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.