ASTRO's 2007 Core Physics Curriculum for Radiation Oncology Residents
- Washington University, St. Louis, MO (United States)
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
- Saint Joseph Medical Center, Reading, PA (United States)
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)
In 2004, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) published a curriculum for physics education. The document described a 54-hour course. In 2006, the committee reconvened to update the curriculum. The committee is composed of physicists and physicians from various residency program teaching institutions. Simultaneously, members have associations with American Association of Physicists in Medicine, ASTRO, Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology, American Board of Radiology, and American College of Radiology. Representatives from the latter two organizations are key to provide feedback between the examining organizations and ASTRO. Subjects are based on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements (particles and hyperthermia), whereas the majority of subjects and appropriated hours/subject were developed by consensus. The new curriculum is 55 hours, containing new subjects, redistribution of subjects with updates, and reorganization of core topics. For each subject, learning objectives are provided, and for each lecture hour, a detailed outline of material to be covered is provided. Some changes include a decrease in basic radiologic physics, addition of informatics as a subject, increase in intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and migration of some brachytherapy hours to radiopharmaceuticals. The new curriculum was approved by the ASTRO board in late 2006. It is hoped that physicists will adopt the curriculum for structuring their didactic teaching program, and simultaneously, American Board of Radiology, for its written examination. American College of Radiology uses the ASTRO curriculum for their training examination topics. In addition to the curriculum, the committee added suggested references, a glossary, and a condensed version of lectures for a Postgraduate Year 2 resident physics orientation. To ensure continued commitment to a current and relevant curriculum, subject matter will be updated again in 2 years.
- OSTI ID:
- 20953582
- Journal Information:
- International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 68, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2007.01.068; PII: S0360-3016(07)00545-7; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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