The Harvard Radiation Oncology Program works in conjunction with two residency programs, one at Massachusetts General and the other at the Joint Center in Longwood. Each residency program is guided by trained and experienced faculty and advisors that lead students through each step of the program, which includes lecture, lab and practical training. Because of its location, both hospitals provide a large and diverse patient population for clinical experience, as well as student access to specialist faculty, research projects and clinical trials.
Because both hospitals are research leaders, Harvard oncology students have unprecedented access to laboratories to learn research skills and work with the most advanced equipment and cancer treatments in the world. Also part of the Harvard experience are annual conferences and courses that include in-depth clinical topics, lessons on radiation physics and workshops on radiation and cancer biology. All parts of the program combine to develop Harvard’s renowned medical education.
Harvard University
Harvard Radiation Oncology Residency Program
350 Longwood Avenue
Galleria, Suite 205
Boston, MA 02115
617-732-6230
harvardradonc.org
Providing a two-pronged oncology training program, UCLA provides instruction at two major teaching hospitals as well as one of North America’s premier research facilities. The hospitals, both located in the Los Angeles area, are two of the busiest medical facilities in the country, providing a diverse patient population to give students a feel for real-world medicine.
All lab and clinical hours are closely observed by the program faculty, all of which are oncology specialists. The program lasts three years, one of which is generally spent in a research facility; the remainder is split between lab, lecture and floor hours. The setting provides access to patients with a variety of cancers, including geriatric and pediatric, as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma and acute leukemia.
The research facility provides a large number of ongoing clinical trials and research projects open to qualified program participants. Topics include breast cancer, stem cell and bone marrow transplantation and clinical trials of new drugs and treatments. For interview consideration, applicants must submit, among other things, a completed application form (which can be found online), two letters of recommendation and a copy of a current medical license.
University of California, Los Angeles
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 310-825-6205?
310-825-4321
ucla.edu
University of Chicago’s department of Radiation and Oncology is dedicated to training graduate and postdoctoral students on the finer points of cancer treatment and research. The residency program focuses primarily on cancers of the head, neck, lungs and GI tract, and its research facility is one of the best in the country, according to the school's website.
Chicago students treat some of the area’s neediest neighborhoods while under the supervision of trained oncologists. Open to just three students per year, the four-year residency program is comprised of clinical experience, lecture, lab and research. One of the most important components in providing real-world experience is the morning departmental conference, where residents prepare and present selected cases to their attending physicians. At Monday conference, residents give an overview of the workup and diagnosis, as well as the planned course of action. Tuesday follow-up focuses primarily on technical issues and radiation management. As part of the program, all residents are encouraged to prepare clinical research and to create their own oral presentations, which may then be presented at national conferences and meetings.
University of Chicago
5801 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
773-702-1234
uchicago.edu