ONCOLOGY FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS

Fifty fifth-year students at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University have completed their classes in Oncology and Palliative Care . The second block of classes for additional students will be held in the summer semester. The course is directed by Dr. Marcin Hetnał, medical director of the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center and head of the Radiotherapy Department at Rydygier Hospital in Krakow.

The subject Oncology and palliative care includes 30 hours of lectures and seminars and 45 hours of exercises. Specialist doctors were invited to conduct classes and share their professional experience. The program will also include work with a psychologist on communication with the patient and his family. Students have the opportunity to learn about the operation of multidisciplinary teams and specialized equipment, because some of the classes are practical. Lectures are held online, but the exercises, while maintaining the sanitary regime, were conducted stationary at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center and at the Hospital. L. Rydygier in Krakow.

" We pay particular attention to 'oncological vigilance,' crucial for early cancer detection, and the role of combination therapy, which involves the use of multiple therapeutic methods in the same patient, enabling the best therapeutic outcomes. Modern oncology is a team effort that requires the collaboration of many specialists, " emphasizes Dr. Marcin Hetnał.

There are 160 new cancer cases reported annually in Poland, and it is estimated that this number may increase to 185 in the next ten years. Meanwhile, the shortage of specialized doctors who could take care of cancer patients is growing.

" In the context of the rising incidence of cancer, two issues in education are particularly important. The first concerns increasing the number of clinical oncologists, radiation oncology specialists, and surgeons. Therefore, we need to educate students in ways that encourage them to choose oncology specialties. The second is to increase knowledge about cancer among physicians of all specialties, because only in this way will early cancer detection be improved and many patients have a chance for a successful cure, " says Dr. Marcin Hetnał.