The four-year radiation oncology residency is available to those who have completed their first post-graduate year. Each year, four physicians will be accepted through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
Program Mission and Aims
- Mission: To set the standard of excellence in radiation oncology education, preparing residents to become leaders in clinical care, research, and education
- Aims
- To train excellent, independent radiation oncologists
- To train leaders in research, clinical care and education
- To cultivate an inclusive and diverse learning environment
Meet our current and previous residents.
Residents will work in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in an academic clinical setting, in a community setting, and in the laboratory.
Learn more about the residency:
- Clinical Rotations
- Research
- Health and Humanities Distinction Track
- Academic Conferences
- Resources and Equipment
- Hours and Leave
- Application Process
Program Director
Associate Program Director
Associate Program Director and Proton Fellowship Director
Residency Program Coordinator
Ruth LewisThe Johns Hopkins Hospital
Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences
401 North Broadway, Suite 1440
Baltimore, MD 21231
Telephone: 410-955-7390
E-mail: [email protected]
Clinical rotations
At least 36 months of the residency are spent in required clinical rotations. Residents can choose to spend the remaining 12 months in:
- Electives
- Specialized rotations, including medical oncology, oncologic pathology, or diagnostic imaging, among others
- Laboratory or clinical research
Residents are advised to do an elective rotation in dosimetry as well as allotting time for dosimetry during clinical rotations.
The clinical rotations will offer residents the opportunity to:
- Learn to evaluate patients for the full range of oncology care necessary, including gathering the appropriate information, performing a directed physical exam, reviewing diagnostic test results, and presenting the case to the faculty radiation oncologist
- Learn the principles of treatment planning and the technical aspects of simulation
- Understand the acute effects of treatment and their management
- Participate in follow-up clinics to understand the late effects of treatment and management of complications and recurrences
Throughout the course of their training, residents will gain experience with simulation scanning, on-treatment patient management, and the clinical and technical aspects of brachytherapy. All residents will rotate in all subspecialty areas of radiation oncology during the first three years of the residency.
Additionally, residents will participate in the on-call schedule, where they will have the opportunity to evaluate inpatient consults in the evenings and on weekends.
Research
For residents who wish to perform basic science, clinical, or translational research, up to 12 months of research time may be approved. Working with a mentor, they will develop a research plan.
Each resident is expected to be involved with at least one research project during the program (whether or not a research elective is chosen). Project possibilities are:
- Retrospective chart review, case report, and literature review
- Development of a clinical research protocol
- Bench research project
Generally, more junior residents will be involved with retrospective reviews, which will also serve as the basis for practice-based improvement analyses. More senior residents may choose to become involved in basic science research or prospective protocol development.
Residents are encouraged to prepare research projects for presentation at regional and national scientific societies. Each resident will receive a travel budget to use for meetings.
At Johns Hopkins, residents have a long history of research and extracurricular achievement, a reflection of the vast resources that JHH offers, mentorship provided by attendings, and quality of the residents themselves. As an example, resident achievement over the last three years has included:
- First resident-led Plenary presentation at the annual ASTRO meeting
- Two ASTRO Resident Seed Grants winners
- White House Fellowship
- Three acceptances into the AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop
- One acceptance into the AACR Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology Workshop
- ASCO Young Investigator Award
- 13 oral presentations at the annual ASTRO meeting
- Over 50+ peer-reviewed publications
Health and Humanities Distinction Track
The Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, in its support of the health humanities within the field of radiation oncology, continues to endorse and enable residents interested in pursuing scholarship in the Johns Hopkins General Medical Education (GME) Health Humanities Distinction Track. This one year program provides scholars with dedicated health humanities training and exposure. Mentorship of longitudinal projects and interdisciplinary scholarship positions track graduates as future leaders and innovators in clinical excellence, able to contribute a unique skillset and diversity in perspective to their multifaceted roles in medicine.
Academic conferences
Residents are expected to participate in:
- Academic conferences (three mornings per week) and a weekly peer review conference (conferences include didactic lectures and case presentations)
- Grand rounds (held weekly)
- Oncology Center Journal Clubs (weekly; includes statistics instruction)
- Radiation Oncology Journal Club (monthly)
- Oncology Fellows Conference (biweekly)
- Multidisciplinary Clinic Sessions (weekly)
Residents will participate in dedicated physics and radiobiology courses.
Residents can also participate in multidisciplinary teaching sessions with surgical and medical oncology attendings and fellows. Attendance at academic sessions is required unless the resident is rotating outside the institution or in non-radiation oncology electives. Residents will also be expected to participate in tumor board conferences according to the clinical service on which they are rotating.
Resources and equipment
Residents are provided with:
- A set of reference textbooks on general oncology, radiation oncology, radiation physics, and radiobiology
- A new laptop computer with MS Office software (docking stations, multiple monitors, and individual office desk space is available in the department)
- Ethernet and wireless access to the department's Web/Intranet services and all of Johns Hopkins online resources including UpToDate
Selected reference materials are maintained within the resident office. Staff files, journals, and texts are also generally available for resident use. Residents can use the Welch Medical Library, which maintains an extensive online journal collection. Residents may also have articles electronically requested and delivered through the Welch Web service and PubMed.
Hours and leave
Hours
The residency program complies with the ACGME regulations governing resident work hours. Time spent in the clinic/hospital performing patient care counts towards the 80-hour/week maximum.
New residents do not participate in the call rotation for their first two months of training.
Leave
In keeping with the requirements of the American Board of Radiology training requirements, 20 workdays of leave (including vacation and sick leave) are authorized during each year of residency. Typically, the maximum amount of leave taken during any single rotation should not exceed five workdays.
Application process
All applications must be submitted to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) by or before November 1. All supporting documents, with the exception of the Dean's Letter, must also be received by that date. Three letters of support are also required.
The Department does not offer a preliminary year so only PGY-2 residents will be accepted.
Interviews
Applicants selected for interviews are notified in November and interviews are typically scheduled in December and January.
The invitation letter will include a list of hotels and breakfast and lunch are provided for interviewees. In addition, applicants will usually have an opportunity to meet with current residents in a social and informal setting the night before interviews.
Applicants meet with the department chairman and the residency director, in addition to interviews with members of the faculty and a senior resident. Interviewees will tour the department and hospital and current residents will be available for discussions and to answer questions.