This stage focuses on introducing residents to the specialty of Radiation Oncology, providing a comprehensive orientation to the setting in which they will work, and assessing their incoming knowledge and skills. Residents will develop a familiarity with the tools, techniques, and principles that underlie radiation oncology practice, preparing them for providing basic elements of care under supervision, including performing and documenting a history and physical exam and completing a patient handover.

Residents will take part in a two-week boot camp consisting of lectures and time in outpatient clinics followed by a a further two- weeks in outpatient clinics with various preceptors.

This stage focuses on the knowledge and skills for providing care for patients in various settings. Residents will assess and manage patients with a variety of common conditions, with and without a cancer diagnosis. In addition, residents will be introduced to concepts and skills that are necessary for radiation oncology practice, such as diagnostic imaging and pathology.

This stage is expected to take 12 - 18 months and trainees will be introduced and exposed to independent responsibilities for decisions involving clinical judgment skills , the further development of an effect and mature physician patient relationship, and the achievement of competence in a broad range of primary medical practice. Trainees will rotate through a combination of rotations: general medicine and surgery, clinical/laboratory outpatient radiation oncology, inpatient radiation oncology, medical oncology, and subspecialties related to oncology. During this stage, the trainee will, by training in all facets of cancer care, learn to become a well-rounded physician-oncologist, and not solely one who delivers radiotherapy.

This stage focuses on the application of clinical skills in radiation oncology care for the full spectrum of a patient’s treatment from initial consultation to follow-up and surveillance. The resident will acquire the skills to manage basic and complex oncology patient conditions, including all aspects of radiation treatment planning and delivery.

By the end of the stage the trainee will have a grasp of the respective roles of the radiation oncologists, the medical oncologist, the oncologic surgeon, and the other specialists who treat cancer patients. It is through this wide breath of training that the resident becomes an oncologist who not only treats cancer with radiation, but is able to handle all the clinical scenarios associated with the diagnosis of cancer, and is able to provide consultation on how a particular cancer should be managed, from diagnosis to end of life care. Additionally, in order to ensure adequate exposure to pediatric oncology, there will be a four week rotation at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto as well as a rotation in a community based radiation oncology practice.

This stage focuses on refining the skills of a Radiation Oncologist, and preparing for the next stage of their career. The resident will manage a radiation oncology practice at a consultant level across at least four tumour sites while planning for future professional development and creating a personal wellness plan.

During the final year of training, the trainee will spend time enhancing the practice of radiation oncology. The training is comprised of a series of rotations with staff radiation oncologists, all of whom have their own specific areas of practice and expertise. At the end of training the trainee will have rotated through all the disease sites that are treated at our centre.

The training program strongly encourages and supports research during residency training.  Within our division, there are many radiation oncologists who are actively engaged in clinical research. This has resulted in our division becoming very productive in terms of peer-reviewed publications and presentations. Additionally, we have also had a very good track record of residents being engaged in clinical and laboratory research during their training, resulting in many peer-reviewed publications in highly reputable journals.

In order to sustain and improve upon our record, the training program has devised a flexible and pragmatic approach to resident research. Some research projects may take many forms the time required will vary significantly. Residents and their research supervisors may designate up to 6 rotations (of 4 weeks each) as research time for approved projects. Alternatively, residents may used time away, or elective time, depending on the needs of the research project. Hybrid clinical/research rotations, during which the resident spends 1 or 2 days/week on research, may also be designed with the Program Director’s approval.

• The Ottawa Hospital - General Division
• The Ottawa Hospital – Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre
• Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
• Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto (pediatric rotation)
• Élisabeth Bruyère Health Centre (palliative rotation)
• Community Based Radiation Oncology Practice