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does anybody know anything about this field? What kinds of things are involved? length of programs? lifestyle? etc.
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Radiation Oncology
- Thread starter Floyd77803
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S
Stinky T
I know this is just a brief overview, but it might serve as a starting point.
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Originally posted by Floyd77803:
•does anybody know anything about this field? What kinds of things are involved? length of programs? lifestyle? etc.•
rad onc is the LIFE.
6 yr res, but I know more than a few that work 40 hrs a wk, and pull down 700k+. Midsize (100,000-250,000) cities. BOOYA!!!
Down side..working with dying ppl. C'est la vie!
owcc16
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I am currently going through the application process for Radiation Oncology residency. To answer some of the specific questions that have been raised. Radonc is a 5 year residency. A prelim year in Med, Surg, or a transitional followed by 4 years of radonc training. There are apparently fellowships available, but I don't actually know of any programs offering them. The fellowships are in peds, head & neck, brachytherapy, etc.
The work is primarily clinic based, working up new patients, developing treatment plans, which entails CT sim, designing ports, calculating isodose curves through target volumes as well as important normal structures (medical physicists do most of this). You see the patients receiving treatment and evaluate response and manage complications. There are some OR procedures involving brachytherapy. All in all it involves a little of everything which is one of the attractions. As to hours and compensation, the hours are pretty favorable with fairly benign call, as there are only a few radiation emergencies (SVC syndrome, cord compression, cervical hemorrhage). I don't know of anyone making 750k+ as one poster indicated, but most radonc docs are not impoverished. The most important thing is to base your decision on what you like to do at work rather than what your life outside of work will be like, because regardless of specialty you will spend more time working than not. Hope that helps somewhat. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Later.
The work is primarily clinic based, working up new patients, developing treatment plans, which entails CT sim, designing ports, calculating isodose curves through target volumes as well as important normal structures (medical physicists do most of this). You see the patients receiving treatment and evaluate response and manage complications. There are some OR procedures involving brachytherapy. All in all it involves a little of everything which is one of the attractions. As to hours and compensation, the hours are pretty favorable with fairly benign call, as there are only a few radiation emergencies (SVC syndrome, cord compression, cervical hemorrhage). I don't know of anyone making 750k+ as one poster indicated, but most radonc docs are not impoverished. The most important thing is to base your decision on what you like to do at work rather than what your life outside of work will be like, because regardless of specialty you will spend more time working than not. Hope that helps somewhat. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Later.
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bcc5592, a couple of questions:
1) It sounds like it must be REAL competitive right? I mean the hours and pay as well as procedures should attract even more people than radiology. Is this true?
2) It's not an early match is it? Are there a lot of programs? Frieda lists it as very small with only like 1-2 new residents per year even at BIG places that have huge other departments.
1) It sounds like it must be REAL competitive right? I mean the hours and pay as well as procedures should attract even more people than radiology. Is this true?
2) It's not an early match is it? Are there a lot of programs? Frieda lists it as very small with only like 1-2 new residents per year even at BIG places that have huge other departments.
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1) Yes, it is very competitive. I don't know
the veracity of the reports, but posts on
medschool.com's forum before their demise,
indicated about a 40% match rate in the March
2001 match. Official numbers probably look
better due to the large number of folks that
apply to radonc + some other specialty, which
they do match in.
2) This is part of the reason for the competitiveness of the specialty. There are
very few residency programs, with very few
spots, at mostly top notch schools. I applied to every school in the southeast (- Emory, Duke, and the Miami schools) +
Indiana, Kansas, and a school in Texas. This
added up to eleven programs. There are more
in the NE and California. MD Anderson in
Houston is awesome, but only accepts MD, PhD
candidates from my understanding.
Later.
the veracity of the reports, but posts on
medschool.com's forum before their demise,
indicated about a 40% match rate in the March
2001 match. Official numbers probably look
better due to the large number of folks that
apply to radonc + some other specialty, which
they do match in.
2) This is part of the reason for the competitiveness of the specialty. There are
very few residency programs, with very few
spots, at mostly top notch schools. I applied to every school in the southeast (- Emory, Duke, and the Miami schools) +
Indiana, Kansas, and a school in Texas. This
added up to eleven programs. There are more
in the NE and California. MD Anderson in
Houston is awesome, but only accepts MD, PhD
candidates from my understanding.
Later.
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