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Department of Radiation Medicine & Applied Sciences Radiation Medicine

Clinical Rotations

UC San Diego's Radiation Oncology Residency Program provides a comprehensive training experience that encompasses clinical radiation oncology, radiobiology, and radiation physics, as required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Clinical rotations are arranged on a 3-month block schedule. In an apprenticeship model, the resident is paired with one (very rarely two) attending during each rotation; each attending has a dedicated nurse case manager and administrative assistant. Every attending has a primary disease-site concentration. Residents focus their reading and clinical learning on the designated disease-site.

Starting the first day of residency, residents are involved in all aspects of clinical radiation oncology. Residents will see patients in the outpatient clinic, where patients present for initial consultation and return for follow-up care. Several disease sites, including head and neck, are composed of a multi-disciplinary clinic, including surgical and medical oncologists. Following initial consult, residents are involved in all aspects of the treatment planning, from ensuring proper simulation to contouring to reviewing treatment plans, under supervision by the attending physician in a graduated autonomy model. Residents present their own patients and describe the treatment plans at weekly chart rounds. Residents are also involved in weekly on-treatment visits and provide continuity of care for their patients throughout treatment and follow-up.

Example Resident Rotation Schedule

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4
Year 1 Dr. Sandhu
Lung
Dr. Murphy
GI
Dr. Rose
GU
Dr. Mell
Head & Neck
Year 2 Dr. Mayadev
GYN
Dr. Sanghvi
Hematology
Dr. Hattangadi
CNS
Dr. Rash
GYN
Year 3 Research Research Research Research
Year 4 Dr. Yashar
Breast
Encinitas
Satellite
Dr. Macewan
Peds / Protons
Dr. Sherer
GU

Rotations

End of Rotation Exams

Each rotation ends with a formal “boards style” oral examination, performed by attendings for the treatment site. The exam is not tailored to the year of the resident but instead exposes all residents to an actual exam scored on the traditional 5-point scale and delivered without prompts or feedback, allowing residents to gauge their progress throughout the residency.