Clinical Training
Clinical rotations are team-focused with residents assigned to physician faculty who focus on limited specialty areas. During the clinical rotation, residents, under the direction of the physician faculty, are responsible for management of the patient's course of radiotherapy, including initial patient workup, simulation, port film reviews, weekly treatment visits, and follow-up.
The rotation schedule is defined by the Program Director and is structured in a manner that enables residents to meet ACGME / RRC requirements. Residents are evaluated by faculty at the conclusion of each rotation and a semi-annual review is conducted by the program director.
The program requires residents to complete a research project, clinical or basic, as approved by the program director. A special rotation with adjusted clinical responsibilities is provided to each resident during their 4-year training program in order to provide the opportunity for expanded research time.
Didactic lectures include courses in physics, radiobiology, and biostatistics as well as resident didactic presentations, Journal Club, Chairman's Rounds, faculty lectures and Grand Rounds. Chart rounds, new patient conference, morbidity and mortality conference, brachytherapy rounds and multidisciplinary team conferences are held at each practice site and residents attend during their rotations. Knowledge is tested via administration of RAPHEX, RABEX and the American College of Radiology's In-Training Examination.
PGY-2 residents are provided with a personal library consisting of the following publications: AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Basic Clinical Radiobiology (Joiner, vanderKogel), Pediatric Radiation Oncology (Halperin), Clinical Radiation Oncology (Gunderson, Tepper), Medical Statistics at a Glance (Petrie, Sabin), The Physics and Technology of Radiation Therapy (McDermott), and Radiobiology for the Radiologist (Hall). In addition, they receive a book allowance during their PGY-3 and 4 years.
Residents are encouraged to attend national conferences. All residents attend ASTRO during the PGY-3 year at department expense. The department also covers expenses for residents who are invited to present at major national conferences. Departmental funding is available at a level of $1,500 per year to support education-related expenses.