the prescheme questionnaire, 35 (76%) were registrar level, and the remainder were consultant level (n=11). The most common reason for mentor participation was to increase awareness and interest in the field (n=29, 63%). Of those who completed the prescheme questionnaire, 23 (35%) mentees and 25 (54%) mentors completed the postscheme questionnaire. Knowledge in all areas of oncology assessed significantly increased during the scheme (P<.001). Most mentees (n=21, 91%) and mentors (n=18, 72%) felt they had benefited from the scheme. Mentees cited gaining insights into oncology as most beneficial; and mentors, opportunities to develop professionally. Whilst mentees did not report any barriers to participating in the scheme, mentors stated lack of time as the greatest barrier to mentoring. Conclusions British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies’ NOMS is expanding and is beneficial for mentees through increasing knowledge, providing exposure, and career advice in oncology. Mentors benefit from improving their mentoring skills and personal satisfaction.

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