ASTRO has observed growth in residency training positions over the past two decades. Recent advances in technology and our understanding of cancer biology have allowed radiation oncologists to offer more accurate and effective therapies, often in fewer total treatments than before, resulting in improved patient care. Radiation oncology has long been a critical component of multidisciplinary cancer management, driven by clinical and scientific innovation.
While there are strict anti-trust principles ASTRO must abide by, the Board of Directors felt compelled to issue a definitive statement so that there is no ambiguity about our position.ĪSTRO Position Statement on the U.S. Not surprisingly, many students are confused about what career path to choose and may be discouraged to pursue radiation oncology before they even truly explore it.ĪSTRO leaders have sought to be forthright with our members about challenges in the field (see previous blog posts below) and ASTRO’s role in addressing them. The worrisome trend in the SOAP percentages for radiation oncology underscores some of these negative perceptions about the field among students and residency applicants, which are in turn amplified on social media platforms. These issues contribute to forecasts of declining income streams and anxieties about the future given the recently proposed ― and now delayed ― radiation oncology alternative payment model. There has been an increase in the number of available trainee positions despite the apparent decline in medical student interest and concern regarding patient volume projections. Despite the many positive aspects of radiation oncology, there are growing concerns about the future of the workforce. In fact, radiation oncology had the highest percentage of spots filled through the SOAP of any medical specialty.įrom a treatment perspective, many factors, including the decreased use of radiation for some disease sites and an increased use of hypofractionation, bring into question the long-term viability of our specialty. In 2020, the field saw a larger decline in the number of medical students who matched, coupled with an increase in the number of people who then entered the field through the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) process. At the time, there was speculation about whether this was an anomaly or the beginning of a trend that had been forecast years before. In 2019, the number of medical students who initially matched into radiation oncology declined with multiple slots unfilled. By Thomas Eichler, MD, FASTRO, ASTRO ChairĪfter more than a decade of enjoying the prestige of being one of the most highly sought-after specialties in the medical student match process, there have been troubling signs in the past few years that something was amiss.
0 kommentar(er)
