Vanderbilt Center for Radiation Oncology
Residency Program
Applications for residency physicians in Radiation Oncology will be reviewed by the Program Director and an Associate Resident Directors. After review, applications with records indicate that they might be potential candidates for the position will be offered interviews. At the time of interview, the Chairman, Program Director, and an Associate Residency Directors will interview applicants. In addition, they will interview with one other faculty member and one current Radiation Oncology resident. Based on the interview scores, a rank will be generated from a committee consisting of a Chairman, Program Director, and other faculty invited to interview applicants. We participate in the match program.
The objective of the residency in Radiation Oncology at Vanderbilt University is to educate and train physicians to be skillful in the practice of Radiation Oncology and to be caring and compassionate in the treatment of patients. Residents will be trained in the multidisciplinary management of cancer patients and will learn to collaborate closely with physicians in related disciplines and become familiar with their role in the management of the patient.
The primary focus of the Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program is education in radiation medicine including oncology, tissue ablation, benign diseases and intravascular brachytherapy. The secondary goal is training in cancer research. The residents will be trained in tumor biology, physiology and the study of novel targets for cancer treatment. The residents will not be considered providers of service to Radiation Oncologists or any other attendings at Vanderbilt University. The residents will be considered trainees and not service providers. This is especially exemplified at Vanderbilt University where the Radiation Oncology attendings presently provide all of the service to referring physicians and patients. Therefore, our workload is presently structured so that the attendings are considered the service providers.
The Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program at Vanderbilt University will specifically train physicians for a career in academics. Research in physical sciences, biological sciences, and clinical sciences will be a requirement. Residents are expected to publish two papers during the course of residency and to participate in research for twelve months.
- Diagnosis, patient evaluation, staging, recommending treatment, and implementation
- Megavoltage radiotherapy and electron beam
- Computerized Treatment Planning
- Construction of treatment aids
- Brachytherapy implantation and dose calculation
- Radiosurgery for neoplasms, adenomas, meningiomas, arteriovenous malformations and nasopharyngial carcinomas.
- Radioimmunotherapy
- Plaque therapy
- Conformal and/or 3 dimensional treatment planning
- Total skin irradiation for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Total body irradiation as preparation for bone marrow transplantation
- HDR brachytherapy
- Quality assurance program, such as chart rounds and port film checks.
Classroom Education: Radiation Biology, Molecular Biology Biology Laboratory: molecular techniques, cell biology and animal tumor models Physics Laboratory: calibration and monitoring of equipment and radiation safety procedures, such as safe handling of isotopes
Residents will attend 7 radiation oncology conferences per week. These include two multidisciplinary conferences per week in two sub-specialties (depending upon attending rotation), radiation biology, physics, quality assurance (chart rounds), new patient management conference (morning conference) and radiation oncology seminar series which will include resident seminars, dosimetry conference, morbidity and mortality and radiation oncology grand rounds.
Research space that is available to residents includes 6,500 sq. ft. of radiation biology research space and 1000 sq. ft. of physics and dosimetry research space. Special research facilities include radiation biology laboratory for the treatment of animal tumor models and cells in culture. Residents will also participate on all Cancer Center Core Laboratories including Molecular Recognition, Mass Spectrometry, Cell Imaging, Micro Array, Laser Dissection and Electron Microscopy (attachments). Special clinical research facilities include imaging modalities in radiology for 3 dimensional treatment planning and intensity modulated radiation therapy. The radiation biology space has recently been renovated. There are 6 offices for radiation biology faculty, an administrative area, and a conference room. There are 4 research laboratories ranging in size from 1000 to 2000 sq ft. The laboratories contain standard cell and molecular biology equipment: eg., PCR machines, sequencing equipment, equipment to run Southerns, Northern, and Westerns, a fluorescent microscope. In addition, the laboratories contain apparatus for analysis of DNA damage: single stranded breaks, double strand breaks (both AFIGE & CHEF), DNA protein cross links. The support laboratories consist of an equipment room that houses an ultracentrifuge, a J2-21, a centrifical evaporator, spectrophotometer, -80 freezers, gel drying apparatus, scintillation counter, a temperature controlled shaker for growing bacteria, and a particle counter. Other support laboratories include a room for cleaning and sterilizing glassware, a darkroom, 2 tissue culture rooms , and a room designed for animal surgery and histology. The facility has 2 additional rooms: one that houses a 5000 Ci Co 60 source and one that houses a 4000 Ci Cs 137 source.
Applications are through : http://www.aamc.org/students/eras/start.htm
