Purpose
Pathway programs at health professions schools have proven to be an effective way of increasing student interest in STEM fields, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds in STEM/medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how a new two-day interactive cancer biology session and a bingo game in our diversity-focused pathway programs for grades 7-12 affected their knowledge acquisition, perceptions, and career aspirations.

Methods
Day 1 included a lecture and flowchart activities, while Day 2 was a bingo game. Assessments were conducted before Day 1 (pre-test), before Day 2 (pre-game), and after Day 2 (post-test,) and only students who completed all three were used in the analysis (n=69). For student perceptions, post-surveys were used, and data were analyzed using SPSS V29.

Results
A one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc indicated there was a non-significant increase in scores from the pre-test (4.41±1.97) to the pre-game test (5.29±2.46) and from the pre-game to the post-test (6.17±2.43). There was a significant increase from the pre-test to the post-test (p<0.001). Post-survey data (n=82) showed most students reported they were more interested in careers in medicine (63%) and science (65%) after the sessions. Overall, 5-point Likert scale data showed that students enjoyed the sessions (3.75±1.02), and the content was not too difficult (2.88±1.09).

Conclusion
This study found that the cancer biology content was enjoyable and achievable for the students. Data also demonstrates that the combination of an interactive cancer biology session plus the addition of a collaborative bingo game significantly improved the post-test performance. Moreover, early exposure to cancer biology can set a foundation for students from educational or socioeconomic disadvantaged backgrounds to boost their interest in STEM, as well as various health and science careers.