# Radiation Oncology/Residency/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Program
## History

The Harvard Radiation Oncology Program resulted from the fusion of the two established residency programs at Harvard Medical School, the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy in the Longwood Area. Each had a long history of tradition and achievement and the fusion brought together these strengths.
The educational philosophy of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program can be broken down into four principles:
* To provide comprehensive clinical education using the large patient population and specialist faculty available at our affiliated hospitals.
* To provide training in cancer and radiation biology and medical physics that goes beyond the requirements of the board exam.
* To develop clinical, translational and/or basic science research skills through mentored and protected research time.
* To develop future leaders in academic medicine through this clinical training, research opportunities and graded responsibility within the program.
The resources of Harvard Medical School and our affiliated hospitals together with the talents of our faculty are, we believe, an unparalleled resource. They provide residents with an opportunity to build a strong foundation in both academic and clinical radiation therapy.
The training program consists of four years, which include three clinical years organized into 10-week rotation blocks at our member hospitals. These include the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), as well as satellite locations for these hospitals. Additionally, residents spend their PGY4 year as a dedicated research year.
A mainstay of our training program is the morning conference where residents discuss the clinical management of patients and the application of the medical literature to medical decision making. We also offer periodic seminars in biology, clinical physics, and treatment planning. Each year, residents will prepare and prepare a one-hour seminar on a topic of their choice with tutorial assistance from faculty members. Annual didactic courses covering clinical topics, radiation physics, and radiation and cancer biology are an integral part of our program.
In every aspect of our residency, the faculties are guided by the belief that we must simultaneously provide both outstanding training experiences and superior patient care. Our goal is to educate the next generation of world-class clinicians, physician-scientists and leaders. We are proud of the training program we offer and our long tradition of graduating radiation oncologists that have served as leaders for our profession. I hope you will consider our program for your education.
Vision: The Harvard Radiation Oncology Program is a caring, collaborative community of faculty, residents, and staff – situated in two outstanding, partnered radiation oncology departments within Massachusetts General Cancer Center and Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s/Boston Children’s Cancer Center. Our community’s core values are compassion, integrity, inclusivity, teamwork, and clinical excellence. We bring our diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests to educate, nurture, and equip the next generation of radiation oncologists to serve individuals, their loved ones, and communities affected by cancer.
Aims: HROP’s primary aims are to educate residents to: (1) First, provide outstanding, compassionate clinical care to patients with cancer and their families; (2) Next, advance cancer care through research inquiry, education, and scholarship; provide thoughtful and innovative leadership in medicine; and optimize health care delivery and access to ensure the best cancer care for all.

## Leadership

* Department Chair, BWH: Daphne Haas-Kogan, MD
* Department Chair, MGH: Anthony Zeitman, MD
* Program Director: Tracy Balboni, MD MPH
* Associate/Assistant Program Director: Paul Nguyen, MD
* Associate/Assistant Program Director: Jennifer Wo, MD

## Training Locations
### Primary Hospital

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital

### Secondary Hospital

Boston Children's Hospital

## Curriculum

Rotations are 10 weeks in length rotating through breast, genitourinary, thoracic/lung, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, gynecological, head and neck, pediatric, sarcoma/cutaneous/base of skull, lymphoma, and physics.

## Research Year

Research Year is a full 12 months protected during PGY4 year

## Call Schedule

Call is typically taken in 1-week blocks of come-call divided by institution, with PGY-2 residents taking the most call and decreasing call responsibilities among more senior residents.
PGY2: 10 weeks
PGY3: 7 weeks
PGY4: 7 weeks
PGY5: 5 weeks

## Vacation

Up to 5 weeks vacation

## Contact Information

Residency Coordinator: Barry Mendelsohn
Email:
Phone:
Fax:

## External Links

https://www.harvardradiationoncologyprogram.org/