Pitt to Host New Oncology Summer Internship for Medical Students

As part of its ongoing efforts to increase the diversity of the oncology workforce, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is launching a new internship program for medical students from populations underrepresented in medicine (UIM), and announced that Pitt was selected to serve as a host in the inaugural Oncology Summer Internship (OSI) program.

The National Academy of Medicine has recognized the need to diversify the physician workforce as a way to improve health disparities. While the U.S. population is more than 13% Black and 19% Hispanic or Latino, only 5% of practicing physicians are Black and 5.8% are Hispanic/Latino. An even greater disparity exists in oncology; only 3% of practicing oncologists are Black and only 4.7% are Hispanic or Latino.

The OSI is an immersive, four-week summer internship for rising second year UIM medical students. More than 30 students that attend the host medical schools will participate in the 2021 internship, which will feature a hybrid curriculum developed by mentoring and education experts serving on ASCO’s OSI Advisory Group.

Each day, students will participate in ASCO-hosted virtual education seminars led by national leaders in oncology and will accompany and learn from oncology faculty at their medical school or in their local area. Students will also be matched with a virtual mentor who will meet with them weekly to provide guidance, answer questions and support their career growth. Networking and social events will be offered several times per week so that students can network with oncology mentors and interact with fellow OSI students to build connections within their own medical schools and across the country. 

Other selected medical schools include: The Ohio State University, University of Arizona Health Sciences College of Medicine—Tucson, University of California San Francisco and University of Rochester.