Medical students educate teens about skin cancer: what have we learned?

J Cancer Educ. 2011 Mar;26(1):153-5. doi: 10.1007/s13187-010-0120-z.

Abstract

Skin cancer is a serious societal problem, and public awareness outreach, including to youth, is crucial. Medical students have joined forces to educate adolescents about skin cancer with significant impacts; even one 50-min interactive outreach session led to sustained changes in knowledge and behavior in a cohort of 1,200 adolescents surveyed. Medical students can act as a tremendous asset to health awareness public outreach efforts: enthusiastic volunteerism keeps education cost-effective, results in exponential spread of information, reinforces knowledge and communication skills of future physicians, and can result in tangible, life-saving benefits such as early detection of melanoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Communication
  • Consumer Health Information / organization & administration*
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Education*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Schools
  • Skin Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Students, Medical*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Teaching / methods*