Quality of Radiotherapy Workforce Training within the USA

R Mulherkar; D C Ling; R Tendulkar; M R Kamrava; S Beriwal

doi:10.1016/j.clon.2024.01.019

Quality of Radiotherapy Workforce Training within the USA

Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2024 Feb 2:S0936-6555(24)00048-7. doi: 10.1016/j.clon.2024.01.019. Online ahead of print.

Authors

R Mulherkar¹, D C Ling², R Tendulkar³, M R Kamrava⁴, S Beriwal⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiation Oncology, AHN Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: sushilberiwal@gmail.com.

PMID: 38331669
DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2024.01.019

Abstract

The training, competency requirements and scope of practice of professionals within a radiation oncology department vary across countries. The purpose of this review is to shed light on the current status of radiotherapy training in the USA by discussing current benchmarks for medical residency, physics residency, radiation therapy and dosimetry training programmes. Although there are notable strengths, the US radiotherapy workforce training system also faces several challenges when it comes to standardising education to develop a competent workforce that meets societal needs. Continued efforts are needed at a systemic level to improve training in areas such as brachytherapy and proton therapy, promote research involvement and develop trainees who are equipped to form a competent radiation therapy workforce.

Keywords: Accreditation; competency; professional development; quality; residency; workforce training.