1
Residency Policy Manual
University of Chicago
Radiation Oncology Residency Program
Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology
University of Chicago Hospitals
University of Illinois at ChicagoHospital
LaGrange Hospital
Hinsdale Hospital
Revised 06/07
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
A. Mission Statement………………………………………………………5
B. Duration/Scope of Training………………………………………...... 5
II. Institutions
A. University of Chicago…………………………………………………..6
B. Participating Institutions……………………………………………….7
III. Program Personnel/Resources
A. Program Director………………………………………………………..8
B. Faculty…………………………………………………………………..8
C. Program Coordinator……………………………………………………9
D. Other Personnel…………………………………………………………10
E. Resources………………………………………………………………..11
IV. Residency Appointments
A. Eligibility……………………………………………………………….12
B. Number of Residents……………………………………………………13
C. Transfers………………………………………………………………..13
D. Fellows/Other Students…………………………………………………13
V. Program Curriculum
A. Format…………………………………………………………………..14
B. Goals/Objectives………………………………………………………..15
C. Didactic Components…………………………………………………..18
D. Clinical Components……………………………………………………18
1. Requirements…………………………………………………….18
2. Clinical Curriculum……………………………………………..19
3. Resident Logs……………………………………………………20
E. Resident Investigative Project…………………………………………..20
F. Examinations…………………………………………………………….21
VI. Clinical Responsibilities
A. Consultation…………………………………………………………….21
B. Simulation……………………………………………………………….21
C. Treatment Planning……………………………………………………..22
D. Treatment……………………………………………………………….23
E. Follow-Up……………………………………………………………….24
F. Night/Weekend Call……………………………………………………25
VII. Department Policies
A. Vacation…………………………………………………………………25
B. Ethics/Religious…………………………………………………………26
C. Harassment………………………………………………………………26
D. Licensure………………………………………………………………..26
E. HIPAA………………………………………………………………….27
F. Compliance……………………………………………………………...28
G. Health Examinations……………………………………………………29
H. Visas……………………………………………………………………29
I. Contract………………………………………………………………….29
VIII. Duty Hours/Working Environment
A. Resident Supervision……………………………………………………29
B. Duty Hours……………………………………………………………..30
C. Call……………………………………………………………………..30
D. Moonlighting……………………………………………………………31
E. Stress/Fatigue…………………………………………………………..31
F. Substance Abuse/Counseling……………………………………………32
G. Make It Easier Committee………………………………………………32
H. Housestaff Help Line……………………………………………………32
I. Patient Safety Hotline……………………………………………………33
J. Off Duty Activities………………………………………………………33
IX. Evaluations
A. Resident ………………………………………………………………..33
1. Rotation Evaluation……………………………………………..33
2. 360° Evaluations…………………………………………………33
B. Faculty…………………………………………………………………..34
C. Program………………………………………………………………….34
X. Disciplinary Action
A. Initial Action…………………………………………………………….34
B. Second Action…………………………………………………………...35
XI. Suspension/Termination……………………………………………………….35
XII. Housestaff Grievance Procedure
A. Request for Reconsideration…………………………………………….35
B. Housestaff Grievance Committee Review………………………………36
C. President/Dean Review…………………………………………………37
XIII. Benefits
A. Stipends………………………………………………………………….37
B. Meetings/Travel…………………………………………………………38
C. Away Rotations…………………………………………………………38
D. Books/Journals………………………………………………………….39
E. Lab Coats/Scrubs……………………………………………………….39
F. Identification Badges…………………………………………………….39
G. Keys……………………………………………………………………..39
H. Parking/Transportation………………………………………………….40
I. Pagers (beepers)…………………………………………………………..41
J. Dictaphones………………………………………………………………41
K. Cell Phone……………………………………………………………….41
L. Email/Internet……………………………………………………………41
M. Insurance………………………………………………………………..41
N. Leave……………………………………………………………………43
O. Tuition…………………………………………………………………..44
P. Flexible Spending Accounts…………………………………………….44
Q. Supplemental Retirement Annuities…………………………………….45
R. Employee Assistance…………………………………………………….45
S. Recreation Facilities……………………………………………………..45
