An article highlighting Case CCC's Youth Enjoy Science (YES) program, Saying YES to Careers in Cancer Research: A Collaborative Model for Evaluating and Improving a Cancer Education and Research Program, was recently published in the European Society of Medicine with J.T. Render as first author. Case CCC's Assistant Director of Training and Education, Damian Junk, PhD, also contributed.
Case CCC's Office of Cancer Training, Education, and Research (OCTER)—which runs the unique program that places high schoolers in cancer center faculty laboratories to conduct cancer research over the summer—partnered with CWRU's School of Medicine's Office of Medical Education, Research, and Evaluation (MERE) to evaluate the program through formal and informal feedback mechanisms, using students’ experiences to improve the program moving forward.
In a post-program survey conducted by MERE, 81% of student respondents felt the program increased their interest in and enthusiasm for biomedical science or healthcare-related careers.
The end of the article gives a special acknowledgement to Nathan Berger, MD—the founding director of Case CCC who was the principal investigator of the YES program before passing away last year—stating, “Dr. Berger's commitment to cancer research and education and his passion for collaborative evaluation have left an indelible mark on our work and on the lives of countless students and colleagues. His guidance not only established the foundation for the program's success but also inspired a culture of continuous improvement and responsiveness to student needs. Although Dr. Berger is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in the values and practices that continue to drive the program forward.”
With Berger no longer at the helm, Render has assumed many of the responsibilities to keep the program up and running, inspiring future generations of cancer researchers right here in Cleveland, Ohio.