Design and implementation of a cardio-oncology elective for undergraduate medical education

Introduction

The rapid evolution of oncologic therapies and the growing population of long-term cancer survivors are driving a substantial increase in cardiovascular complications related to cancer treatment. As the number of cardio-oncology patients is expected to rise markedly in the coming decades, comprehensive training in this interdisciplinary field has become essential. This educational need is reinforced by the recent publication of the first Cardio-Oncology Core Curriculum by the European Society of Cardiology. Despite increasing efforts to train physicians and health-care professionals, systematic early exposure to cardio-oncology within undergraduate medical education is still lacking.

Methods and results

To address this gap, we established a structured cardio-oncology elective for medical students at a large university hospital with dedicated expertise in the field. The module was designed as a multi-layered curriculum integrating the four key components (i) theoretical instruction, (ii) practical and bedside teaching, (iii) exposure to cardio-oncology basic science, and (iv) oral examination based on student case presentations (Picture 1).

The theoretical component provides a seminar-based comprehensive overview of basic cardio-oncology-principles guided by a classical cardio-oncology patient trajectory. This includes pre-treatment cardiovascular risk assessment, mechanisms and clinical presentation of therapy-related cardiotoxicity as well as survivorship care. Special sessions emphasize on cardiotoxic chemotherapies and targeted agents as wells as cardio-oncologic considerations in valvular disease and amyloidosis. Practical teaching focuses on structured clinical bedside anamnesis and examination of cardio-oncology patients as well as fundamentals of echocardiography and chemotherapy. A dedicated session introduces students to contemporary basic molecular science aspects of cardio-oncology, fostering early understanding of translational mechanisms relevant to the field. The module concludes with an oral examination in which students present and discuss a clinical case to demonstrate applied knowledge.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this represents one of the first reports of a structured undergraduate cardio-oncology elective integrated into a medical school curriculum. This pilot program provides a framework for future refinement and expansion of cardio-oncology teaching at the undergraduate level, equipping the next generation of physicians for the evolving challenges at the intersection of oncology and cardiovascular medicine.Design of a cardio-oncology elective (1)