T. Meal Allowance………………………………………………………….45
U. Security Precautions……………………………………………………46
V. Mail Services……………………………………………………………46
XIV.Hospital Policies and Procedures…………………………………………….46
XV. Chief Resident…………………………………………………………………47
XVI. Certification………………………………………………………………….48
Appendices
I. Driving Directions………………………………………………………………49
II. Medical Faculty………………………………………………………………….51
III. Physics Faculty…………………………………………………………………53
IV. Cancer Biology/Molecular Oncology Faculty………………………………….55
V. Selected Departmental Publications……………………………………………..58
VI. Goals/Objectives (by Residency Year)…………………………………………66
VII. Goals/Objectives (Clinical Rotations)
A. Brachytherapy…………………………………………………………68
B. Breast Cancer……………………………………………………………70
C. CNS/Stereotactic Radiosurgery…………………………………………73
D. Gastrointestinal Tumors…………………………………………………76
E. Genitourinary (GU) Tumors
1. GU Tumors (Excluding Prostate Brachytherapy)………………78
1. Prostate Brachytherapy…………………………………………..81
F. Gynecology (Excluding brachytherapy)…………………………………83
G. Head and Neck Cancer………………………………………………….85
H. Lung Cancer…………………………………………………………….88
I. Lymphoma/Leukemia……………………………………………………91
J. Metastatic/Benign...... 94
K. Pediatric Tumors………………………………………………………..96
L. Soft Tissue/Bone Tumors……………………………………………….98
VIII. Disease Months………………………………………………………………101
IX. Conference Attendance Attestation……………………………………………102
X. Multidisciplinary Conferences………………………………………………….103
XI. Example Rotation Schedule……………………………………………………104
XII. Resident Research Projects (1998-present)…………………………………..105
XIII. Duty Hour Attestation………………………………………………………..110
XIV. Rotation Evaluation Forms
A. Overall Evaluation…………………………………………………….111
B. °360 Evaluations
1. Nurses………………………………………………………….116
2. Radiation Therapists…………………………………………….119
3. Dosimetrists/Physicists………………………………………….122
4. Medical Students………………………………………………..124
5. Faculty………………………………………………………….. 127
- Introduction
- Mission Statement
The mission of the Radiation Oncology Residency Program in the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at the University of Chicago/University of Illinois at Chicago is to:
- Educate and train residents to be skillful in the practice of clinical radiation
oncology, and to be caring and compassionate in the treatment of their patients
- Expose residents to academic radiation oncology, in terms of clinical and/or basic science research
All requirements of the Residency Program are in accordance with the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) ( for radiation oncology. These requirements are on file in the Residency Coordinator’s Office and are available for review.
The policies set forth in this manual are supplemental to the institutional policies of the University of Chicago House Staff Affairs Office. The 2005 Housestaff Handbook is on file in the Residency Coordinator’s Office and is available for review.
- Duration/Scope of Training
Resident training in radiation oncology consists of 5 years of accredited, clinically-oriented graduate medical education. The initial postgraduate year (PGY-1) must be spent in an accredited internship in internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery or surgical specialties, or in a transitional year program. The PGY-1 year must include a minimum of 9 months of direct patient care in medical and/or surgical specialties other than radiation oncology.
The Residency Program does not sponsor a PGY-1 year. All residents entering the program are thus responsible for obtaining, and successfully completing, an internship at an accredited program.
The PGY-1 year is followed by 4 years focused on radiation oncology. During this time, all residents must complete a minimum of 36 months of clinical radiation oncology training. Typically, these months are completed during the PGY-2 to PGY-4 years. However, with permission of the Program Director and the Departmental Chair, alternative schedules are permissible.
