Educating future generations of healthcare professionals
Penn State Cancer Institute offers a variety of education and training opportunities for medical students, residents and fellows, doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, clinicians, investigators and the community.
- Medical Student Elective
- Fellowships
- Conferences, Rounds, Continuing Ed
- Career Enhancement Opportunities
Hematology/Oncology Elective
The elective rotation in Hematology/Oncology is offered for third- and fourth-year medical students at Penn State College of Medicine. The rotation offers both a broad overview of both disciplines as well as the opportunity for students to focus on their chosen area of either hematology or oncology.
Learn more: Explore Hematology/Oncology Elective
Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
The Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Cancer Institute is a three-year, ACGME-accredited program that admits three fellows per year.
The Hematology Track is a separate, two-year, ACGME-accredited program that admits one fellow per year.
Learn more: Explore Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Penn State Children's Hospital and Penn State Cancer Institute is a three-year, ACGME-accredited program that admits up to three fellows per year.
The fellowship program's goal is to train fellows to become outstanding and independent pediatric hematologists/oncologists and to prepare them for an academic career incorporating clinical care, research and education.
Learn more: Explore Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
Cancer Symposium
When held: Annually
Audience: Clinical and basic science faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, residents and clinical fellows
Four to six distinguished scientists outside Penn State Cancer Institute are invited to give a translationally relevant presentation on timely topics in cancer research in this day-long event. The evening before the symposium, the speakers meet informally with graduate students to discuss the rewards and challenges of a career in biomedical research.
Interdisciplinary Conference
When held: Noon to 1 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month, September through June, generally in Penn State College of Medicine's Lecture Room D
Audience: Cancer Institute investigators
The Interdisciplinary Conference Series promotes interdisciplinary research among investigators at Penn State Cancer Institute. The three programs are assigned on rotation to select speakers and topics. No outside speakers are invited to keep the focus entirely on PSCI investigators.
Public Forum: Reducing Cancer in Our Community
When held: Second Saturday of March each year
Audience: Community members, faculty, patient advocates and anyone else interested in cancer prevention
The goal of the Reducing Cancer in Our Community forum is to educate the lay community about cancer and reduce its incidence by promoting prevention and early detection. The event features three different topics, each with three presentations by Penn State Cancer Institute faculty members.
Learn More: Reducing Cancer in Our Community event registration
Special Seminar Series
When held: Several times throughout the year
Audience: Cancer Institute faculty members
Penn State Cancer Institute's Special Seminar Series features internationally renowned investigators in cancer research who present a lecture and meet with faculty members who have a shared research interest. The series is jointly sponsored by Penn State Cancer Institute and the Penn State College of Medicine basic science departments.
Hematology/Oncology Grand Rounds
When held: 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. Thursdays in Penn State Cancer Institute Room T2500
Audience: Faculty, nurses and fellows
Hematology/Oncology Grand Rounds is a weekly series of presentations that helps improve the scientific understanding of blood and neoplastic disorders. Faculty from Hematology/Oncology, as well as other departments - including, but not limited to, Pharmacology, Radiation/Oncology, Pathology and Surgical Oncology - give relevant presentations on timely topics in cancer research. In addition, distinguished faculty outside Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center are invited to present.
Learn more: See full Grand Rounds schedule
Mortel Lecture
When held: Annually
Audience: Cancer Institute investigators and clinicians
The Mortel Lecture features a distinguished scientist speaking on a timely topic of translational cancer research. The outside speakers meet with select members of Penn State Cancer Institute during their visit. This lecture is supported by an endowment of Dr. Rodrigue Mortel, the Cancer Institute's founding director.
Schwartz Center Rounds
When held: Monthly in the Cancer Institute's Rooms T2500, T2501 and T2502
Audience: Clinicians
A national program with sites across the US, the Schwartz Center Rounds are multidisciplinary sessions that focus on the human dimension of medicine. In a typical session, a panel of caregivers from Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center presents a patient case that brought up important psychosocial issues. Topics have included how to deliver bad news; how to handle a conflict between religious beliefs and medical advice; how to take care of a colleague; and how to cope with losing a patient. Hospital staff then share their own thoughts and feelings about the topic. These sessions are not about clinical problem-solving, but rather about exploring and processing the emotions that come up in the daily work of hospital staff.
Tumor Boards
When held: Multiple times per month, depending on cancer type
Audience: Cancer Institute and external clinicians
Penn State Cancer Institute's Tumor Boards are multidisciplinary meeting where a number of healthcare providers (medical oncologists, surgical oncologists and radiation oncologists), who are experts in complex cancer patient cases, review and discuss medical conditions and treatment options. Boards on a variety of different cancer types meet regularly.
Learn more: See Tumor Boards schedule
Cancer Research Training Programs
Penn State Cancer Institute plays a vital role in training and educating the next generation of cancer research investigators, and in preparing trainees for sustaining careers in cancer research.
This includes all types of research from basic science research that provides enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of cancer in the body, to population science research that identifies cancer health disparities, to advances in clinical care for those diagnosed with cancer.
The Cancer Institute pipeline programs provide transdisciplinary cancer research training across all career levels, from pre-college through faculty.
Learn more: Explore Cancer Research Training Program
Physician-Scientist Training Program
The Physician-Scientist Training Program is tailored for residents and fellows who are interested in making research a significant part of their career, and also includes MD students, MD/PhD students, research staff and junior faculty. Its mission is to break down departmental/divisional silos and create an institution-wide program for physician-scientists that starts at the trainee level.
The program is part of State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center's commitment to becoming a destination for physician-scientists at all career stages by creating a nurturing community and infrastructure that fosters collaborations across all disciplines, prepares our trainees for a sustainable research career, and forges a sustainable physician-scientist career development pipeline.
Learn more: Explore Physician-Scientist Training Program