CANCELLED: ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology for Medical Students

On behalf of ESO, ESSO and ESTRO, we would like to inform you that due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis we have made the difficult decision to cancel the ESO-ESSO-ESTRO Multidisciplinary Course in Oncology for Medical Students, 24 August - 4 September 2020, Antwerp, Belgium. We will be in contact with more details about this as soon as they are confirmed.

We deeply regret having to take this decision but we feel that in the current climate we all need to do our part in trying to limit the diffusion of the virus as much as possible and this was the only decision possible considering your role in society as medical staff.

We have discussed the possibility of postponing the event to later this year, but due to other already planned activities we have decided that postponing is not a viable solution.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused but we think you’ll all agree that this solution was unavoidable.

Local Organiser: M. Peeters, BE


ESO (European School of Oncology), ESSO (European Society of Surgical Oncology) and ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) jointly organize an annual multidisciplinary course in oncology for medical students.
The key goal of this course is encouraging medical students to specialize in an oncology related discipline. Previous editions organized since 2005 got very positive and enthusiastic feedback from the students who had spent two weeks over summer with experienced teachers to receive theoretical and practical training in cancer care.
The multidisciplinary course in oncology will provide insight into all aspects of oncology with both theoretical and practical sessions. The programme incorporates plenary sessions, case study presentations, daily special visits to various oncology departments and group course projects that must be finalized and presented at the end of the course.
The course has been designated for European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System Credits (ECTS).

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course participants should:

• Have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of oncology
• Have an understanding of the complexity and importance of the multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment
• Prepare in groups a specific topic related to the theoretical and/or practical sessions and present it to plenary audience

COURSE FORMAT
• Ten working days
• The programme covers all aspects of oncology
• Theoretical plenary sessions of maximum 2 hours
• Case presentations
• Daily two-hour practical sessions in small groups (labs, ward visits, etc)
• Preparation in small working groups of a presentation on a specific topic under the supervision of a teacher
• The last day will be devoted to the project presentations delivered by the students
• Students are requested to bring their laptops to the course
• The official language is English - students must be fluent in English

The course is held in collaboration with

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• Selected participants will benefit from free registration, lunches and accommodation
• Arriving late for the start of the course or leaving early at the end is not acceptable. To receive course credit, attendance throughout the entire session is required
• The course will start on Monday 24 August 2020 at 09:00 and end on Friday 4 September 2019 at 18:00. Participants should arrive on Sunday 23 August 2020 in the afternoon; a welcome reception will be organised by the host institute in the evening

LOCATION
The course will take place at the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Please contact Gemma Applebee at gemma.applebee@essoweb.org if you have any questions.

APPLICATION
Participation in this course is by competitive application.

The online application is open and the deadline for submission is 29th May 2020. Your application must include the following documents:

• A short CV (max 1 page) describing your education and indicating level of spoken English
• A motivation letter explaining why you wish to attend the course

Complete the application form here.

THE PROGRAMME IS AVAILABLE HERE