The final (PGY-5) year is devoted to clinical and/or basic science research. Projects are selected by the resident in conjunction with the Department Chair and Program Director. Residents focusing on basic science research are encouraged to work in a laboratory within the Department under a faculty member. However, residents may alternatively work in laboratories outside the Department with permission of the Chairman and Program Director. Clinical research projects must be under the supervision of a Departmental faculty member.
PGY-5 residents do not rotate in the clinic on clinical services but continue to have “on call” responsibilities (see below).
- Institutions
The Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology is comprised of fourseparate hospitals: the University of Chicago (UC), the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), LaGrange Memorial Hospital (LMH) and Hinsdale Hospital (HH).
- University of Chicago
The UC is the primary institution assuming ultimate responsibility for the residency program and all residents.
Founded in 1890 by John D. Rockefellar, the UC ( is located 7 miles south of downtown Chicago in the neighborhood of Hyde Park (see Appendix I).
One of the premiere Universities in the United States, the UC consists of 4400 undergraduates, 9000 graduate students and 2160 faculty. A total of 78 faculty and/or researchers have been awarded Nobel Prizes (including 7 current faculty members). Eleven faculty members have received Nobel Prizes in Physiology/Medicine, including Charles Huggins M.D. who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1966 for his investigation into hormonal therapy of prostate cancer.
Home of the Pritzker School of Medicine ( uchicago.edu/), the UC is consistently ranked among the top American medical schools by the U.S. News World Report ( usnews/edu/grad/rankings/med/). The MedicalSchool is located 2 blocks from the hospital in the BiologicalSciencesLearningCenter and Jules Knapp Institute for Molecular Medicine.
Founded in 1927, the UC hospital ( is located at the western end of the campus and is comprised of the BernardA.MitchellHospital (Adult), the Comer Children’s Hospital, the Chicago Lying In Maternity and Women’s Hospital, and the DuchossoisCenter for Advanced Medicine (DCAM) OutpatientCenter.
Opened in 1998, the DCAM ( is a 6-floor 525,000 square feet outpatient center connected to both the adult and children’s hospitals by tunnels and bridges. In addition to 315 examination rooms, the DCAM has 8 operating rooms for outpatient surgeries. The UC Radiation Oncology Department is located on both the lower level and first floors of the DCAM, Module 1D.
Named after Lands End founder Gary Comer, the Comer Children’s Hospital ( opened in early 2005. The state-of-the art 242,000 sq ft. hospital has a unique “family-centered” design, including in-room accommodations for parents, internet access, “room service”, and multiple age-specific play areas (
- Participating Institutions
Participating institutions in the Residency Program include the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), LaGrange Memorial Hospital (LMH), and Hinsdale
Hospital (HH). These institutions provide a number of educational opportunities
and resources supplemental to the UC, integral to the curriculum of the program
as a whole. However, the preponderance of the educational experience takes
place at the UC.
The UIC was founded in 1982 with the consolidation of the MedicalCenter and two University of Illinois campuses ( The UIC is located 15 minutes west of downtown and is comprised of 16,012 undergraduate and 6,825 graduate students (Appendix I).
The University of Illinois is home to the largest medical school in the United States, with over 1300 graduates per year spread over 4 campuses throughout the state (Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, Urbana-Champaign) ( /index2.html. The UIC College of Medicine is the largest of the four medical programs.
The UIC hospital ( is located on the western edge of the campus. The Radiation Oncology department is located in lower (concourse) level of the Outpatient Care Center (OCC).
LMH & HH ( are near the Western suburbs of LaGrange & Hinsdale, respectively (approximately 25 minutes from downtown Chicago) (Appendix I). The LMH Radiation Oncology department is located in the free-standing “Treatment Pavilion” across the street from the hospital. The HH Radiation Oncology department is located within the basement of the hospital.
The UIC, LMH, and HH are integrated programs in the Radiation Oncology
Residency Program. As such, clinical rotations are not limited in duration.
