ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2654

Interdisciplinary - Education in radiation therapy

ESTRO 2024

Material/Methods:

The Junior Registrar Teaching Series has been run on an annual basis since July 2021 and designed for junior registrars commencing employment each July. This usually numbers between 8 and 10 doctors. The series was arranged in a spiral curriculum style, with the first 6 months of each year focused on basic tumour lectures on major tumour sites including Head & Neck, Breast, Cervix, Lung, Oesophagus, Rectum, Endometrial, Prostate, CNS, Skin Malignancies and Palliative radiotherapy. The second 6 months then returned to each site but progressed their knowledge focusing on the more practical aspects and radiation therapy basics like beam placement for palliative and breast radiotherapy, organ-at-risk contouring, tumour volume delineation and plan reviews. Preceding this, a lecture was held to familiarise the junior registrars with the planning platform and all the essential tools required for contouring. All the lectures were delivered by a team comprising of the Clinical Tutor in Radiation Oncology, Senior Planning Radiation Therapist and several Radiation Oncology Senior Specialist Registrars in their final stages of training. These lectures were run fortnightly before the start of the working day usually on the Zoom virtual platform. During the first year, seven basic tumour site lectures and nine lectures in planning basics were delivered. During year 2, 8 basic tumour site lectures and 10 lectures in planning basics were delivered. Each lecture was attended by an average of 7 junior doctors. At the end of each 6 months, feedback was obtained using feedback forms and online surveys. Some changes were made to the content of the lectures for year 2 to incorporate the feedback received after year 1. The delivery of these lectures by senior SpRs added a unique dimension, as they possessed an understanding of the challenges and knowledge gaps that junior registrars typically face when entering this field. This stemmed from their own experiences as junior registrars, allowing them to tailor the lectures in a way that addressed the needs of the newcomers effectively. A digital library containing all these lectures was also established on shared network drives, providing continuous access. The programme garnered positive feedback and yielded several outcomes. The participants found the lectures to be relevant and useful for their roles, allowing them to settle into their jobs with greater confidence. The comprehensive coverage of major tumour sites and practical planning basics equipped them with essential skills. Attendance at these virtual fortnightly lectures did not significantly increase the work burden, as it created a convenient and accessible learning environment for the junior doctors that suited their schedule. A number of participants expressed that the programme played an important role in their decision to subsequently pursue radiation oncology as a career and apply for the SpR training programme. Results:

Conclusion:

The Junior Registrar Teaching Series in radiation oncology at our institution over the last 2 years has proven to be a success. The positive feedback obtained highlights its importance and effectiveness in overcoming one of the challenges inherent in pursuing a career in radiation oncology and emphasises the fact that an organised and well-structured teaching series covering both theoretical and practical aspects can effectively introduce junior doctors to its intricacies. It has encouraged us to sustain this initiative and commit to an annual continuation of the program for each new cohort of junior doctors and explore broadening the scope with additional topics that further enhance the understanding of radiation oncology.

Keywords: Teaching, Radiation Oncology, Education

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