title: Program director and chief resident perspectives on the educational environment of US radiation oncology programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goals were toexamine the educational approachesused at radiation oncology residency programs nationwide andto evaluate program director(PD) and chief resident (CR) perceptions of their educational environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We distributed a survey regarding curricular structure via email toall identified US radiation oncology residency PDs and CRs. Pearson χ2test was used toevaluate whether differences existed between answers provided by the 2 study populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey was disseminated to 200 individuals in 85 US residency programs: 49/85PDs(58%)and 74/115 (64%)CRs responded. More than one-half of PDs and CRs report that attending physicians discussed management, reviewed contours, and conducted mock oral board examinations with the residents. At nearly 50% of programs, the majority of teaching conferences use a lecture-based approach, whereas only 20% reported predominant utilization of the Socratic method. However, both PDs (63%) and CRs (49%) reported that Socratic teaching is more effective than didactic lectures (16% and 20%, respectively), with the remainder responding that they are equally effective. Teaching sessions were reported to be resident-led ≥75% of the time by 50% of CRs versus 18% of PDs (P = .002). Significantly more CRs than PDs felt that faculty-led teaching conferences were more effective than resident-led conferences (62% vs 26%, respectively; P < .001). There was a difference in perception regarding the protection of educational time, with 85% of PDs versus 59% of CRs reporting this time as being "never" or "infrequently" compromised by clinical duties (P = .005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is considerable variability between PDs and CRs in the perceived structure and effectiveness of resident education in US radiation oncology residency programs. These data suggest opportunity for improvement in radiation oncology residency training, such as encouraging more faculty-led, Socratic-based teaching conferences. Increased communication between PDs and CRs can better align perceptions with educational goals.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Camille
authors: C
authors: Berriochoa
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Weller
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Berry
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Chandana A
authors: CA
authors: Reddy
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Shlomo
authors: S
authors: Koyfman
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: tendulr@ccf.org.
authors: Rahul
authors: R
authors: Tendulkar
mesh_terms: D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000193:education*; D014481:United States