Interested in observing our experts in Cancer Medicine? Take a look at some of the educational opportunities available in this specialty. Please review our eligibility criteria before applying to one of the programs listed below.

The Breast Medical Oncology Observer Program is accepting a limited number of observers to shadow in the department of Breast Medical Oncology, learning about the diagnosis and management of the various types of Breast Cancer. The program's purpose is to provide observers with diverse and immersive learning opportunities to gain practical knowledge that may be utlitized at their home institutions.

Department
Breast Medical Oncology

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory 

Learning Objectives
Participants in the Breast Medical Oncology Observer Program may observe activities involving patient care and will include access to a didactic curriculum that will further enhance their understanding and training. The program will help familiarize observers with the U.S. medical system. Participants will observe activities as permitted and outlined in the MD Anderson Observer Program overview: 

Observers:

• Will learn about the diagnosis and management of various types of Breast Cancer
• Will rotate in the department's inpatient services and outpatient clinics
• May become proficient in presentation of patients on daily rounds
• May gain experience working in a multidisciplinary health care team

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Contact
Elisa Mendoza
Operations Manager
Breast Medical Oncology 
EMendoza1@mdanderson.org

The Investigational Cancer Therapeutics Observer Program in the department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics is accepting observers interested in an overview of the design and implementation of phase I trials in the ICT department. The trainee will be familiarized with the methodology for evaluation of genetic alterations and variant annotation, as well as trial matching. The trainee will also learn how to manage patient navigation and coordination when a complex phase I trial as well as evaluation of adverse events.

Department
Investigational Cancer Therapeutics

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory 

Learning Objectives
Participants in the Investigational Cancer Therapeutics Observer Program will: 

• Provide practical experience and participation in the coordination of enrolled patients and selection of clinical trials.
• Participation in the department's virtual grand rounds, study meetings, conferences, and educational activities.
• Develop experience in protocol structure and how to apply protocol inclusion/exclusion criteria and dose recommendations in real life. 

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Application
To apply for the Investigational Cancer Therapeutics Observer Program, please fill out the corresponding Observer Inquiry Form.

Contact
Hayley Harrison
Office Manager
Investigational Cancer Therapeutics 
hcschoppa@mdanderson.org

The Japan Medical Exchange (JME) in the department of Stem Cell Transplanation and Ceullar Therapy was previously part of MD Anderson's Global Academic Programs (GAP), and continues to be a educational partnership with colleagues in Japan to promote multidisciplinary oncological care. Each year, 6-8 health care providers specialized in oncology from Japan (typically 2-3 physicians, 2 Nurses, and 2 pharmacist) are selected from applicants who attended an annual international Oncology Provider Team Building Workshop (Japan Team Oncology Program [JTOP]), which is also organized by MD Anderson faculty members. During JTOP workshop, participants learn skills to be an effective team member for multidisciplinary care, including effective communication and conflict management skills and leadership qualities. JME participants are carefully selected based on their performance during the JTOP workshop, who demonstrated excellent leadership and communication skills, in addition to passion and commitment to improving cancer care with a clear future vision. 

During JME program at MD Anderson, each participant will be assigned to 1 or 2 mentors at MD Anderson (matched based on specialty and job type [physician, nurse, pharmacist]) to have clinical observation to to learn diverse roles and healthcare team dynamics in our comprehensive oncology center.  During the program, JME participants will also meet with assigned mentors on a regular basis to discuss career goals. They will then participate in group projects to propose a theoretical program, to apply what they learned through JME to their clinical practice in Japan to improve multidisciplinary cancer care.  JME program promotes cancer care globally as well as promotes MD Anderson as an institution.  JTOP and JME programs have been in existence for over 20 years with MD Anderson team leading this effort.  

Department
Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory

Learning Objectives
Goals on objectives: 

JME participants will observe and evaluate delivery of oncologic care to a racially diverse patient population with various social economical backgrounds from different areas of the country. JME participates will observe clinics to learn: 

• How teams and individuals interact with patients with patient centric care models.
• How teams recognize challenges in patient care delivery and what interventions and innovations have been created to address them.
• Team dynamics and diversity of roles of members within the multidisciplinary team (especially for nursing and pharmacy roles) in cancer care.
• Effective communication skills and styles, conflict management, feedback and evaluation skills. 
• Effective leadership skills and styles (management, senior level providers, administration, other) including communication methods with the team.

