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Despite their increased enrollment into medical school, women still face systemic barriers in medicine, whether in an academic or nonacademic setting. Those from Under-Represented Minority (URM) groups face similar issues, which may affect their desire to enter, pursue, and/or maintain a career in medicine. Social media provides unique opportunities for peer-to-peer support among members of URM communities and for amplification of their voices calling for social justice-here defined as a redistribution of power and the quest for equity in access to opportunities, including access to mentorship, professional development, and timely promotion in academic rank. These issues are relevant to oncologists especially as we strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion and to ensure that our patients have equal access to care, regardless of their circumstances. In this article, we review current literature that highlights issues faced by women and historically URM groups in medicine, particularly in oncology. We also discuss the physician's role as a social justice advocate and the concept of the public physician., Competing Interests: Narjust FlorezConsulting or Advisory Role: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, NeoGenomics Laboratories, Janssen, Bristol Myers Squibb/Medarex, Merck, Mirati TherapeuticsSpeakers' Bureau: MJH Life Sciences Maimah KarmoConsulting or Advisory Role: Seattle Genetics, Bayer, Lilly (Inst) Elizabeth HenryEmployment: theMednetConsulting or Advisory Role: Seattle Genetics/AstellasResearch Funding: Seattle Genetics/Astellas (Inst), Bristol Myers Squibb (Inst), Nektar (Inst)Other Relationship: theMednet Matthew S. KatzEmployment: Radiation Oncology AssociatesStock and Other Ownership Interests: Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Healthcare Services Group, CVS Health, Hologic, PfizerOpen Payments Link: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/1027599 Don S. DizonThis author is a member of the Journal of Oncology Practice Editorial Board. Journal policy recused the author from having any role in the peer review of this manuscript.Consulting or Advisory Role: i-Mab, Clovis Oncology, AstraZeneca, Regeneron, Tesaro, Pfizer, Oasmia Pharmaceutical ABResearch Funding: Bristol Myers Squibb (Inst), Kazia Therapeutics (Inst), Pfizer (Inst)Open Payments Link: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/744193/summary Heather M. HyltonThis author is a member of the Journal of Oncology Practice Editorial Board. Journal policy recused the author from having any role in the peer review of this manuscript.No other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Purpose: Peak fertility commonly occurs during medical training, and delaying parenthood can complicate pregnancies. Trainee parental leave policies are varied and lack transparency. Research on the impacts of parenthood on trainee education is limited. Methods: A Qualtrics-based survey was distributed via e-mail/social media to program directors (PDs) within oncologic specialties with a request to forward a parallel survey to trainees. Questions assessed awareness of parental leave policies, supportiveness of parenthood, and impacts on trainee education. Statistical analyses included descriptive frequencies and bivariable comparisons by key groups. Results: A total of 195 PDs and 286 trainees responded. Twelve percent and 29% of PDs were unsure of maternity/paternity leave options, respectively. PDs felt they were more supportive of trainee parenthood than trainees perceived they were. Thirty-nine percent of nonparent trainees (NPTs) would have children already if not in medicine, and >80% of women trainees were concerned about declining fertility. Perceived impacts of parenthood on trainee overall education and academic productivity were more negative for women trainees when rated by PDs and NPTs; however, men/women parents self-reported equal impacts. Leave burden was perceived as higher for women trainees. Conclusions: A significant portion of PDs lack awareness of parental leave policies, highlighting needs for increased transparency. Trainees' perception of PD support for parenthood is less than PD self-reported support. Alongside significant rates of delayed parenthood and fertility concerns, this poses a problem for trainees seeking to start a family, particularly women who are perceived more negatively. Further work is needed to create a supportive culture for trainee parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is without question that the Internet has democratized access to medical information, with estimates that 70% of the American population use it as a resource, particularly for cancer-related information. Such unfettered access to information has led to an increase in health misinformation. Fortunately, the data indicate that health care professionals remain among the most trusted information resources. Therefore, understanding how the Internet has changed engagement with health information and facilitated the spread of misinformation is an important task and challenge for cancer clinicians. In this review, we perform a meta-synthesis of qualitative data and point toward empirical evidence that characterizes misinformation in medicine, specifically in oncology. We present this as a call to action for all clinicians to become more active in ongoing efforts to combat misinformation in oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]