Radiation oncology, resident research, and the American Board of Radiology Holman Pathway.

摘要

Securing a residency position in radiation oncology has become intensely competitive, and the profile of the typical applicant has changed dramatically (1-3). In this competitive environment, applicants are better prepared in research than prior candidates, and this reflects the many exciting opportunities for advancement of the radiation therapy discipline in the biologic, technical, translational, and clinical trials arenas. The proportion of candidates with research projects either coming to fruition or completed and published is impressive compared with the applicant pool from just several years ago. This likely represents a sign that a greater proportion of prospective trainees has an interest in pursuing academically oriented careers after completion of training and will make significant contributions to the field. This is very good news for our specialty. Arguably, the vitality of a specialty is most directly related to the vigor of its research agenda. Radiation oncologists both in academic medicine and in community-based practices will benefit from this exciting research agenda and the increased vitality of our specialty.