The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) recently launched the inaugural Oncology PREP (Professional Representative Education Program) clinical immersion program. This PREP was developed by CHEST Enterprises under an exclusive licensing arrangement with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. The first Oncology PREP curriculum is focused on metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and is being conducted for sales representatives from a leading pharmaceutical company.
Oncology PREP is designed for pharmaceutical sales representatives to bolster their knowledge of best practices and innovative advances in oncology care in an effort to equip them to make informed contributions to discussions of disease management and patient care. Multidisciplinary teams at leading cancer centers, selected by CHEST, teach the patient-focused curriculum. Industry customers have no input into the content of the curriculum to ensure a completely unbiased educational experience for representatives.
General topics in each Oncology PREP course include risk factors, screening techniques, the latest procedures used in diagnosis and staging, treatment options and care management, and the evolving use of biomarkers. Participants also engage in patient simulation cases and panel discussions.
“CHEST has been offering this program for over 10 years in the pulmonary disease area, and we are proud to apply the success of that program to launch the first Oncology PREP clinical immersion program,” said John C. Alexander Jr., MD, President, CHEST Enterprises Board of Directors. “Our team is honored to work with ASCO to launch this program to address the needs of prostate cancer clinicians, sales representatives, and, ultimately, patients.”
In January 2015, a select group of sales leaders from the pharmaceutical company participated in a pilot program taught by a team of oncologists and urologists. Courses for field representatives are currently being conducted at prominent cancer centers. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive an assessment-based certification of completion valid for 3 years.
In addition to CHEST PREP and Oncology PREP programs, CHEST has agreements with the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) to develop and conduct PREP clinical immersion programs in the areas of women’s health and interventional radiology.If you would like more information about these exciting PREP programs and the opportunity to develop curriculum content or participate as faculty, or if you would like to find out how your hospital or medical center can become a course site, please contact Lisa Stanick, Director – PREP Operations, at lstanick@chestnet.org or 224/521-9518.