The section of Radiation Oncology is excited to have initiated our Medical Physics residency program, with a goal of Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP) accreditation in 2023. Once accredited, we will accept applications for 1 advanced position to begin July 2024.
The section encompasses a top-caliber faculty who employ state-of-the-art technologies to treat more than 1,000 patients annually, both at our primary site on the Lebanon campus and its satellite facility in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Our section prides itself on setting the pace for cancer care in northern New England.
We offer a full panoply of world-class therapies, including:
- Stereotactic radiosurgery
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy
- Real-time target monitoring
- Gated radiation therapy
- HDR and LDR brachytherapy applications across the full range body sites
- A variety of treatments utilizing unsealed sources (e.g. Ra-223, I-131, Y-90)
- Cutting-edge image-guided radiation therapy technologies, such as cone beam CT treatment imaging
- VisionRT surface guided radiation therapy
- 4D-simulation scanning
- Adaptive radiation treatment planning
In 2020 the section started treating patients on northern New England’s first MRI-guided, linear accelerator-based radiation therapy unit, a landmark innovation re-defining image-guided radiation oncology for the 21st century.
We advance technological innovation in radiation oncology and were the first center in the world to image Cherenkov emission from patients during treatment. More recently, we were the first center in the world to demonstrate ultra high dose rate delivery from a modified clinical linear accelerator at normal treatment geometry to investigate the FLASH normal tissue sparing effect.
Beyond these technological resources, the section boasts outstanding people and relationships, both in terms of its core faculty and in terms of its strong affiliations across the Dartmouth campus. Research projects and partnerships extend across the basic sciences at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth College, into Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering and Tuck School of Business, and as far as the Dartmouth Institute, the university’s health care policy think-tank.
Curriculum
Our didactic curriculum includes access to ongoing radiologic physics and radiobiology courses in our affiliated Medical Physics Education Program at Dartmouth College. Residents are afforded the opportunity to co-teach these courses so that the material is reinforced through interactions with graduate students and primary faculty in classroom and laboratory settings. These are designed to prepare the aspiring resident for the written boards radiation oncology physics. Similarly, 2 years' rotations through the clinical services prepare the resident for successful completion of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) oral exams, not to mention engagement in lifelong learning in the advancement of highly competent, professional management of cancer treatment technologies.
An integrated year of elective work provides deep background for the resident’s chosen career path, whether into academics, clinical practice, or industry. In all cases, the curriculum includes literature evaluation, professional ethics, and the technology of radiation oncology treatment. This program forms the basis of our solid commitment to teaching the CAMPEP general competencies. Residents' progress is evaluated quarterly at the completion of each rotation.
Scheduled activities
Residents’ daily work integrates hands-on experience, one-on-one teaching, and core curriculum conferences. Weekly physics meetings are instructive as residents are exposed to the ongoing projects and processes underlying the technical delivery of therapy services.
Residents are encouraged to attend multidisciplinary tumor boards at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, most of which are held weekly. These include faculty representing (for example) General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Thoracic Surgery, ENT, Gynecology, Pediatric Surgery, Hematology/Oncology, Neuro oncology, Pathology, Diagnostic Radiology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonary Medicine, Maternal/Fetal Medicine, Pediatrics, Nutrition, and Social Services.
Also, within our section, residents present periodically at Resident Teaching Conferences, Quality and Safety Rounds, and Journal Clubs. Valuing the advancement of medical knowledge, science, and education, the section participates in the Department of Medicine’s Grand Rounds and Morbidity and Mortality Conferences.
The Dartmouth Cancer Care Pavilion Lebanon holds weekly Grand Rounds, in which the section participates, with residents occasionally presenting. As part of the Grand Rounds, a visiting professor program brings diverse ideas to residents and provides them with international leaders as role models.