This residency program is for 5 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

Transition to Discipline

Our residency program begins with an introduction to the discipline of radiation oncology. Residents will be exposed over approximately 2 months to the practice of radiation oncology and the planning and delivery of radiation therapy. Residents will work in clinics in radiation oncology. They will also be exposed to simulation procedures for radiation therapy, planning of radiation therapy, delivery of therapy and on treatment-appointments.

Half-day teaching will be geared towards introductory topics for junior learners in radiation oncology as well as teaching in hospital information technology, communication skills and radiation safety as some examples.

Foundations

The subsequent approximately 14 months are an opportunity to acquire competencies in the care of the medical and surgical patient with some emphasis on oncology patients. Residents will spend blocks in general internal medicine and general surgery as well as sub-specialty medicine (including medical oncology) and sub-specialty surgery. There will also be rotations in palliative medicine and radiology and pathology.

Core

Approximately 3 years are spent on the core of the discipline of radiation oncology. Residents will become competent in the radiation oncology consultation including recommendations for treatment and consent discussions. Managing patients during treatment and follow up planning will also occur. All body sites within the discipline will be covered. At the beginning of the core rotations, residents will learn a number of sites at once. As they progress through core, rotations will be become more site specific for them to solidify their knowledge.

Core will also involve some research scholarship and elective opportunities.

At the completion of the phase of training, residents will take the Royal College exam.

Transition to Practice

For the last 6-12 months of residency, the focus will be on running an independent practice in radiation oncology. Residents will have supervision but will function more independently to prepare for the logistics of running a practice including other roles and responsibilities outside of clinic.

There may be additional opportunities to pursue particular interests including treatment techniques such as SABR or brachytherapy, or further research career development.

Core Academic Activities

Clinical Oncology

–Academic half day is organized into site specific months where teaching focuses on a certain body site.

–Within each month, there is teaching from senior residents, staff radiation oncologists who focus on clinical or radiotherapy planning, and a physics case focused on the planning aspects of the site.

Radiobiology

–Second year residents (early in Core) are funded to attend the University of Toronto Radiobiology course

Physics

–Second year residents (early in Core) participate in a weekly introductory physics course taught by a medical physicist

–Physics-based radiotherapy planning cases occur monthly during academic ½ day

–Physics rotation occurs later in Core exposing residents to planning techniques and quality assurance.

Pathology

–case-based teaching with clinical and pathological input during tumor board conferences and teaching during pathology rotation

Radiology

–introduction to normal and abnormal radiological anatomy during tumor board conferences and teaching during radiology rotation

Palliative Care

–month-long rotations in palliative care medicine

Epidemiology/Clinical trials design/Biostatistics

–Journal club monthly during academic ½ day taught by staff experienced in critical appraisal.

-additional teaching in halfday on biostatistics and clinical trial design

Research
All residents complete at least one scholarly project. There is a resident research director who is approachable and meets with each resident annually to discuss appropriate projects for them. Each year at the Department of Radiation Oncology academic day,  residents present their annual research projects.

Residents are encouraged to present their research projects at national and international meetings, and publish their work.

The BC Cancer Research Centre and the Genome Science Centre have tight collaboration with the Radiation Oncology Department and BC Cancer. BC Cancer has a number of large population based databases that can be used for clinical outcomes research. Residents have also successfully completed projects in a number of different areas including machine learning, patient education, and quality assurance. Research activities are encouraged and supported by the Program Director, Department Head and Radiation Oncology Staff provincially.