Program Overview

Introduction to the Radiation Oncology Residency Program

The Radiation Oncology Residency Program at Indiana University School of Medicine is a comprehensive program designed to provide residents with a diverse range of experiences and opportunities for growth.

Program Structure

• Residents are scheduled for six two-month rotations each year.
• During each rotation, residents work one on one with an attending specializing in one or two disease specialties.
• Didactic lectures are from 8 to 9 a.m. and a daily peer review from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
• Residents are given autonomy appropriate for their PGY level, skills, experience, and goals.

Call Frequency

• Residents take home call for a week at a time paired with one attending, switching Monday morning (if Monday is a holiday, switch is Tuesday morning).
• Calls are divided evenly among residents.

Vacation Time

• PGY 2-5 residents have 20 days of vacation time.
• In addition, all residents have up to five personal days, in addition to conference days.

Electives

• Up to 12 months of non-radiation oncology clinic time.
• Residents can take off 12 months straight to enroll in a degree program or schedule elective time flexibly to pursue their research interests.
• Scheduling clinical electives in radiology, medical oncology, pathology, and other fields is also possible.
• The department is very supportive if residents would like to do outside radiation oncology rotations, although the case volume is sufficient for residents, and there is no need for outside radiation oncology rotations.
  • Residents on the Global Health Track are supported for their international elective (i.e., through the AMPATH program).
  • Residents on the Holman Research Pathway have 21 months of dedicated research time, with one day per week devoted to clinical training during their research time.

Patient Population

• The patient population is very diverse, ranging from those who are familiar with the primary literature of their disease prior to their first consult to those with significant access barriers to healthcare.
• Indianapolis has a large African-American population and a growing Latino population.
• There are also several large immigrant groups (e.g., Burmese).
• Residents benefit from learning at the only academic radiation oncology center in Indiana, with frequent referrals of challenging cases and brachytherapy cases.
• Riley Hospital for Children is the only academic pediatric hospital in Indiana, and most of these patients with an indication for radiation are consulted in the department.

Program Diversity

• IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the United States, and several IU medical students have been matched over the last decade.
• The most recent 14 residents came from 12 different medical schools.
• A few outstanding international medical graduates have been selected to join the program.
• Several residents have MD/PhD degrees.
• Several faculty members are part of the LGBTQ+ community or are underrepresented in medicine.
• The program actively supports making it welcoming to all.

Resident Living Arrangements

• Residents live in or close to downtown or in the suburbs (i.e., Fishers and Carmel).
• The commute, even if living in the suburbs, is rarely longer than 30 minutes outside of rush hour traffic.
• Several of the Indianapolis suburbs have excellent public schools.
• Carmel, the location of the IU Health Schwarz Cancer Center, and Fishers, the location of IU Health Central Indiana Cancer Center, have both been listed among the best places to live in the United States.

Rotation Locations

• Residents rotate at the IU Health Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center) and IU Health Methodist Hospital in downtown Indianapolis.
• Rotations are 1:1 with an attending specializing in one or two disease sites.

Available Technology

• Radiation oncology procedures, including LDR and HDR brachytherapy (high-volume GU and GYN program), GammaKnife, frameless SRS, as well as a robust SBRT program.
• Investigator-initiated clinical trials, several of which evaluate new technology or novel technological concepts.
• IU is home to several state-of-the-art imaging modalities, including PSMA-PET and PET/MRI.

Maternity/Paternity Leave Policy

• Up to six weeks of paid time off (minus time off already taken in the academic year) and those eligible for FMLA can extend the leave up to 12 weeks (typically not paid).

Research Opportunities

• Residents have up to 12 months of research time.
• In addition to each resident's prospective clinical trial, there are plenty of opportunities to pursue research interests.
• Residents can engage in clinical research and work towards becoming a successful clinical trialist or engage in laboratory-based research in one of several Radiation Oncology labs or outside of the department within the Cancer Center.
• For those interested in laboratory-based research and have an adequate background, completion of residency on the Holman Research Pathway is supported, which provides 21 months of research time during which 80% of the time is spent doing research and 20% doing clinical learning.
• Health disparities research, education research, global health, and community outreach projects are all supported.