Radiation Oncology Physics Residency - About The Program

Clinical Rotations

The clinical component consists of seven rotations. The goal of each rotation is to learn and perform all the corresponding tasks independently (under physicist’s supervision). As the resident completes competencies, they are assigned routine clinical responsibilities and duties by the rotation mentors. Oral exams are a primary component of the residency. The resident is expected to participate in monthly orals, and an oral is required at the end of each rotation for successful completion. Oral exams are also required at the end of each residency year.

Resident Orientation Phase
The resident is introduced to fundamentals of the clinic and all the departmental Policies and Procedures. It is expected that the resident completes Piedmont Healthcare Annual Training modules and radiation safety training by the end of this rotation. (Estimated Rotation Length: 1 month during Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1))
Education and Development
During the course of the residency program, the resident is required to participate in activities that strengthen their knowledge and skills as a clinical medical physicist. Such activities include completing a process improvement project using the Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology, learning failure mode effects analysis, attending interdisciplinary tumor boards and radiation oncology peer review sessions, and participating in a leadership fundamentals. Leadership fundamentals focuses on core curriculums identified by the AAPM Medical Physics Leadership Academy. The resident presents at review sessions and journal club. Ethics and medical malpractice topics are covered in this rotation. (Estimated Rotation Length: ongoing throughout the residency).
Dosimetry Rotation
The resident learns about all aspects of the treatment planning process: from simulation to treatment and gains knowledge of different planning techniques including Electron, 3D conformal, IMRT, VMAT with the goal of creating clinical quality treatment plans independently by the end of rotation. The resident gains knowledge in plan specific quality assurance items. (Estimated Rotation Length: 4 months during PGY1).
External Beam & Physics I Rotation
External Beam & Physics I rotation provides the resident with practical experience on chart review and machine specific quality assurance. The resident learns chart check processes as defined by TG275. The resident completes competencies on routine linear accelerator and CT simulation quality assurance. AAPM TG 142 and TG 51 beam calibration are covered in this rotation. (Estimated Rotation Length: 4 months during PGY1).
External Beam and Physics II Rotation
External Beam & Physics II allows the resident experience with advanced treatment planning system QA, machine QA items. Special topics, such as shielding design, treatment planning system commissioning, LINAC machine acceptances, treatment planning algorithms, and image registration algorithms, are covered. (Estimated Rotation Length: 6 months during PGY2).
Brachytherapy Rotation
The resident learns the theoretical and clinical aspects of HDR and LDR Brachytherapy treatments. The rotation includes participation in daily HDR QA, quarterly HDR source exchange and annual HDR radiation safety training. The qualified medical physicist mentor, will teach the details of HDR and LDR treatment planning and delivery. (Estimated Rotation Length: 3 months during PGY1).
Radiosurgery Rotation
Advanced immobilization, localization and treatment planning techniques for highly conformal and high dose per fraction linac and Gamma Knife delivery are covered in this rotation. The resident is to perform an end-to-end stereotactic localization and radiation delivery accuracy in-phantom as part of final project in this rotation. (Estimated Rotation Length: 5 months during PGY2).

Facilities

Piedmont Healthcare has eight radiation oncology clinics in Metro Atlanta. Residents will practice majority of clinical training at Piedmont Atlanta Radiation Oncology and Piedmont West Radiation Oncology, both located in the metro Atlanta area and within 10 minutes of driving time.

View a list of our facilites and the equipment and services offered.