The residency program involves training in clinical radiation oncology, medical physics, radiation safety, and radiation and cancer biology. I year and complete an internship at the University which has been designed specifically with an emphasis on oncology, prior to entering the four-year residency program in radiation oncology. The clinical training in our program takes place at the University of Michigan, Providence Hospital and Medical Center in Southfield, Michigan, and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Ann Arbor. These practice settings expose the residents to a broad spectrum of complex oncologic problems. Under staff supervision, residents evaluate all new patients and participate in the simulation and planning of patient treatment.
Residents follow patients through the course of therapy and in follow-up.
Clinical training at the department level occurs in a variety of forms, including new patient conferences, chart rounds, treatment planning conferences, journal clubs and invited lectures. Residents prepare seminars and lectures on clinical subjects. Many tumor boards provide clinical training that involves faculty both inside and outside the department. This experience in multidisciplinary management offers a template for interactions with colleagues in other fields - increasingly important in cancer care. Medical physics and radiation and cancer biology are taught in didactic courses conducted approximately ten months per year.