Brachytherapy Training Courses for physicians out of residency

[RedRad]

I am currently in my last year of residency and the few practices that I am strongly considering joining are willing to send me for 1-2 week long training courses for either permanent seed prostate brachy or HDR brachytherapy after I start practicing.

Does anyone specifically know what centers offer such training courses for physicians out of residency? Also, are their any training courses for modalities other than brachytherapy that anybody would recommend?

Thank you

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[clintpark]

I am currently in my last year of residency and the few practices that I am strongly considering joining are willing to send me for 1-2 week long training courses for either permanent seed prostate brachy or HDR brachytherapy after I start practicing.

Does anyone specifically know what centers offer such training courses for physicians out of residency? Also, are their any training courses for modalities other than brachytherapy that anybody would recommend?

Thank you

Seattle Prostate Institute would be my recommendation for permanent LDR implants. They lost a few docs, but they are still the king of prostate implants.

 

[RedRad]

Thanks for the heads up Clint! Any centers you would recommend for HDR training?

 

[Radonc90]

HDR is on the way down (discomfort to pts). I used to do a lot of HDR.
Now back to permanent implants.

Which city are you in?

 

[RedRad]

Is HDR really on the way down? With improved patient convenience, good early outcomes, as well as higher reimbursement rates, I was under the impression that it has increasingly been adopted by radiation oncologists.

Are there any centers that provide training courses in HDR for post-residency physicians?

 

[deleted4401]

There was a program sponsored by Nucletron for HDR. Very unprofessional - when I applied, I asked about whether I was accepted or not, about 10 times she told me the decision was about to be made (over the course of 3 months). They never even sent a rejection letter, and the lady there never told me what the heck happened.

Some places do a lot of HDR for prostate. I bet reimbursement for it varies by state, so certain places will do a lot and others will do none. I heard in Atlanta that almost every patient that is treated by the large private practice group for prostate cancer gets and HDR boost.

-S

 

[Gfunk6]

Are there any centers that provide training courses in HDR for post-residency physicians?

Yeah, they're called fellowships!

With improved patient convenience, good early outcomes, as well as higher reimbursement rates, I was under the impression that it has increasingly been adopted by radiation oncologists.

The problem is that high-quality HDR is hard to do outside the context of an academic medical center or a large private group that specializes in it. Personally, I would rather not have my HDR done by a private guy who does a couple procedures a month.

 

[Wallachia]

Are you starting a HDR program or just taking over. If the latter, the best way is to do some with the guy retiring. No amount of fellowship training will be the same as taking care of your own patients.

 

[Mandelin Rain]

So I get the the standard, boilerplate/sarcastic comment will be about "Do a fellowship!", but let's please move past that. Looking for actual, real-world solutions for a guy with a job, and house, and family.

Since this thread is 6 years old, are there any current, high quality training courses for practicing docs who want to establish/refresh technical skill for an LDR prostate and GYN HDR program? The program itself is already established, but could always be improved.

I see the the ABS offers a Prostate and GYN school alternating every two years? Are these worthwhile? Are they hands on, i.e. skill based?

Are there any such courses that offer week long courses with supervised hands-on experience without a 2 year wait?

 

[medgator]

Astro has a hands on brachy course this year, not sure of utility or if it's even open at this point to sign up

 

[Chartreuse Wombat]

Full disclosure-I am a member of the American Brachytherapy Society have held multiple positions on the ABS board and participated as a faculty member in several ABS sponsored workshops.

The ABS has 1-2 week fellowships for senior residents and junior faculty interested in developing their skills in HDR and LDR brachytherapy.

Information at link below

https://www.americanbrachytherapy.org/fellowship/index.cfm