However, of the 12 clinical rotations, residents will typically spend 2 at UIC, 1 at LMH, and 1 at HH.
III. Program Personnel and Resources
A.Program Director
The Resident Program Director is Philip Connell, M.D. Dr. Connell is available at all times to discuss issues and concerns regarding residency program with residents and faculty. Dr. Connell was named Program Director in August 2006.
Philip Connell, M.D.
Residency Program Director
Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology
Work Phone: 773-702-6870
Home Phone: 773-489-3652
Pager: 1825
Fax: 773-834-7340
As Program Director, Dr. Connell is responsible for the residency program as a whole and is accountable for its operation.
Dr. Connell, together with the faculty, is responsible for the general
administration of the program, including activities related to recruitment,
selection, instruction, supervision, counseling, evaluation and advancement of residents, and the maintenance of records related to program accreditation.
The Program Director meets with each resident individually on a semi-annual basis (December and June) to review his/her progress in the residency, log totals, in-training exam results and any educational concerns on the part of the Program Director, staff or resident.
Dr. Connell is the Chairman of the Education Committee and meets with that committee semi-annually (January and July) to discuss residency program issues and review the program as a whole. Members of the Education Committee include Dr. Connell, the Chief Resident(s), and several clinical, physics, and
biology faculty.
- Faculty
Radiation Oncologists
The Department of Radiation Oncology consists of 12 full-time and 2 part-time radiation oncologists who devote their professional time to the program for the teaching of clinical radiation oncology (see Appendix II). The Chairman of the Department is Ralph R. Weichselbaum, M.D.
Medical Physicists
The Department includes a total of 11 full-time faculty medical physicists (8 Ph.D., 3 M.S.) who are on-site and involved in the teaching of Medical Physics (see Appendix III). The Section Chief of Medical Physics is Charles Pelizzari, Ph.D.
Radiation/Cancer Biologists
The Department also includes a total of 12 full-time Ph.D. cancer/radiation biologists (see Appendix IV). Six are within the section of cancer biology and six are in the Center for Molecular Oncology. Several physician faculty also maintain basic science laboratories in the Department.
The faculty as a whole has a strong interest in the education of residents and supports the goals and objective of the educational program. Moreover, all members of the faculty devote sufficient time to the educational program to fulfill their supervisory and teaching responsibilities.
The faculty is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment of inquiry and scholarship, including scholarship of discovery, scholarship of dissemination and scholarship of application. A summary of peer-reviewed funding, original research article publications, review articles, book chapters and presentations at national/international meetings and scientific societies is included yearly in the Departmental Annual Report (on file in the Departmental Administrative Office). See Appendix V for a summary of recent publications in clinical medicine, biology and physics by the faculty and staff.
In addition, the faculty is regularly involved in clinical discussions, chart rounds, journal clubs, and research conferences in a manner promoting a spirit of inquiry and scholarship, including offering mentorship and guidance in research projects.
Apart from Medical Physicists and Cancer Biology and Molecular Oncology, there are no non-physician faculty members.
- Residency Program Coordinator
The Residency Program Coordinator is Denise Hallman.
Denise Hallman
Residency Program Coordinator
Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology
Telephone 773-702-4056,
Ms. Hallman maintains all resident academic files and all confidential correspondence and evaluations, and may be contacted to make an appointment to review their contents.
As Program Coordinator, Ms Hallman provides organizational support for the residency program and medical student rotations and assists the Program Director and the Chief Resident(s). She also helps administer the recruitment and interview process for residency applicants and attends all Education Committee meetings.
- Other Personnel
Nursing
The Department is staffed by 10 registered nurses (5 UC, 3 UIC, 2 LMH) who provide counseling to patients and their families with regard to radiation side effects and supportive care. Nurses are responsible for the scheduling of all consults and for the intake and care of patients who present for consultation, follow-up and on-treatment visits. Nurses are responsible for assisting physicians during procedures and, at the UIC and LMH, in the scheduling of all laboratory and x-ray studies. At the UC, scheduling of all laboratory and x-ray studies is the responsible of the front desk. Nurses are also responsible for supplies within the examination rooms.