JME participants will attend multiple patient care services to learn importance of supportive roles to enable holistic patient care at MD Anderson including: 

• Social worker and case management, volunteers and other support services. 
• Educational programs and support groups for patients who undergo cancer care.

JME participants will observe and learn how research programs are being conducted including disease specific protocols, quality improvement, and safety projects, with specific focuses on collaborative roles of research members and evaluation and feedback systems. 

JME participants will learn career development strategies including those for physicians, pharmacists, and nursing under mentorship of MD Anderson faculty and describe what programs exists specific to each discipline. 

JME participants will discuss with mentors at MD Anderson, about what they learned through JME program, how they can implement what they learned to their clinical and research programs in Japan. JME participants will establish strong mentor-mentee relationship with MD Anderson faculty, and complete the program with a robust future career vision and plans.

Additional Requirements
All JME participants are required to follow our program's eligibility requirements: 

1. Completed training in their specialty and currently working in an oncology patient care setting as an attending physician, nurse, or pharmacist.
2. Have participated in JTOP Workshop and selected for JME by committee members from MD Anderson.
3. Able to read, communicate in English effectively. 
4. Support letters from their working institution(s).  

JTOP Workshop is held in English, including group work and project presentation. In addition, all JME participants submit an essay in English regarding their oncology experience and future vision. Thus, we have robust opportunity to evaluate participants' English communication and writing skills for selection for JME program.

Program Dates
January 15, 2024 through March 2, 2024
Submission deadline: November 2023

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Application
To apply for the Japan Medical Exchange Observer Program, please fill out the corresponding Observer Inquiry Form.

Contact
Elexus Edwards
Senior Administrative Assistant
Surgical Oncology
eeedwards@mdanderson.org

The Leukemia Observer Program is accepting a limited number of observers to shadow in the Department of Leukemia, learning about the diagnosis and management of the various types of Leukemia. The program’s purpose is to provide observers with diverse and immersive learning opportunities to gain practical knowledge that may be utilized at their home institutions.

Department
Leukemia

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical

Learning Objectives
Participants in the Leukemia Observer Program may observe activities involving patient care, and will include access to a didactic curriculum that will further enhance their understanding and training. The program will help familiarize observers with the U.S. medical system. Participants will observe activities as permitted and outlined in the MD Anderson Observer Program overview: 

Observers:

• Will learn about the diagnosis and management of various types of Leukemia
• Will rotate in the department’s Inpatient services and Outpatient clinics
• May become proficient in presentation of patients on daily rounds.
• May gain experience working in a multidisciplinary healthcare team. 

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Contact
Erich Oley
Program Coordinator, Education
Leukemia
leuktrain@mdanderson.org

The Lymphoma/Myeloma Observer Program in the department of Lymphoma/Myeloma is accepting observers to shadow the inpatient and outpatient lymphoma/myeloma service lines with various clinicians within the department. Observers will learn the various diagnosis and management of all types of lymphoma and myeloma. After completion of training, the observer is expected to be familiar with the natural history of lymphoma and myeloma, and to be knowledgeable about appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Each observer will have had exposure to a variety of research programs both clinical and laboratory-based teaching. Through the combination of inpatient and outpatient clinical responsibilities, and the associated clinical teaching, the observer will develop competence in evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring disease of the lymphoid system, including Hodgkin's' disease (HD), non-Hodgkin's' lymphoma (NHL), multiple myeloma (MM), and plasma cell dyscrasias PCD. The observer will also be educated in treating regimen-related toxicities, as well as, evaluating disease response, managing maintenance therapy, and determining therapy in relapsed disease.

Department
Lymphoma/Myeloma

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory

Learning Objectives
The observer will be expected to attend various planning clinics, research conference, case studies conference, hematology didactic lectures, institutional grand rounds and hematology grand rounds.

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Application
To apply for the Lymphoma/Myeloma Observer Program, please fill out the corresponding Observer Inquiry Form.

