Education and Training Program

The residency program in Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington prepares physicians for a career in either academics or private practice medicine.  Our goal is to give residents a strong background in clinical Radiation Oncology while stimulating their interest in both basic science and clinical research.   Our belief is that this is best accomplished through the practice of evidence-based medicine, didactic lectures in both the basic sciences and clinical Radiation Oncology and involvement in research during residency training.    Our program offers a breadth of training in all aspects of Radiation Oncology.  By offering services like Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Intraoperative Radiotherapy and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery we are a major tertiary referral center for a five state area.  With use of our cyclotron for Fast Neutron Radiotherapy, we have a worldwide reputation for excellence in the treatment of salivary gland malignancies.  Additionally, using a multidisciplinary approach we provide treatment for a large volume of more common malignancies.

In January of 2001, the University, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center opened an outpatient cancer care facility on the south side of Lake Union several miles from the University Hospital.  Known as the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, this facility offers residents an opportunity to see a wide variety of malignancies and further expands the depth of their education.  The partnership with the FHCRC allows thorough training  and experience in total body irradiation for transplant patients and other treatments for hematologic malignancies as all of the treatments are now performed at either the SCCA or University Hospital.

In addition to the core clinical rotations at the University of Washington Medical Center, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the Puget Sound VA Healthcare System, each resident has the opportunity to do 6 months of elective rotation or research at a number of affiliated institutions.  With comprehensive training in all aspects of radiation oncology, our residents have been equally successful pursuing careers in both academic and community practice.  For example, in recent years approximately 30% of our graduates have entered academic medicine and 70% have taken positions in private practice. Our residents’ success rate in passing the American Board of Radiology written examination places us in the top 10% of programs nationally.