The mission of CUPID—Cancer in the Under-Privileged Indigent or Disadvantaged—is to address the impending shortage of practicing oncologists within the United States and to cultivate an interest in cancer treatment and research among medical students who have not yet fully defined their career plans.
CUPID provides four second-year medical students the chance to shadow medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgical oncologists as they work with patients from underserved communities in the Indianapolis area. CUPID offers a similar opportunity for students from Johns Hopkins and Ohio State University.
What we are trying to do is say, ‘We’re glad you’re interested in taking care of under-served populations. Please consider taking care of them with respect to oncology and cancer, because that group—cancer patients—are really in need.’
Richard Zellars, MD — CUPID program founder and mentor
During the seven-week program, students attend daily videoconference lectures delivered by IU, Ohio State and Johns Hopkins faculty, and conduct research and basic science lab work alongside faculty mentors.
The program includes formal lectures discussing health care disparities, general oncologic principles, and specific diseases prevalent in underserved populations.
Students may select their location preference of Indianapolis, Baltimore or Columbus, or they may apply to all sites. The number of fellowships at each site is limited and admission is highly competitive.
Richard Zellars, MD, founded the CUPID program when he was on faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. When he accepted the position of chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at IU School of Medicine in 2015, he expanded his program to the cancer center.
