FAQ

The medical residency program’s capacity is 14, so the class size ranges from three to four per year. Our current cycle is as follows for the PGY2s starting on the associated dates:

• 7/1/2020: 3 residents
• 7/1/2021: 3 residents
• 7/2/2022: 4 residents
• 7/1/2023: 3 residents
• 7/1/2024: 3 residents

As a comprehensive radiation oncology residency, our residents are able to complete all requirements without the need for outside rotations as we have a robust pediatric and brachytherapy program, as well as diverse technical training. Residents may choose to participate in enrichment rotations outside of UTSW if they wish, pending departmental review and approval.

Yes, all residents are matched with formal mentors during their PGY-2 year.

Our faculty are highly invested in education, so they’re available to help!

Visit our salary and benefits page.

For residents on clinical rotations, informal feedback is given every day. There are formal feedback mechanisms built into each three-month rotation (mid-rotation and at the end of rotation), as well as biannual formal evaluations with the program director. Residents are also given feedback on their didactic presentations by their disease site team, and research proposals and presentations are formally reviewed.

During residency, teaching is given a priority and educational lectures/activities are protected time during which the residents are not available for clinical duties.

We offer many unique training opportunities, including brachytherapy and pediatric cases; training on the GammaPod breast system—one of only two in the country; the CyberKnife and Gamma Knife Icon (framed and frameless) treatment platforms; and SBRT and VMAT total body irradiation programs. Next year, we'll offer MR-LINAC, and Halcyon Adaptive training. In addition, we offer training opportunities in phase I-III clinical trial design and protocol writing.

100%.

Research is required by the ACGME for radiation oncology residency and our residents are very productive with opportunities that include clinic, physics, and laboratory. In our program, residents generally participate in a year of research during their PGY4 year; Holman Pathway residents generally start earlier. Residents have the option of participating in clinical electives—within or outside of Radiation Oncology and within or outside of UTSW—instead of pure research if they so choose. Past research year examples include nine months of research time in Japan to study particle therapy at NIRS, an MBA with healthcare focus, a year of lab experience in one of our Molecular Biology labs, Holman Research studying tumor microenvironment, and physics- and dosimetry-focused electives and research on CyberKnife/Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

Residents typically lead four to six case conferences a year, which are one-hour long presentations supervised by the attendings of the specified organ site. Residents also have a range of additional teaching opportunities, including technical training programs and therapist training courses, if they wish to participate.

Though this may vary based on how many residents are available during a given year, our call schedule is typically:

• Seven weeks during first year (PGY-2)
• Five weeks during second year (PGY-3)
• Three weeks during third year (PGY-4)
• No call schedule during senior year (PGY-5)

During the first two years, medical residents typically do three-month clinical rotations:

• First-year focus is on breast, central nervous system, genitourinary, and lung
• Second-year focus is on gastrointestinal, head and neck, gynecological and other advanced rotations
• Third-year focus is on research
• Fourth-year focus is 1.5- to 3-month rotations in areas not previously done or refinement rotations

Each resident has a $2,000 discretionary fund per year.

We provide comprehensive cancer care to patients from a large safety net hospital (Parkland), as well as patients at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital (CUH) and coverage of Children’s Health.

Visit our alumni page for information. 

We have a global outreach brachytherapy observership program for international physicians and we support our residents’ participation in Radiating Hope.