This project seeks to expand the institutional experience at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University to provide multi-disciplinary, cooperative cancer education involving Medical, Dental, Nursing and Pharmacy students. Objectives are to: increase the number of health professional students who participate in cancer research or specific short course experiences, both cooperatively and separately by health profession and to increase the number of cancer-related experiences especially for the black health professional students. Six instructional activities are proposed to achieve these objectives: there is a summer clinical oncology rotation program for rising third-year medical students; a similar short course in Oral Care of the Cancer Patient for second year Dental students, and cooperative activities which include basic and clinical research experiences for students from these four schools as well as for preprofessional minority students. Cancer prevention is emphasized in two extramural cancer education and detection programs; one designed for inter-professional teams to engage in our long-standing Extramural Oral Screening and Detection Education program, of which two teams with a majority of dental students receive field experience in detecting oral neoplasias in patients/clients in Appalachia, Eastern Shore, or other underserved areas in Virginia for one week. In addition, a new education project modeled after the successful oral Screening Project, will involve a one-week screening/education project for breast disease including BSE, mammography and patient education performed in the field by a team of medical, graduate nursing and Pharm.D. students under the direction of appropriate faculty. Each of these projects will be evaluated from both the student and faculty perspective.
