Gaps and Opportunities in Health Professions Education on Hpv-related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Cancer

Monday, October 19, 2026

1:42 PM - 1:48 PM PT

Location: West Exhibit Hall A, Learning Zone 3

Presenting Author(s)

Nina D. Ham, BA

Medical Student
UC Davis School of Medicine
Sacramento, CA, United States
RK

Ruby Kazemi, MD

Resident Physician
UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, United States

Co-Author(s)

RK

Ruby Kazemi, MD

Resident Physician
UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, United States
KA

Katelyn Addison, BS

Medical Student
UC Davis School of Medicine
Antelope, California, United States
BG

Beverly Garber, DNP

Nurse Practitioner
UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, United States
Arnaud F. Bewley, MD

Chair, Department of Otolaryngology
UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
California, CA, United States
Andrew C. Birkeland, MD

Associate Professor
UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Sacramento, CA, United States

Senior Author(s)

MA

Marianne Abouyared, MD

Associate Professor
University of California Davis, United States

Disclosure(s):

Nina D. Ham, BA:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Andrew C. Birkeland, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Although prior studies demonstrate gaps in student understanding of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC), the effectiveness and preferred formats of HPV-OPSCC education are poorly characterized. To our knowledge, this study is the first to 1) assess effectiveness of current HPV-OPSCC and HPV vaccination education, 2) identify preferred educational strategies, and 3) evaluate student satisfaction with existing education.

Methods: This ongoing study surveyed health professions students (medical, nursing, and physician assistant) affiliated with a single, tertiary-care center from September 2025 to January 2026. Recruitment was via institutional listservs and campus flyers. Surveys anonymously assessed knowledge of HPV, HPV-related malignancies, and HPV vaccination. Questions regarding educational exposure, preferred learning modalities, and satisfaction with current education were also included. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results: 141 students were included. Most were medical students (87.9%), and 70.9% were female. Training years included 30.5% fourth year or beyond, 28.4% third year, 22.7% 2nd year, and 18.4% 1st year. While 86.5% of students correctly identified OPSCC as an HPV-related malignancy, almost half (47.5%) reported no formal education linking HPV to OPSCC. Over a fourth of students (27.7%) did not know that HPV infections are often cleared by the immune system. Active learning approaches were preferred, with respondents most frequently ranking case-based discussions (32.9%) and standardized patient simulations (24.3%) as the top-ranked modalities. Direct clinical exposure to HPV-OPSCC was strongly associated with feeling prepared to counsel patients (OR 17.91, 95%CI 3.34-96.11, p=0.001) and higher satisfaction with HPV-OPSCC education (OR 3.85 95%CI 1.05-14.11, p< 0.05).

Conclusions: Active learning HPV-OPSCC curricula may improve knowledge gaps, student satisfaction, and counseling preparedness among students.