Contact
Lisa Foucheaux
Office Manager
Lymphoma-Myeloma
lmfoucheaux@mdanderson.org

The Medical Oncology Clinical Observer Program in the department of General Oncology is accepting observers interested in the field of oncology to observed activity in a medical oncology clinic. The hope is to familiarize participants about the field of oncology itself and the importance of a multi disciplinary approach in cancer treatment. 

Department
General Oncology

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical

Learning Objectives
Participants in the Medical Oncology Clinical Observer Program can be expected to engage in clinical rounds and observe clinical activity of
their Attending. Observers also have the opportunity to engage in virtual multidisciplinary meetings if okay with their Attending.

There will also be at least 2 virtual meetings with the observer program director, one in the beginning of the program and one towards the end, to discuss the overall goals and expectations of this program. The first meeting will be an opportunity to ask any questions and review expectations about the program. The second meeting will be to discuss the program experience and have an opportunity to ask any new questions. 

Additional Requirements
Those interested must be an active student attending an accredited undergraduate or graduate program. Those who have completed an undergradate program and are interested in the field of medical oncology are also eligible to apply.

Applicants are responsible for reaching out individually to an Attending within the Department of General Medical Oncology to receive written approval (email is accepted) to observe their clinical activity on the requested dates.

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Contact
Sheila Martinez
Operations Manager
General Oncology
smartinez13@mdanderson.org

The Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine (PRIM) Observer Program in the department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine is accepting observers in the specialties of hospice and palliative care, cancer rehabilitation or integrative medicine. The program’s purpose is to provide observers an opportunity to gain practical knowledge to be utilized at their home institutions.

Department
Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory

Learning Objectives
Observers will participate in:

• PRIM's didactics, educational activities and grand rounds
• Shadowing faculty sponsor during reserach project activities, study coordination training and clinical duties

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Application
To apply for the Palliative, Rehabiliation & Integrative Observer Program, please fill out the corresponding Observer Inquiry Form.

Contact
Tameika Buggage
Program Manager
Palliative Care Medicine
TSBuggage@mdanderson.org

The Sarcoma Medical Oncology Observer Program in the department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology's goal is to deliver the highest quality patient care by providing the most advanced medical therapies, opportunities to participate in clinical trials, and aggressive management of any side effect a patient may encounter while aiming to improve survival and quality of life. Sarcoma is a rare tumor and MD Anderson is the world leader in the treatment of more than 50 sarcoma subtypes.

The educational goal of the observational program is to foster the development of skills in the diagnosis and management of sarcomas, an understanding of the importance of the multidisciplinary approach to sarcoma, and insight into ongoing patient-oriented and laboratory-based sarcoma research.

Department
Sarcoma Medical Oncology

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical

Learning Objectives
Sarcomas are challenging and have numerous subtypes and molecular diversity, making them difficult to treat. Successful sarcoma treatment begins with immediate and accurate diagnosis by a team of experts. MD Anderson pioneered multidisciplinary care employing an expert team to work in unison toward treating each patient. Treatment teams may include medical oncologists, advanced practice providers, radiologists, surgeons, physician-scientists, research nurses, physical therapists, and counselors.

The Sarcoma Center has a primary focus of providing care for patients, physicians see a high volume of new patients and consults in clinic. Each outpatient physician sees 40+ patients per week and provide direct patient care to ill and complex inpatient treatments and side effects of treatment. Observers will experience clinic activity and learn about research projects within the department to encourage the development of special interests and expertise. Observers will experience patient assessment and management by shadowing physicians in clinic, follow teams on inpatient rounding, and attend our patient care conferences including the twice weekly Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Conference, monthly Sarcoma Weekly Protocol Review Meeting, and weekly In-Patient/NP-CO Review Conference.

Non-clinical time will include teachings on research, the development of protocol(s), writing scientific article(s),and grant proposals.

Additional Requirements
The Sarcoma Medical Oncology Observership Program is most valuable to medical oncology fellows or others with specific demonstrated research interest in Sarcoma.

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Application
Applicants should search the Sarcoma faculty profiles and write to one or more based on alignment of research interest. Include in the communication your reason for pursuing an observership in Sarcoma, the value you will add as a participant, and provide your CV.

