{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T19:52:55Z","timestamp":1781639575854,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781568000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781568000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"Faculdade De Ci\u00eancias M\u00e9dicas De Minas Gerais"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Canc Educ"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Adequate training in Psycho-Oncology is essential to prepare psychologists to address the complex psychosocial needs of patients with cancer. However, this content remains inconsistently incorporated into undergraduate psychology curricula, and evidence regarding students\u2019 perceived preparedness remains limited. To evaluate differences between expectations and self-reported training experiences in Psycho-Oncology among undergraduate psychology students from two independent cohorts at different stages of training. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate psychology students from private institutions in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. First- and final-year students completed a structured questionnaire assessing expectations, educational exposure, and self-perceived preparedness in Psycho-Oncology. Comparative analyses used chi-square and Fisher\u2019s exact tests, with a significance level of 0.05. A total of 284 students participated (166 first-year and 118 final-year). Significant differences were observed across all domains. While approximately two-thirds of first-year students were expected to be adequately prepared to work with cancer patients, fewer than 12% of final-year students reported having received such preparation (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001). Final-year students also reported limited training in communication skills, psychosocial care, practical experience, and exposure to oncology settings. Overall, first-year students\u2019 expectations consistently exceeded the training experiences reported by final-year students. These findings demonstrate a discrepancy between expected and perceived preparedness across independent cohorts, highlighting potential gaps in undergraduate psychology education regarding Psycho-Oncology. As outcomes are based on self-perception, these results should not be interpreted as direct measures of competence. Strengthening curricular integration and practical training opportunities may help align educational experiences with students\u2019 expectations and perceived readiness for oncology care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s13187-026-02920-2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T19:04:51Z","timestamp":1781636691000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Perceived Preparedness in Psycho-Oncology: A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Expectations and Training Experiences Among Undergraduate Psychology Students"],"prefix":"10.1007","author":[{"given":"Isabella","family":"de Sousa Lage","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Eduarda Santos","family":"Miranda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pedro Lucas Alvarez","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00edlia","family":"de \u00c1vila Freitas Aguiar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Steffens","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0289-8953","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Paula","family":"Drummond-Lage","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"2920_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.3322\/caac.21834","volume":"74","author":"F Bray","year":"2024","unstructured":"Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A (2024) Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. 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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed about their right to withdraw at any time without penalty.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}},{"value":"The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest concerning the research, authorship, and\/or publication of this article.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}}]}}