Technical Staff
The Radiotherapy Technical staff in the treatment area at each center consists of a Chief Therapist and his/her staff of board-certified therapists and therapy students. Therapists are responsible for the delivery of the prescribed treatments, acquiring weekly portal images for quality assurance, emergency treatments on nights and weekends, simulations and out-patient high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy procedures. At each center, scheduling of all simulations is the responsibility of the Simulation Therapists and/or Chief Therapist.
Secretarial Staff
The secretarial staff provides academic and clerical support for the staff physicians. They are also responsible for transcriptions and correspondence for both the staff physician and the resident assigned to his/her service.
Receptionist/Front Desk
The receptionists at each center are responsible for receiving and greeting all patients presenting to the department for consultation, treatment and follow-up. It is their responsibility to acquire all necessary demographic information on patients and enter this information into the hospital computerized database. The front desk staff is also responsible for scheduling of all follow-up visits.
File Room Clerk
The file room clerk maintains all charts and portal films of patients who have been consulted and/or treated. Charts of patients currently under treatment are kept at the appropriate treatment machine. The file room clerk is responsible for the gathering of all charts as needed for follow-up and consultations. He/she is also responsible for filing of all correspondence on all patients and gathering of charts and portal films for physicians performing clinical research projects. Residents and faculty removing charts from the file room should inform the clerk and return the chart(s) as soon as possible.
Billing Clerk
Billing clerks are responsible for reviewing the insurance of all patients presenting to the department and answering all patients insurance concerns. Billing clerks are also responsible for assisting patients in obtaining pre- certifications for clinical visits and/or treatment and for the billing of all visits and treatments. Staff physicians are responsible for completing billing forms with the proper diagnostic codes.
Social Services
A social worker is available at each center to help patients and their families recognize and articulate their questions, concerns and fears regarding treatment and prognosis. The social worker acts as a liaison between the patient and family and various agencies within the community (e.g. nursing facilities, counseling agencies, etc.), for financial assistance and providing transportation to and from the hospital, as needed.
E.Resources
Facilities
Department equipment includes 9 linear accelerators with multiple electron beam capabilities (4 UC, 2 UIC, 2 LMH, 1 HH), 2 superficial x-ray unit (1 UIC, 1 HH), 4 CT-simulators (1 UC, 1 UIC, 1 LMH, 1 HH), 2 conventional simulators (1 UIC, 1 LMH) and 1 high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy unit (UIC). One linear accelerator (UC) is also equipped with on-board imaging (OBI) capabilities.
Treatment planning software is available for 3-D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) (UC, UIC, LMH, HH) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) (UC, UIC, HH).
Facilities are available for the fabrication of treatment aids (UC, UIC, LMH, HH), for performing intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy (UC, UIC, HH) and for performing orthovoltage radiotherapy (UIC, HH). Stereotactic radiosurgery (using a modified linear accelerator) is performed at UC.
Other Services
The UC and UIC have a full complement of specialists in medical oncology, surgical oncology and its subspecialties, gynecologic oncology, and pediatric oncology. LMH & HH have specialists in medical oncology and gynecologic oncology. Each center offers full access to state-of-the-art imaging techniques, nuclear medicine, pathology, a clinical laboratory and a tumor registry.
Library Resources
A variety of journals (hard copy and on-line), reference textbooks, and resource materials pertinent to radiation oncology, associated fields of oncology and basic sciences are available in the Residents Room at each center. These resources are immediately accessible at all times, including nights and weekends, for resident study.
All residents have access to general medical libraries on both the UC and UIC campuses. Twenty four hour access is available with University ID. Renewable Xerox cards are available for all residents.