1. Role of Short-term Cancer Research Training Programs in Shaping Cancer Research Careers
January 12, 2016

2. Dr. John Waterbor, Dr. Renee Desmond
Key Personnel
Dr. John Waterbor, Dr. Renee Desmond

3. Study Objectives
The purpose of this report is to describe the immediate impact on, and the long-term career outcomes of, 499 medical students and graduate students who completed the Cancer Research Experiences for Students (CaRES) program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) from 1999 to 2013.

4. Methods
The interns complete an evaluation survey consisting of objective items rated on Likert scales in the domains of preceptor performance, effectiveness of administrators and staff, knowledge gained, program logistics, and career impact.
In addition, every 5 years, CaRES alumni are tracked longitudinally in order to collect the data needed to evaluate the program for long-term outcomes, especially, career choices and publication of peer- reviewed papers.

5. Results
About 23 % of CaRES alumni (110 of 499) have published at least one cancer-related paper. Overall 238 cancer-related papers have been published by CaRES alumni, one third of this number being first-authored publications. Nearly 15 % (71 of 481 respondents) reported that their current professional activities include cancer research, primarily clinical research and outcomes research. Of all respondents, 58 % reported that they administered care to cancer patients and 30 % reported other cancer-related professional responsibilities such as working with a health department or community group on cancer control activities.

6. Conclusion
Challenging short-term educational cancer research programs for medical students and graduate health professional students can help them refine and solidify their career plans, with many program alumni choosing cancer research careers.

7. Future Plans
We will continue tracking our CaRES alumni to monitor their career choices. In light of our improved tracking methodology, we can explore patterns of career trajectories over time, the effect of previous research experience on selection for the CaRES program, and institutional factors that can impact long-term career choices.

8. Questions/Comments