Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative: Outcomes from an Intensive and Mixed Curricular Summer Program on Cancer and Health Disparities.

Abstract

Despite an overall decline in cancer incidence and mortality in the USA, cancer health disparities are on the rise, and the demographic profile of the healthcare workforce remains unreflective of the population at large. One way to reduce such disparities is to increase diversity in the cancer and healthcare workforce. The Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (ChicagoCHEC), through its summer research fellows program, embodies this goal by intentionally recruiting, retaining, and advancing a pipeline of diverse students in cancer research careers. During summers 2016 to 2024, nine cohorts, for a total of 178 undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students at Northeastern Illinois University, University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, and Chicago community colleges, enrolled in an 8-week didactic and mixed curricular program focused on the development of academic, technical, and professional skills in preparation for careers in social, behavioral, and biomedical research in healthcare. We describe the recruitment and selection processes of the summer cohorts and provide an overview of the program activities and overall structure. We report on the resulting changes in students' performance, academic and professional abilities, cancer and equity awareness, interests, and confidence in careers related to cancer and health disparities research. We also report on the educational transitions and career outcomes of the ChicagoCHEC fellows from the program's inception in 2016 to the most recent cohort in 2024. The evaluation of the program and the lessons learned during the pandemic serve as a model for future replication and implementation at other institutions.