The overall goal of this objective is synergistic improvement in the training of Medical Oncology and Hematology Advanced Subspecialty Residents from both of the partner institutions, building upon the unique aspects and strengths of the two institutions. Both institutions provide excellent clinical training for their subspecialty Fellows in Hematology and Medical Oncology. The primary strength that the University of Puerto Rico training program could add to the training of the University of South Florida/Moffitt Cancer Center-based Fellows is first-hand exposure to and immersion in the delivery of cancer care in an Hispanic culture. Such training would add immensely to the trainees' sensitization to and appreciation for important cultural elements that impact on the ability to develop and maintain screening and prevention programs, deliver optimal patient care, and enroll patients from multiple cultural backgrounds in clinical research trials. From the perspective of University of Puerto Rico trainees, the HLMCC offers several important opportunities to obtain required training in blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) in the active autologous and allogeneic transplantation program at Moffitt Cancer Center. This would involve both clinical training and specific emphasis on training in clinical research aspects of BMT. In addition, the UPR Fellows, particularly those with an interest in an academic career could benefit greatly from enrollment in major portions of the Academic Research Training Track of the USF/Moffitt Cancer Center Fellowship Training Program. This training track includes formal training in development of clinical research skills, using the classroom (core seminar series of the Hematology and Medical Oncology Training Program and formal courses in the USF College of Public Health and basic science courses in the USF College of Medicine, with the possibility of acquiring M.P.H., M.S.P.H, and Ph.D. degrees), as well as the Moffitt Cancer Center Phase I/II Clinical Research Unit, Translational Research Core Laboratory, Pharmacokinetics Laboratory, Blood and Marrow Stem/Progenitor Cell Processing Laboratory, and Vaccine Production Laboratory. The USF/Moffitt Training Program has been a leader in development of a Geriatric Oncology Training Program, which would be available to trainees from UPR. The USF/Moffitt Hematology and Medical Oncology Felllowship Training Program has a long-term goal of developing a special training track in research on improvement of cancer care for underserved populations. Relationships of this project to the overall objectives of the collaboration The training of the next generation of academic hematologists and medical oncologists is a critical goal of the HLMCC. Although our training program already emphasizes in many ways issues of cultural diversity as they impact on cancer screening and prevention programs, care of cancer patients, and improvement of patients from all cultural and social groups in clinical research, the proposed program will formalize this emphasis in much more visible and structured way. The core missions of this training program and the Moffitt Cancer Center include the training of outstanding clinicians and academicians to provide the next generation of physicians and physician scientists to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. We believe that the same synergism that will improve the research programs at both institutions also will provide added strengths to both training programs. Similarly, the emphasis on training of Fellows from both institutions in academic aspects of multicultural approaches to cancer screening and prevention and clinical and translational research will magnify the benefits of the research collaborations themselves.
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| Mora, Edna; Robb, James A; Stefanoff, Gustavo et al. (2014) Proceedings of the 1st Puerto Rico Biobanking Workshop. Rev Recent Clin Trials 9:233-44 |
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| Chirikos, Thomas N; Lopez-Garcia, Josefina; Cintron Vargas, Cristobal et al. (2007) Evaluation of breast cancer care under Puerto Rico's Health Care Reform. J Health Care Poor Underserved 18:116-38 |
