Postgraduate School of Medical Oncology

Integrated (i.e., core) training objectives
The trainee must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the clinical and instrumental diagnosis and treatment, including emergency and urgent conditions, of the most common internal medicine diseases. The trainee must acquire fundamental knowledge of the pathophysiology of various organs and systems, the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to recognize diseases affecting the various body systems, the theoretical and practical knowledge of the main areas of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics related to the aforementioned diseases, and the ability to evaluate the connections and influences of internal medicine and specialists. Therefore, the trainee must be able to recognize the clinical and functional symptoms and signs of diseases affecting various organs and systems, having acquired the fundamental diagnostic, therapeutic, psychological, and ethical knowledge necessary for a comprehensive patient perspective. To this end, the trainee must develop the ability to clinically assess the patient based on the medical history and physical examination; develop critical and analytical diagnostic skills; Become familiar with the main diagnostic procedures and laboratory and instrumental investigations; recognize and be able to address major medical emergencies; familiarize themselves with therapeutic resources to plan their optimal use and recognize their indications and contraindications, as well as the effects of interactions and potential iatrogenic effects; acquire fundamental knowledge of clinical research methodologies and pharmacological trials; and understand the key issues related to prevention, public health, and social medicine. Residents must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the recognition and treatment, in emergency situations, of the most common pathologies. Finally, residents must also have clinical and therapeutic knowledge of the most common pathologies covered by other categories of the class.

Basic Educational Objectives
Residents must acquire fundamental knowledge of cellular and molecular biology and must acquire advanced knowledge of the etiopathogenetic mechanisms that determine the development of neoplastic disease. They must acquire the theoretical knowledge and clinical practice necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of the most common medical diseases. Acquire fundamental knowledge in the laboratory fields applied to oncology, including cytomorphology, histopathology, and clinical pathology, as well as diagnostic imaging, and be able to provide the main diagnostic interpretations.

General Training Objectives
The resident must acquire methodological skills related to clinical logic, decision-making strategies, and patient management, ensuring a comprehensive and unified (holistic) approach to solving problems that various specialists may encounter in their professional practice.
Training objectives of the School: The resident must:
- Know and be able to apply the principles of epidemiology and preventive medicine in oncology;
- Acquire the advanced theoretical and clinical knowledge necessary for the diagnosis, care, treatment, and follow-up of cancer patients;
- Acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge related to the various therapeutic options in integrated treatments in oncology;
- Be able to recognize and treat terminal symptoms and plan and manage care for the terminally ill patient and their family.
- deepen the knowledge necessary to establish a proper relationship and effective doctor/patient communication;
- acquire advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of cellular, molecular, and experimental oncology for its application to the diagnosis and clinical management of neoplastic disease.

As part of their training, the resident will learn the scientific foundations of the School's approach to achieve full maturity and professional competence. This includes adequate ability to interpret scientific innovations and a critical understanding that allows them to effectively manage both care and their own development. This may include participation in meetings, conferences, the production of scientific publications, and periods of attendance at qualified Italian and foreign institutions useful for their training.

Mandatory professional development activities to achieve the educational objectives of this type of course include:
- developing the diagnostic and staging process for at least 250 patients with cancer, discussing with the teaching staff the indications and limitations of laboratory tests, molecular biology, diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, cytology, and histology in various tumors;
- selecting the therapeutic program for at least 250 patients, discussing with the teaching staff the potential efficacy, side effects, and feasibility of the proposed regimen for inpatient, day hospital, or outpatient settings, and ensuring the correct implementation of high-cost, targeted molecular therapies (monoclonal antibodies, small tyrosine kinase inhibitors, cancer vaccines and gene therapy, cytokines, and growth factors) in compliance with current procedures, appropriateness, and cost optimization, based on knowledge of biomarkers as prognostic and predictive indicators in the selection of personalized treatment, and, finally, in an awareness of the potential of translational research as an important implementation process in patient care;
- conducting, under supervision for the first two years and, over the following three years, with increasing autonomy until fully independent, informational interviews with patients and/or their relatives in at least 250 cases at various stages of the disease, discussing the psychological, ethical, and medico-legal aspects;
- choosing the treatment for complications of antineoplastic treatments and supportive care in at least 150 oncology patients;
- choosing the treatment for oncology emergencies (hemorrhages, metabolic disorders, compressions, etc.) in at least 50 oncology patients;
- choosing palliative care (pain management, etc.) in at least 100 terminally ill patients;
- participating in multidisciplinary teams for the planning of integrated chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments;
- serving on divisional or interdivisional duty for at least 30 total shifts, assuming direct responsibility (with the possibility of consulting the guardian) for shifts in the last two years;
The trainee must also:
- have personally performed a sufficient number of the following invasive procedures: paracentesis, thoracentesis, bone biopsies;
- have directly supervised the conduct, in accordance with good clinical practice, of at least five controlled clinical trials, including multicenter trials, and have been able to address ethical, regulatory, and legal issues, accurately report the criteria for defining response to therapy and assessing and classifying toxicity, acquire experience in obtaining informed consent from patients, and use tools to assess quality of life, respecting the significance of biomarkers, the role and function of Ethics Committees, and the regulatory and oversight mechanisms exercised by government authorities;
- have attended the following facilities: Internal Medicine and/or medical specialty departments for at least six months; Radiotherapy department/service for at least two months; Medical Oncology department/day hospital, continuously for at least four years;
- have knowledge of and be able to apply the most advanced molecular oncology techniques to oncology diagnostics.
The resident may apply for the diploma after completing the professional development activities.