Hola/Hello! Welcome to the world of Oncology in Internal Medicine

BACKGROUND:

Oncology clinical researcher, Janie Munoz PhD founded the Oncology Student Interest Group informally with  fellow peers as a group of MD school/physician-scientists-in-training collectively meeting virtually during the COVID pandemic to discuss clinical oncology treatment & technological advances each month to serve a global community during clinical clerkship training with UAG School of Medicine across various sites in the U.S. and Mexico. In February 2022, she developed the OSIG Constitution with guidance from Faculty Advisor Dr. Dennis Morris so that the Oncology Student Interest Group at UAG was formally established in April 2022. After she applied for ASCO's official OSIG acceptance on Sept 1, 2022 the university's Oncology Student Interest Group became an approved ASCO-OSIG of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) at UAG SoM in October 2022.

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As a student-led Oncology Student Interest Group, ASCO-OSIG-UAG has now achieved the goal of international clinical oncology (OSIG) status to become the premier UAG oncology education and physician-in-training student interest group which is now a part of a global cadre of 107 groups across 28 states (including Washington, D.C. & Puerto Rico) in 13 countries with 91 medical student-led groups and 16 resident-led groups. Another accolade for UAG's oncology student interest group is that of having an award-winning medical student leader recipient acquire a philanthropic award through June 2023. With the support of Dr. Christopher Reeder, Dean of the International School of Medicine and co-Faculty Advisors Dr. Irving E. Sanchez/Dr. Morris, Janie authored a grant for which she was successfully awarded as the recipient from the American Society of Clinical Oncology to help underwrite cancer research, cancer awareness, professional development, community volunteerism & fundraising activity of the ASCO-Oncology Student Interest Group at UAG during the 2022-2023 (Fall-Spring) academic year.

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The Oncology Student Interest Group (OSIG) at UAG was organized to help medical students learn more about the field of oncology. The ASCO-OSIG-UAG hopes to excite future physicians about oncology as well as provide them the professional development tools to grow and learn within this Internal Medicine specialty. ASCO-OSIG-UAG provides resources for medical students who are considering a career in oncology via meetings with specialists and professionals in the field as well as exposure/contact with international and local physicians.

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ASCO-OSIG-UAG is for medical students who are considering pursuing a career in oncology medicine, participating in philanthropic community service activities, research conference & panels, a Mentor program, Journal club, or exploring topics in oncology during the International medical school curricular program at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine (UAG Facultad de Medicina). Activities that ASCO-OSIG-UAG is involved in include presenting at both international & national conferences (American Society of Clinical Oncology-U.S.A in Chicago; ASCO-OSIG-UAG annual International Breast Cancer Research Conference in Guadalajara), oncology and oncology sub-specialty panels (Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Pediatric Oncology, etc.) for medical students, volunteering opportunities in the hospital & community including programs advocating for oncology medicine & clinical research, and workshops on oncology care.

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ASCO-OSIG-UAG members have opportunities to ask an oncologist or interface with oncology physicians/clinical specialists as a resource for questions about medical school, residency, academic & private practice oncology. As a global ASCO Oncology Student Interest Group at UAG SoM, our goal is to spark an interest in the oncology field, introduce new aspects of the oncology field, strengthen knowledge about oncology during medical school, & provide opportunities to strengthen a curriculum vita for Internal Medicine-Oncology Residency application for clinicians & Fellowship application for specialists (Internal Medicine-hematology/oncology; etc.) and developing world-renown physician-scientists.