The program in Radiation Oncology offers education and training in the science and art of Radiation Oncology. In addition to offering clinical training, it allows opportunities and encourages academic pursuits. It offers individualized training, helping each resident to achieve his/her specific goals in preparing for an academic career or for private practice.

Residency Program

Candidates enter the residency program at the PG 2 level, having completed a PG 1 year (such as a rotating or flexible internship) at this or some other institution. Applicants for the program can be interviewed either during the fall of their fourth year in medical school or during their PG 1 year (preferably the former). An applicant who successfully interviews during the medical school year 4 will be offered a position at the PG 2 level with the understanding that a suitable PG 1 training program will be arranged by the applicant. A total of 4 residency positions are available. All training programs in the country have moved to a mandatory four-year program in radiation oncology starting in July 1996.

Residents in Radiation Oncology spend 36 months in clinical radiation oncology, two months in hematology/medical oncology to include adult and pediatric patients, one month in Pediatric Radiation Oncology, and one month in surgical pathology. Beyond the 40 months specified above, in depth exercises in a selected area applicable to clinical radiation oncology is encouraged including 1 month in diagnostic radiology and 1 month in physics. A research component, either clinical or basic laboratory research is required. Up to 6 months can be spent in a research activity. Rotations in other radiation oncology departments at outside hospitals is also allowed up to 6 months.

The responsibilities of the Radiation Oncology residents, including the chief resident, are described under the specific sections.

The Department of Radiation Oncology is within the University of Kansas Medical Center. The clinical core curriculum includes experience with gastrointestinal, gynecologic, genitourinary, reticuloendothelial, breast, soft tissue and bone, skin, head & neck, lung, pediatric and central nervous system tumors. In addition, the curriculum provides instruction in the physics, biology and clinical applicability of the following areas: radiosurgery, conformal therapy, 3-dimensional treatment planning, radioimmunotherapy, total body irradiation as used in bone marrow transplantation, total skin irradiation, low-dose-rate and high-dose-rate brachytherapy, plaque therapy, particle therapy, intravascular brachytherapy and any others that may be developed, as they apply to the core curriculum.

The Department of Radiation Oncology is staffed by four full-time clinical faculty members; one Ph.D. physicist, and one M.S. physicist, two dosimetrists; one Ph.D. radiation biologist; four full-time R.N.’s; six board-certified R.T. technologists. We treat 40-50 patients per day and see approximately 800 new patients per year, together with approximately 1,000 patients in follow-up. The Department sees a broad spectrum of clinical cases and has an active brachytherapy program with both low-dose-rate and high-dose-rate, in the treatment of breast, prostate, gynecologic and head and neck cancers. The Department also performs stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

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