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Conquer Cancer Foundation Supports Diversity in Oncology: Spotlight on Derrick Cox, MD (2009 Resident Travel Award)

Nov 22, 2011

 
Derrick Cox, MD | Photograph by Bill Wippert
Cancer doesn’t care where you come from and it couldn’t care less about your zip code. It exists in a world without borders, and it does not recognize race, class, or culture. The Conquer Cancer Foundation and ASCO believe that cancer professionals should also represent this racial and socio-economic diversity in order to best treat the global problem of cancer. That is why the Conquer Cancer Foundation funds two programs, the Medical Student Rotation and the Resident Travel Award, to facilitate the recruitment and retention of individuals from populations underrepresented in medicine to cancer careers, with a special focus on the development of clinical practitioners and investigators. The MSR and RTA were originally created as part of a collaboration between the Conquer Cancer Foundation, ASCO, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, with Komen funding these awards between 2009-2011. 

The Medical Student Rotation (MSR) provides 8-to-10-week clinical or clinical research oncology rotations for U.S. medical students from underrepresented populations. A mentoring component is included whereby recipients are paired with a clinical oncologist who provides ongoing academic and career guidance. Recipients receive a $5000 stipend for the rotation plus $1500 for future travel to the ASCO Annual Meeting. An additional $2000 is provided to the student’s mentor. First presented to four deserving medical students in 2009, the MSR program has been growing steadily, with six medical students awarded the MSR in 2010, and eight medical students awarded the MSR in 2011 (Figure 1 shows the ethnic group distribution of the MSR recipients from 2009-2011). Mark Bernard (2011 MSR Recipient) had this to say about the award: “I was pleased with my overall rotation experience and I was able to work on more clinical projects than I expected. My mentor was very encouraging and continues to provide me with guidance on how to have a successful matching process into residency. Winning this award was an honoring experience which will have long lasting benefits.”

 
Figure 1
The Resident Travel Award (RTA) provides financial support for residents from underrepresented populations to attend an ASCO Annual Meeting. The award includes a $1500 travel advance, complimentary meeting registration, and access to the Annual Meeting housing block and ASCO’s travel agency. First awarded in 2009, 26 RTAs have been awarded to deserving individuals to date (Figure 2 shows the ethnic group distribution of the RTA recipients from 2009-2010). According to 2009 RTA recipient, Derrick Cox, MD, receiving the RTA encouraged him to pursue a career in oncology and he was happy to share the success he has had since receiving this award  in a brief interview with the Foundation.

Foundation: Are you currently working in an oncology-related field or still pursuing a career in oncology?
Dr. Cox: Yes, I completed the surgical oncology fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, NY.

Foundation: What is your current position?
Dr. Cox: I am a surgical oncologist in private practice at Bay Surgical Specialists, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

 
Figure 2
Foundation: What was the greatest benefit of receiving the RTA?
Dr. Cox: Having the opportunity to attend the ASCO Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL gave me exposure to the remarkable leaders in oncology, cutting edge clinical and basic science research, and the environment to network with mentors and peers alike in a conducive, relaxed setting, particularly with the Fellows Lounge access provided with the award.

Foundation: What would you say to other residents from underrepresented populations who are considering applying for the RTA?
Dr. Cox: The RTA is a great award that can truly give you an exclusive up and close view of the field of oncology and provide you with a fulfilling personal and professional experience that will energize your efforts and ensure the successful pursuit of a career in oncology.

Foundation: Are you currently practicing medicine in a medically underserved region of the United States?
Dr. Cox:  Yes, a large portion of the patients I serve are either uninsured or are Medicaid/Medicare.

Foundation: If so, how did receiving the RTA better equip you to care for these underserved patient populations?
Dr. Cox: My exposure to cancer health disparities topics at the ASCO Annual Meeting solidified my decision to pursue providing cancer care to populations disproportionately burdened by cancer.

Foundation: Since receiving the RTA, have you received any additional awards/funding?
Dr. Cox: Yes, I was awarded the first Cancer Health Disparities Fellowship, co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the Society of Surgical Oncology. During my fellowship at the ACS headquarters in Atlanta, I worked on numerous cancer health disparities research projects. One of the projects entitled," Persistent disparities in liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States, 1998 through 2007", was submitted as a poster presentation to the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress Annual Meeting in Washington DC and selected for a Poster of Exceptional Merit Award. The project led to a publication in Cancer. I was selected by the American Association of Cancer Research for a Merit Award associated with a submitted poster presentation to The Science of Cancer Health Disparities meeting in 2010. In addition, I was selected to be a speaker at the AACR Annual Meeting in 2011 and selected to serve on the Membership Development Committee for the Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) of the AACR. Recently, I was selected as a board member to the Pinellas County American Cancer Society chapter.

The Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO is currently accepting applications for the 2012 Medical Student Rotation (MSR) and Resident Travel Award (RTA) programs. Trainees who meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by January 9, 2012. Questions? Email grants@conquercancerfoundation.org.

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