The effectiveness of the Ivan H. Smith Memorial Studentships program on encouraging medical students to pursue a career in radiation oncology

Background. Founded in 1963, the Ivan H. Smith Memorial Studentship (ISMS) is a summer program that familiarizes students with the work of several cancer centers and aims to attract medical students into oncology. Methods. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the impact of the ISMS Program on career choice in radiation oncology (RO). Results. There were 5.9 times as many ISMS recipients from 1971 to 1981 who completed training in RO compared to the number of graduates exiting post-MD training in RO in 1989. Conclusion. Although few former ISMS students entered RO, the ISMS encourages medical students into this field.