Radiation Oncology Residency

The residency program in Radiation Oncology at the Ohio State University, Veterinary Medical Center provides advanced clinical training and specialization in the diagnosis and treatment of oncologic diseases of small and large animals (with a focus on those cancers managed with radiation therapy) under the supervision of board-certified Radiation Oncologists. The residency is a 3-year clinical residency program leading to a Certificate of Residency. The radiation facilities include a Siemens Oncor linear accelerator with 160-leaf MLC, 6MV photons and 6-21MeV electrons, capable of on-board CT imaging, IMRT and SRS. This is accessible to both small and large animal patients. I-131 and SR90 therapy are also performed on site. In house state-of-the-art three-dimensional treatment planning computer software (Varian Eclipse) and RT patient management software (ARIA) are also available.

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Objectives

• Develop clinical proficiency in the specialty of Radiation Oncology.
• The program will prepare the resident for board certification by the American College of Veterinary Radiology and is intended to qualify the trainee in the therapeutic use of ionizing radiation; a thorough understanding of radiation biology and physics; basic aspects of medical and surgical oncology; imaging techniques that are a critical part of state-of-the-art radiation oncology for assessing the stage of the disease; planning treatment; and determining response to treatment. Specific objectives of the Radiation Oncology Training Program can be found on the ACVR Web Site; http://www.acvr.org/

Prerequisites and application (see Residency Program Handbook)

• All potential residents must meet the minimum requirements and qualifications (see Residency Program Handbook)
• Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. the Ohio State University cannot sponsor or process F, J, or H-1B visa applications for resident positions. We also cannot accept TN visas. Successful applicants must be available to report to The Ohio State University Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences no later than the scheduled beginning of the program.
• Applicants must be graduates of an AVMA-recognized College or School of Veterinary Medicine and have completed a one-year rotating internship or acceptable equivalent clinical experience.
• All requirements must be met to hold and maintain a limited license to practice Veterinary medicine in the State of Ohio – click here for information on licensure requirements.
• For those residents who chose to enroll in an optional Master of Science degree program, current admission requirements include:
  • a minimum 3.0 GPA for all undergraduate coursework 
  • a minimum 3.0 GPA for professional (veterinary degree) studies;
  • a minimum 3.3 GPA for all graduate coursework;

Employment and benefits (see Residency Program Handbook)

• Salary
• Health insurance
• Book/travel allowance
• Personal + Professional days leave (from policy)
• External consultation and employment
• Licensure or limited licensure in Ohio
• Tuition assistance

Orientation

• During the first 2 days at the commencement of the residency program, all incoming residents participate in a comprehensive orientation program (see the Residency Program Handbook) to introduce them to the department, college and university, complete necessary documentation, and to facilitate integration into our program and activities. Specific orientation to the Radiation Oncology and Integrated Oncology service will follow the general orientation.

Clinical service responsibilities

• The resident will assume primary case responsibility for all radiation oncology patients and will manage them under the guidance of a faculty member.
• The resident will spend a 2-week rotation in Anesthesia in the beginning of the program to become familiar with appropriate anesthetic protocols for radiation oncology patients.
• The resident will spend 2 months specifically performing Medical Oncology and 1 month on the Diagnostic Imaging service. 

Teaching responsibilities

• The resident is expected to participate in the clinical teaching of senior veterinary students rotating through Integrated Oncology.
• Once the resident is comfortable, they will be expected to provide rounds reviewing basic radiation therapy principles with the Oncology students once each rotation.
• It is also expected that the resident will assist the faculty member in the training of interns and Medical Oncology residents that rotate through the Radiation Oncology service.

Educational opportunities

• The resident will be provided the opportunity to obtain information in radiation biology, cancer biology, and radiation physics through a structured book review overseen by the Radiation Oncology faculty.  The resident will learn the indications for use and interpretative skills in diagnostic radiology and other specialized imaging modalities under the direction of board-certified radiologists. 
• Original research or clinical investigation leading to scholarly publications
• The program enjoys a relationship with the Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital at the OSU Medical Center. Medical physics support and other coursework are available through the Radiation Oncology service at the James Cancer Hospital.
• The resident will be provided the opportunity to attend the ACVR and the VCS Annual Scientific meetings yearly. It is expected that the results of a research project will be presented at one of these meetings prior to the conclusion of the program.

Research and scholarly activity

• The resident will demonstrate an understanding of research design by successfully completing a research project. Residents are expected to prepare and submit results of their research at a national meeting. 

Evaluations (see Residency Program Handbook)

• Formal resident performance evaluations are completed by December 1st and June 1st each year. Details of the nature and structure of these evaluations can be found in the Residency Program Handbook.
• The resident shall be evaluated by the radiation oncology faculty, the medical oncology faculty and other faculty members with which the resident has significant interaction.

Specialty college requirements

• According to the ACVR requirements for training programs the resident will be involved in:
  • Formulation of treatment plans, calculation of dose, and administration of treatment for patients with solid tumors. This should include experience in generating treatment plans (both by hand calculation and treatment-planning computer) for external beam irradiation with orthovoltage and megavoltage photons as well as treatment plans for patients treated with brachytherapy. External beam planning experience must include treatment with multiple beams, arranged in configurations other than parallel opposed, and modified by wedges and beam-shaping blocks. A minimum number of patients treated during the training program is unnecessary since the overall quality of the training program must focus on the intensity of training rather than sheer numbers of patients treated.

Expectations

• The resident is expected to follow all departmental, college, and university rules related to employment by The Ohio State University. The resident is expected to fulfill within 3 years from the beginning of the program all residency training requirements of the department and the ACVR.
• The resident can expect that the department, college and faculty will provide the educational experience, support, and training for the resident to successfully apply for diplomate status in the ACVR.
• The resident is expected to begin and maintain steady board preparation by reviewing and answering the objectives available on the ACVR website.

Updated 8/25/21