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other·oncology, biomedical research, public health, pediatrics, preclinical research·PMC10174597

Interprofessional Near-Peer Mentoring Teams Enhance Cancer Research Training: Sustainable Approaches for Biomedical Workforce Development of Historically Underrepresented Students

Journal of STEM outreach · 16 authors, 4 centres

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FIDELITY 100%

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AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

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TL;DR

This study evaluated a cancer research training program for high school students that incorporated undergraduate near-peer mentors in both in-person and virtual formats. The central result was that the inclusion of peer mentors was universally beneficial, enhancing professional development for the mentors themselves and supporting student engagement and relatability.

Full summary

694 CHARS

This case study describes the implementation and evaluation of a cancer research training program for high school students that used an interprofessional team of undergraduate near-peer mentors. Methods included follow-up surveys of 11 peer mentors and qualitative stakeholder feedback. Stakeholders, including high school trainees, staff, and scientist partners, reported positive impacts on engagement, communication, and training translation. The program was effective across both 1-week in-person and 10-week virtual formats. The implications suggest that near-peer mentoring is a sustainable strategy for enhancing biomedical workforce development and supporting underrepresented students.

STUDY TYPE

other

SPECIALTY

oncology

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10174597

Interprofessional Near-Peer Mentoring Teams Enhance Cancer Research Training: Sustainable Approaches for Biomedical Workforce Development of Historically Underrepresented Students

Journal of STEM outreach

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ABSTRACT

A cancer research training program explored different approaches for staffing their in-person and virtual programs for high school students. The inclusion of undergraduate near-peer mentors had a universal benefit when implemented across in-person and virtual training programs of one- and ten-week durations. Benefits are described for four stakeholder groups: the high school trainees, program staff, scientist partners, and peer mentors themselves. Peer mentors described that their involvement enhanced their own professional development and, for some, drove a new interest in cancer research. Scientist partners described that peer mentors helped translate their work in the virtual environment for high school students. High school trainees reported their sessions with peer mentors to be one of their favorite parts of the program. Interprofessional peer mentors were highly relatable to students and modeled communication and paths in biomedical research. Staff reported that peer mentors supported student engagement during community shadowing sessions, allowing staff to focus on developing the shadowing experiences with partners. The benefit of including peer mentors was substantial from all viewpoints explored. Their intensive inclusion in cancer research training programs supports sustainability and capacity building in biomedical workforce development.

CITATION EXPORT

J.J. Huerta, M.T. Figuracion, A. Vazquez-Cortes et al.. Interprofessional Near-Peer Mentoring Teams Enhance Cancer Research Training: Sustainable Approaches for Biomedical Workforce Development of Historically Underrepresented Students. Journal of STEM outreach. (2022). https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v5i2.10

AUTHORS

16 · 4 CENTRES

J.J. Huerta, M.T. Figuracion, A. Vazquez-Cortes, R.R. Hanna, A.C. Hernandez, S.B Benitez, M.N. Sipelii, T.C. Brooks, D.T. ZuZero, F.M.R.V. Iopu, C.R. Romero, A. Chavez, A. Zell, S.R. Shugerman, J.S. Shannon, L.K. Marriott

1Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
2Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
3Portland State University, Portland OR
4National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, OR