Clinical training

The Advanced Radiation Oncology Fellowship has flexibility in order to fit the clinical or basic science needs of individual trainees. If you select a clinical fellowship, you rotate with appropriate staff for your areas of interest. The rotations generally last three months.

During clinical rotations, you are directly involved with the evaluation, workup and treatment of new patients. This includes doing complete histories and physical examinations; getting acquainted with the important pathological, radiological and clinical features involved with patients' malignancies; and presenting patients and treatment approaches to staff physicians.

In addition, during clinical training, you are expected to:

• Participate in the care of patients seen by staff physicians for malignant and benign conditions
• Acquire knowledge about the epidemiology, natural history, presentation and clinical findings, anatomical considerations, staging evaluation, and system of each malignancy type
• Develop treatment approaches for each tumor type and understand the complications and outcomes expected for treatment
• Learn the technical skill required in the treatment of patients (you are directly involved in the simulation and treatment of the patients under your care, and you learn brachytherapy skills as applied to each patient)
• Participate in the follow-up evaluation of patients who have completed therapy and learn about expected outcomes for the disease, as well as the complications associated with treatment
• Develop an overall understanding of the management of malignant diseases and some benign conditions that use radiation therapy
• Present patient cases in morning conference on a regular basis
• Present a 45- to 50-minute oral presentation annually at morning conference on a topic of your choice regarding a specific malignancy or aspect of cancer treatment
• Participate in a monthly journal club

Research training

If you select a basic science research fellowship, you conduct a project that is reasonable to accomplish within one to two years. This project is reviewed and approved by your mentor.

All fellows participate in a research project during their fellowship. This may be basic science or clinical in nature. The project should have the potential for publication and presentation.

Evaluation

To ensure you gain proficiency and develop the corresponding technical skills, your performance is monitored throughout the Advanced Radiation Oncology Fellowship. You are formally evaluated by your supervising faculty member after completing each clinical rotation. You meet with the program director to review the evaluations. In addition, you regularly evaluate the faculty to ensure your educational goals are being met.