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The Department of Radiation Oncology teaches the disciplines of oncology and clinical application of radiation and tumor biology, radiation physics, and therapeutic delivery of various radiations modalities, as applied to the treatment of malignancies and selected benign disorders. The department supports clinical trials and basic research in conjunction with other medical specialties and the Brookhaven national laboratory.
The mission of the Department of Radiation Oncology is to develop a well-rounded academic program in Cancer care, involving the clinical oncological science and research of the tumor and molecular biology and medical physics. There are several education programs that we offer.
Residency Training Program
The department hosts an ACGME- accredited four-year residency training program in radiation oncology. The residents rotate in the oncology subspecialty services, receiving intensive hands-on training in the oncological and radiotherapeutic management of malignant and benign neoplasms both in the adult and pediatric patient populations. As part of their curriculum, they gain expertise in brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, image-guided radiation therapy, and other modern treatment modalities. They also carry out clinical and/or basic research projects under supervision of faculty members who are active in the respective research areas. These may include basic laboratory bench-work, retrospective and prospective clinical investigations, participation in investigator-initiated trials, public health and bioinformatics projects. Results of the research are presented at national meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. The program’s curriculum also includes rigorous didactics in radiobiology, radiation physics, and clinical oncology, incorporating interactive teaching sessions, Grand Rounds talks, journal clubs, M&M conferences, and multidisciplinary team discussions. In the final years of residency training, there are opportunities for research and clinical electives, both domestically and abroad.
Our main department’s laboratory research projects include an investigation into molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of combining radiosurgery or stereotactic body radiotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy; the cell biology of radiation-induced normal tissue toxicity in the CNS; biomedical informatics studies focusing on the application of artificial intelligence to radiotherapy, as well as numerous research projects in medical physics.
For medical students who wish to explore radiation oncology as a specialty option we offer both clinical rotations in the department and opportunities to participate in the department’s research projects.
Medical Physics Residency Program
The Medical Physics Residency Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational (CAMPEP) and provides the residents with two years of clinical training in the discipline of therapeutic medical physics. Under close supervision of board-certified medical physicists, the residents are involved in all aspects of the clinical medical physics activities, including, but not limited to, machine quality assurance, treatment planning of conventional and advanced external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy procedures, as well as radiation safety and protection. Two years of intensive training prepares the residents with the experience and knowledge for board certification and to become fully functioning and confident medical physicists.
Biomedical Engineering Medical Physics Track
The Clinical Physics Practicum Program in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stony Brook Medicine was established in May 2023, which focuses on hands-on clinical physics training for Stony Brook Biomedical Engineering M.S. and Ph.D. students. Didactic lectures are part of the program to provide additional teaching of clinical radiation oncology. Our comprehensive program is equipped with the latest radiotherapy procedures: intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, total body irradiation, and machine and patient QAs etc. At the conclusion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate competency in treatment planning for 3D, IMRT and SBRT cases, and machine and patient QAs. They will be well prepared for physics residency program applications. Upon completion of the practicum program, a reference letter will be awarded subject to the following requirements: 1. Satisfactory completion of clinical training; 2. Presentation on a chosen clinical physics topic/TG report; 3. Satisfactory attendance as scheduled; 4. Oral test (help students to prepare for residency program interviews).
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