Abstract D005: Outcomes of a cancer research fellowship program for underrepresented high school students
Authors: Akabike Ekenechukwu A , Azuara Alexa , Heide Elena S , Vieyra Cristal , Villanueva Nicolas , Seible Daniel M , Murphy James D 
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Minority populations and individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds suffer from high rates of cancer, yet these at-risk communities are underrepresented in the biomedical research and clinical workforce. Disparities start from an early age and stem from multiple factors, though gaps in education play a role. In the summer of 2018, University of California San Diego (UCSD) created a cancer research fellowship program for minority high school students called Outreach Program to Inspire Minority and Underrepresented Students (OPTIMUS). This report presents early outcomes of the inaugural cohort of OPTIMUS scholars. Methods: The OPTIMUS program recruits students from four underserved public high schools in southeast San Diego. Selected students (OPTIMUS scholars) are provided transportation to Moores Cancer Center at UCSD daily for a 6-week paid summer internship. Each OPTIMUS scholar is paired with a supportive cancer research lab for a mentored-lab experience. In parallel to the lab experience, scholars participate in a cancer research education curriculum, clinical shadowing, and other endeavors including college preparatory activities and social networking events. Under UCSD faculty oversight, the program is run by medical students, residents, and fellows. We surveyed students about their perceptions of different curricular elements during the program, and again 9-months after completion of the program. Results: OPTIMUS launched in July 2018, and received 132 complete applications, with applicants self-identifying as African American (28%), Hispanic (17%), Pacific Islander (32%), multiracial (10%), and other (13%). The majority of students came from socioeconomic disadvantaged households (61%) and had parents who did not attend college (66%). Ten OPTIMUS scholars were selected for the initial program, and completed all 6-weeks of the summer fellowship. Survey results indicated that students were “very satisfied” to “mostly satisfied” with the majority of the components of the program (scoring 3 or 4 on a 4 point satisfaction scale). The 5 high school seniors in our initial OPTIMUS cohort have each received acceptance letters from 4-year universities, and each plans to major in a biology-based or health science related field. Conclusions: The OPTIMUS cancer research fellowship has generated interest among local underrepresented students, and early outcomes show promising results with students successfully transitioning into university. Long term follow up of students will help to fully understand the impact of this program, though success with OPTIMUS and other programs focusing on strengthening the educational pipeline stand to help improve diversity in the oncology workforce.

Citation Format: Ekenechukwu A Akabike, Alexa Azuara, Elena S Heide, Cristal Vieyra, Nicolas Villanueva, Daniel M Seible, James D Murphy. Outcomes of a cancer research fellowship program for underrepresented high school students [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D005.