Contact
Tammy Beavers
Operations Manager
Sarcoma Medical Oncology
tbeavers@mdanderson.org

The Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Observer Program in the department of Stem Cell Transplanation and Ceullar Therapy is one of the preeminent stem cell transplant intiatives in the United States and is accepting observers who are interested in a unique blend of clinical exposure and research opportunities. Observers can expect diverse assignments, where they will be systematically immersed in a variety of clinical and research domains including inpatient rounds, outpatient clinics and specialized areas like the apheresis unit.

Department
Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory

Learning Objectives
Observers will participate in: 

• Clinical rounds: observers will join medical teams as they visit patients, listen to case presentations, and discuss diagnosis, management and follow-up plans
• Procedure observations: attend procedures in respective areas, e.g., in operating theatres, with the procedure team, or in the apheresis unit
• Didactic sessions: participate in formal teaching sessions, including lectures, case discussions and journal clubs providing exposure to current medical knowledge and practices

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Department Fee: $250 per rotation
Please note these fees are in addition to the administrative fee charged to all professional applicants.

Application
To apply for the Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Observer Program, please fill out the corresponding Observer Inquiry Form.

Contact
Ana Saucedo
Program Manager
Stem Cell Transplantation
amsaucedo@mdanderson.org

The Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology Observer Program in the department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology is accepting observer applications. The purpose of the program is to provide observers an opportunity to observe and learn the multidisciplinary clinical care and decision-making in lung cancer, head and neck cancer, or both, as well as the design and analysis of clinical research in these areas. The program will expose observers to clinical research, basic research, and interaction with leaders in academic thoracic/head and neck medical oncology.

Department
Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology

Type of Observer Experience
Clinical and Research/Laboratory

Learning Objectives
Participants in the Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology Observer Program:

• May observe activities involving patient care in outpatient clinics.
• Will learn about the diagnosis and management of the thoracic and the head and neck cancers.
• May gain experience working in a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
• May attend department didactic lectures, research/lab seminars, educational activities, and grand rounds.
  

Additional Requirements
Applicants are responsible for reaching out individually to a Faculty/Attending within the department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology to receive written approval (email is accepted) to observe their clinical activity on the requested dates.

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Contact
Bich Tran
btran@mdanderson.org

Program Director:
Yasir Elamin, M.D.

The Women's Cancer Research Laboratory Observer Program in the department of Experimental Therapeutics is seeking observers interested in visiting the laboratory to gain a deeper understanding of cancer and the underlying biology of the disease, while adhering to the Standard Operating Procedure document to maintain consistency and ensure that each student visitor conducts themselves in accordance with research safety protocols and institutional policies.

During their time in the laboratory, the student will: 1) Participate in tutorial sessions with the Principal Investigator (PI) to familiarize themselves with the research objectives and methodologies; 2) Shadow a postdoctoral fellow who will guide them through experimental procedures; 3) Attend the laboratory's weekly meetings to gain insights into ongoing research discussions and data analysis; and 4) Participate in other student tutorial meetings to engage with peers and further enhance their understanding of the research being conducted.

Department
Experimental Therapeutics

Type of Observer Experience
Research/Laboratory

Learning Objectives
During their time as observers, STEP Visitors can expect to engage in a variety of learning activities aimed at enhancing their understanding of cancer screening, prevention programs, and the biological characteristics of cancer.

These activities may include: Structured didactic sessions will be provided to cover topics such as the biological characteristics of cancer and the latest advancements in cancer detection methods. These sessions will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the scientific principles underlying cancer diagnosis and detection.

Upon completion of the learning activities, the student will: 1) Understand the criteria for implementing cancer screening and prevention programs within communities, including the importance of early detection and risk assessment; and 2) Gain knowledge of the biological characteristics of cancer, including cellular mechanisms and genetic factors, which can inform potential avenues for cancer diagnosis and detection.

By actively participating in these learning activities, observers will acquire valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of cancer and its management, contributing to their professional development in the field of oncology.

Additional Requirements
Enrollment in a medical school or graduate school program are required.

Program Dates
June 10 - 14

Program Fees
All professional applicants are subject to pay an Education & Training administrative fee. Please refer to the main Observer Programs page for more information about the fees and the institution’s application process.

Contact
Negar Adib
Program Manager
Experimental Therapeutics
nadib@mdanderson.org