A radiation oncologist specializes in treating cancer with various forms of radiation.
A radiation oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancer through the use of radiation, administered via specialized machines and technologies. Radiation oncologists are trained doctors who have already completed their medical degrees and want to specialize in the treatment of cancer through radiation. The graduate classes and residency requirements usually take at least four years and include both clinical oncology and radiation oncology. Eighty-five colleges in the United States offer accredited graduate programs in radiation oncology approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), including several prominent academic institutions.
Johns Hopkins
The program takes four years and starts once a candidate has successfully completed one year of postgraduate residency after medical school. The training takes place at two sites in the Baltimore area and is comprised of approximately three years of clinical rotations in prescribed study areas, plus a year of electives. Students can also study dosimetry as an elective in addition to their allotted dosimetry training as part of their mandatory training. Residents work no more than eight hours per week and are exempt from being on call for the first two months of their residency.
Harvard University
This program takes four years, which include three years of clinical experience in three-month rotation periods at a consortia of hospitals in the Boston area, including the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), and Massachusetts General, with the fourth year focused on research. Students are required to participate in daily conferences on patient management and are required to present their own seminars for an hour each year on a topic of particular medical significance. Courses include cancer biology and radiation physics.
University of California, Los Angeles
The UCLA radiation oncology residency program lasts four years and begins once a candidate has completed a year of postgraduate residency after medical school. Residents are required to gain clinical experience in all areas of radiation oncology at the Los Angeles area hospitals linked to the residency program and may request placement at other hospitals if they wish to specialize in pediatric oncology. A year of research must be conducted in the second or third year. Students are required to participate in daily rounds and regular conferences.
Weill Cornell Medical Center Radiation Oncology Residency Program
Students undertake a four-year program after completing a year of postgraduate residency after medical school. Student rotate in 12-week blocks through a variety of hospitals in the New York City area to gain clinical experience. They will be expected to attend all seminars and meetings, and conferences as well. Each resident takes a turn in serving as chief resident for their year. By their final year, they will be required to mentor new residents starting their radiation oncology course. Various specialties are available within the program, such as pediatric oncology and prostate cancer therapies.
Tags: radiation oncology, four years, after medical, after medical school, clinical experience, medical school, postgraduate residency
