BioRads Course during residency?

[sirRad]

I'm just curious what other programs do for their BioRads education during residency who do not have a radiation biologist at their institution for teaching? Seeing if they are any good online review courses/visiting professors that could be recommended.

Thanks!

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[Chartreuse Wombat]

I'm just curious what other programs do for their BioRads education during residency who do not have a radiation biologist at their institution for teaching? Seeing if they are any good online review courses/visiting professors that could be recommended.

Thanks!

This should not happen. The ACGME requirements are quoted verbatim below.

"The faculty must include at least one full-time radiation biologist or cancer biologist (PhD level or equivalent) who devotes the majority of his or her professional time to laboratory-based cancer research and is at the primary clinical site or at an integrated site to provide a scholarly environment of research, and to participate in the teaching of radiation and cancer biology. (Core)"

This is a core requirement.

 

[seper]

Very interesting, thanks.

This should not happen. The ACGME requirements are quoted verbatim below.

"The faculty must include at least one full-time radiation biologist or cancer biologist (PhD level or equivalent) who devotes the majority of his or her professional time to laboratory-based cancer research and is at the primary clinical site or at an integrated site to provide a scholarly environment of research, and to participate in the teaching of radiation and cancer biology. (Core)"

This is a core requirement.

 

[medgator]

This should not happen. The ACGME requirements are quoted verbatim below.

"The faculty must include at least one full-time radiation biologist or cancer biologist (PhD level or equivalent) who devotes the majority of his or her professional time to laboratory-based cancer research and is at the primary clinical site or at an integrated site to provide a scholarly environment of research, and to participate in the teaching of radiation and cancer biology. (Core)"

This is a core requirement.

It wouldn't surprise me with the recent shameless residency expansion that things like having appropriate radbio faculty, brachy volume, srs/sbrt volume etc takes a backseat to rubber stamping programs as quickly as possible

 

[Chartreuse Wombat]

It wouldn't surprise me with the recent shameless residency expansion that things like having appropriate radbio faculty, brachy volume, srs/sbrt volume etc takes a backseat to rubber stamping programs as quickly as possible

I served for six years on the Radiation Oncology RRC in the last decade and I doubt that there is any rubber stamping going on. Opening programs and expanding programs involve an administrative process where the program must provide evidence that all current requirements are met. I oppose further expansion in the resident complement in 2018, and have felt this way for the past three years as the evidence accumulates that we are overtraining. The personal preferences of the RRC members vis-a-vis expansion is immaterial to the process. If the programs meet the requirements the ACGME must approve.

 

[thecarbonionangle]

I served for six years on the Radiation Oncology RRC in the last decade and I doubt that there is any rubber stamping going on. Opening programs and expanding programs involve an administrative process where the program must provide evidence that all current requirements are met. I oppose further expansion in the resident complement in 2018, and have felt this way for the past three years as the evidence accumulates that we are overtraining. The personal preferences of the RRC members vis-a-vis expansion is immaterial to the process. If the programs meet the requirements the ACGME must approve.

As a pd for a long time, how many times did you expand your program? Why did you do it? Why did it take you so long (recently) to change your mind? What do you tell your PD colleagues about this alarming expansion trend?

It is not surpising places do not have a radiobiologist. I saw this on the interview trail. Many places have very poor didactics. Its a shame that leaders supposedly know this and do nothing about this. These “programs” dont deserve to exist. They should be closed down and the residents transfered to better programs. Its a shame rampant expansion continues. What are you doing to help in your position of power?

 

[thecarbonionangle]

If the programs meet the requirements the ACGME must approve.

By any chance, Sir, any relationship to Johny Cochran? If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit!

 

[Chartreuse Wombat]

As a pd for a long time, how many times did you expand your program? Why did you do it? Why did it take you so long (recently) to change your mind? What do you tell your PD colleagues about this alarming expansion trend?

It is not surpising places do not have a radiobiologist. I saw this on the interview trail. Many places have very poor didactics. Its a shame that leaders supposedly know this and do nothing about this. These “programs” dont deserve to exist. They should be closed down and the residents transfered to better programs. Its a shame rampant expansion continues. What are you doing to help in your position of power?

Answering your questions-
I have been a PD for nearly two decades (two programs) and expanded a program once-in 1999 I believe (from 6 to 8).
I am no longer a PD but refused to expand the second program I led in the last five years despite faculty and resident requests to do so.
If asked I tell everyone that we are training too many people and that this is a very bad thing on several levels. The only stakeholder that wins in the too many doctors, not enough patients scenario is the hospital. Tragedy of the commons comes to Radiation Oncology.
I have no position of power; the hospitals and payors have all of the power and money.

 

[evilbooyaa]

I served for six years on the Radiation Oncology RRC in the last decade and I doubt that there is any rubber stamping going on. Opening programs and expanding programs involve an administrative process where the program must provide evidence that all current requirements are met. I oppose further expansion in the resident complement in 2018, and have felt this way for the past three years as the evidence accumulates that we are overtraining. The personal preferences of the RRC members vis-a-vis expansion is immaterial to the process. If the programs meet the requirements the ACGME must approve.

This has been hashed out somewhat frequently in the past, and but I've never received an acceptable answer. Why is there no committee (out of SCAROP, RRC, all the other letter salad of 'committees' we have) to play any sort of role in this? The fact that nobody in RO leadership is willing to step up and address this problem on a national scale continues to be disappointing.

 

[pikachu]

By any chance, Sir, any relationship to Johny Cochran? If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit!

If what the OP states is correct and there is NO PhD level radiobiology or cancer biology faculty affiliated with the program to provide instruction, the program shouldn't have been approved, rubber stamping or not. ACGME periodic reviews might identify this deficiency, which likely would lead to a citation of the program at a minimum. But that doesn't really help the OP much for board prep.There is the U Maryland radiobiology/physics review course which is usually offered annually in the spring. Unfortunately it has passed for this year; I don't know if they offer online videos or other resources. 15th Annual Radiobiology and Physics Review Course | University of Maryland School of Medicine

 

[thecarbonionangle]

Answering your questions-
I have been a PD for nearly two decades (two programs) and expanded a program once-in 1999 I believe (from 6 to 8).
I am no longer a PD but refused to expand the second program I led in the last five years despite faculty and resident requests to do so.
If asked I tell everyone that we are training too many people and that this is a very bad thing on several levels. The only stakeholder that wins in the too many doctors, not enough patients scenario is the hospital. Tragedy of the commons comes to Radiation Oncology.
I have no position of power; the hospitals and payors have all of the power and money.

I'm curious weather your refusal to expand played a part in you no longer being PD and if your replacement turned around and did the bidding of everyone around you. It sounds like you were against overwhelming forces around you (even the residents?!) wanting you to do the wrong thing. I commend you for not doing it. Its unfortunate you are no longer there because people with your thinking are precisely the people that we need leading residency programs.

 

[Chartreuse Wombat]

I'm curious weather your refusal to expand played a part in you no longer being PD and if your replacement turned around and did the bidding of everyone around you. It sounds like you were against overwhelming forces around you (even the residents?!) wanting you to do the wrong thing. I commend you for not doing it. Its unfortunate you are no longer there because people with your thinking are precisely the people that we need leading residency programs.

Short answer is no. The current PD has not expanded. The faculty are slowly being persuaded that complement increase is unwise and if there are clinical needs then APP is a better solution (though they do cost more the hospital has been willing to pay for them). Residents are turning as well as they realize that the job market is tightening.