Frequently Asked Questions
Training
- How are the rotations structured? Are there multiple campuses for the rotations?
- Clinical Rotations are structured by topics. Currently, the clinical portion consists of 10 rotations: Orientation, Linac, IGRT, Treatment Planning, Patient-Specific QA, Special Procedures, Brachytherapy, Special Topics, Radiation Safety, and Full Participation. See the “Clinical Rotations” tab for details.
- Rotations are carried out primarily at the main campus. Learning opportunities at satellite facilities (such as commissioning and/or implementation of new equipment or treatment techniques that are not available at the main campus) are arranged as they arise. In addition, residents will participate as a full medical physicist for one month at a satellite site.
- How is resident progress assessed?
- Resident progress is assessed in several methods:
- In-rotation evaluation by rotation advisor(s) based on rotation-specific competency checklists, quality of rotation report(s), and performance in mini-oral exams
- Monthly meetings with Program Director
- 1st and 2nd year written exams
- 1st and 2nd year ABR-style mock exams
- In-residency topical presentations (two required)
- Final oral exam
- Are there research expectations for residents in your program? If so, what kind of research is currently available?
- Yes
- Clinically-oriented projects ranging from, e.g., radiation dosimetry to treatment technique improvement/innovation, model-based treatment response assessment/optimization, and AI applications in radiation oncology.
- How are residents paired with research mentors? Are they paired with a single mentor or will they be expected to work on a new project each rotation?
- Residents are paired with research mentors by mutual interests.
- Residents can work with multiple faculty members during their residency.
- Residents are not expected to work on a new research project each rotation, although ideas of clinical projects can - (and often do) originate in rotations.
- Projects can be part of an ongoing faculty research program, initiated by faculty through clinical rotations, or initiated by residents.
- What consistent clinical responsibilities do your residents have (machine QA, chart checks, IMRT QA, physicist of the day, etc.)?
- Patient-specific IMRT QA, distributed among the residents
- Equipment QA, chart checks, etc. as part of the rotation training primarily for gaining proficiency
- Will there be commissioning opportunities for new equipment in the near future? Of what equipment?
- Yes
- A new Varian Truebeam is currently being installed at the main campus (Fall 2021)
- A new RefleXion X1 unit is to be installed at the main campus in the coming year (2022)
- The new CT Proton Center will break ground in the coming year (2022)
- A new Philips CT simulator will be installed at one of our satellite clinics in the coming year (2022)
- Several new Linacs are being planned in the coming years to replace existing ones
- What distinguishes your residency program from other programs?
- Training environment – unique combination of resources from Yale University School of Medicine, Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the state-of-the-art Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital
- 3-year program with flexible and fully funded research rotation (equivalent to 1 year)
- Medium-sized program (3 residents)
- Well-established clinical training curriculum & dedicated faculty/staff
- What opportunities are there for residents to teach?
- Peer mentoring between senior residents and junior residents
- Informal mentoring of RTT students, dosimetrist students and medical residents
- How has your program and department adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic? What changes have been implemented as a result? How have these measures affected the resident training?
- The program and department have adapted well to the COVID-19 pandemic following the excellent leadership of Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital.
- In addition to maintain social distancing, wearing mask, handwashing, and daily temperature check (in the past), the department has supplemented on-site presence with appropriate work from home (WFH) scheduling.
- Hands-on activities were impacted during the peak of the pandemic; the impact is minimal in 2021 thanks in part to the well-managed pandemic situation in Connecticut.
- How are the residents trained in treatment planning? Which treatment planning systems are available?
- Formal training includes a 4-month treatment planning rotation
- Additional training through rotation-specific tasks such as those related to brachytherapy, SRS, TBI, TSET, and patient-specific QA
- Eclipse, GammaPlan, iPlan, BrachyVisionand Oncentra for brachytherapy, and Plaque Simulator for eye plaque brachytherapy
- Will residents be considered AMP-eligible at the completion of your residency training program?
- Yes
Conferences
- Do the residents have opportunities to travel to conferences? Which ones? To present or just to attend?
- Yes
- AAPM or other related meetings
- Meeting presentation is highly encouraged but not required
- Are there professional days to account for conference travel?
- Yes
- Is conference travel funded by your program?
- Yes
- Does your program have an educational fund for residents? If so, how much is it and what does it cover?
- Yes, with no specified amount
- It covers educational materials such as books for the residency program
Living
- How is the cost of living compared to the resident salary? What do benefits (e.g. health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement plans, etc.) include?
- Cost of living is very reasonable compared to the resident salary – can easily find an apartment and pay all expenses (electric, gas, internet) with one bi-weekly paycheck
- Apartments by the hospital are affordable, but surrounding towns have even cheaper rents if you don’t mind commuting
- Benefits include health insurance (Anthem Blue Cross), dental (Delta Dental), and vision coverage (VSP)
- Residents are also eligible for YNHH retirement plan (403b) and education funding
- Do most residents commute to work? How long is the commute?
- Currently two residents live within 1 mile of the hospital and one resident commutes from the next town over – commute of about 20 minutes including driving, parking, and walking from the garage to the hospital
- In New Haven, Yale has a shuttle system (free) that goes throughout most of the city – two residents utilize this to get to and from the hospital
- Is parking available on campus? Or do most residents rely on public transportation?
- Parking is available. Most garages are within a 10-15 minute walk of the hospital and there are hospital shuttles that regularly run between the garages and the hospital
- Parking is ~$40 per month but will vary depending on the garage you are in
- Only one current resident relies on parking, the other two residents walk or use the free Yale shuttle system
- How much PTO do residents have?
- 3 weeks per year
- Yale University's Living in New Haven Resources
International Applicants
- Do you have/have you had international residents that required a VISA?
- No, not among current residents
- In the past, before our program transitioned to a 3-yr program, one resident used OPT for the 2-yr program.
- What is the onboarding process for foreign residents at your institution? Work VISA (H1B)? OPT?
- OPT or TN visa