Graduate Program in Radiation Oncology
Our radiation oncology residency program is ACGME-accredited and is generally regarded as one of the leading programs in the U.S. Our residency program is a four-year program and has a total of twelve (12) approved positions, ranging from PGY2- PGY5. Our research and teaching facility offer academically-oriented medical school graduates a fast-paced and innovative clinical work environment.
Residency Program in Radiation Oncology
The University of Chicago Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology offers a four year residency program in Radiation Oncology. The residency meets all the requirements of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and is fully accredited by the American Medical Association's Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
The Department is accredited for a total of 12 positions with three openings available each year. Candidates begin at the PGY-2 level and proceed through the PGY-5 level. The program does not routinely offer PGY-1 (internship) positions. Candidates are thus responsible for applying for and completing an internship at an accredited hospital. Internships can be done in a variety of fields including Internal Medicine or Surgery. Transitional programs are also acceptable.
The initial three years of the program are clinical. New residents begin with a six-week orientation course in Radiation Physics and Biology. During the PGY-4 year, one or more residents are designated as Chief Resident(s) and participate in administrative and supervisory responsibilities. Residents are placed on a rotating on-call schedule and cover emergency consultations throughout the Center under attending staff supervision.
The residency is a multi-institutional program and enjoys the combined resources of five medical centers in the metropolitan Chicago area: the University of Chicago Hospitals, the University of Illinois Hospitals, Michael Reese Hospital, LaGrange Memorial Hospital and Weiss Memorial Hospital.
Residents and faculty work closely, in a one-on-one fashion on all clinical services. Residents are encouraged early on to take a leading role in the care of their patients. Weekly multidisciplinary conferences are held jointly with a number of departments including Hematology-Oncology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatric Oncology, Head and Neck Surgery, Neurosurgery, Gynecologic Oncology, Urology and Thoracic Surgery.
An important component of the program is the Departmental Morning Conference at which the residents prepare and present selected cases to the attending staff. The Monday Conference is run by Drs. Weichselbaum and Hellman. Following an overview of the workup and diagnosis, the patient's management is discussed. The appropriate radiotherapeutic, chemotherapeutic and surgical literature is then critically reviewed. The broad nature of the conference exemplifies the program's goal to train residents as "oncologists first and radiotherapists second." Tuesday Conference remains broad in scope yet attempts to focus more on the technical issues of radiotherapeutic management. The didactic schedule is organized around "disease months" ensuring coverage of all major tumor sites during the academic year.
The department hosts a number of seminars and conferences. Chart Rounds are held bimonthly at each of the different centers to review the management of all the new and current patients. Residents present the patient's history summarizing the planned or on-going therapy. Residents also prepare and present at Resident's Seminar, an hour-long discussion of a topic of particular interest. A faculty member serves as an advisor for this seminar. The department participates in three separate monthly journal clubs. The Departmental Journal Club is held over dinner at the University faculty club. Breast Journal Club and Gynecology Oncology Journal Club are held in conjunction with the departments of Surgical Oncology, Gynecology and Hematology-Oncology.
Departmental seminars are presented periodically by Medical Physics and Cancer Biology. Topics range from reviews of issues in medical physics and biology to presentations of a faculty member's current research. A monthly Departmental Seminar is also presented by the attending staff, physicists and biologists. This seminar series fosters interaction and cooperation between the clinical and basic science faculty. Residents meet twice monthly with Dr. Hellman reviewing topics ranging from the history of radiation oncology to selected topics in breast cancer diagnosis and management. The Department arranges periodic visits from noted Radiation Oncologists, Physicists and Biologists from outside the University. All visitors meet with the residents as well as present seminars to the department as a whole.
Electives include Hematology-Oncology, Surgical Oncology and Medical Dosimetry. In addition, all residents have the opportunity to spend a total of 8 weeks outside the department ("offsite rotations") during their final clinical year. Residents use this time to gain further experience in a variety of areas. These rotations have been arranged at centers throughout the United States and in Europe. The department reimburses the residents for all living and transportation expenses. Senior residents are also reimbursed for all expenses of at least one national oncology meeting and any additional meetings at which a presentation is given. Residents are encouraged to pursue a clinical research project during the initial years of their residency. Past efforts have resulted in presentations at national meetings and publications in prestigious journals.
A focus of the University of Chicago Residency program is on basic science research. The final year of the program is thus devoted to research. Due to the wide variety of research and ample laboratories in the department, many residents opt to work under the supervision of one of the department's faculty. As shown in the following sections, the research interests of the department's medical, physics and biology faculty cover a wide spectrum. Residents have also worked in University laboratories outside the department. Recent senior residents have been recipients of prestigious fellowships from the American Cancer Society (ACS), American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Many program graduates have pursued careers in academic radiation oncology. Institutions with University of Chicago alumni include Duke University, Mallinckrodt (Washington University) and the Mayo Clinic. A number of recent graduates have remained at the University of Chicago and are currently on staff. Others have chosen private practice and presently work at centers throughout the Midwest and on both coasts.
All residents are encouraged to participate in clinical research during their residency, and to make oral or poster presentations at ASTRO, ASCO and other national meetings.