Nursing

Psychological intervention

Linguistics

Engineering

Philosophy

Radiation oncology

Contouring

Apprenticeship

Clinical trial

Pedagogy

Clinical Oncology

Medical physics

Protocol (science)

Curriculum

Radiation therapy

Alternative medicine

Psychology

Political science

Family medicine

Internal medicine

MEDLINE

Oncology

Medicine

Engineering drawing

Medical education

Scopus

Cancer

Pathology

International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics

Multiple studies have demonstrated that variations in contouring by radiation oncologists are common and associated with worse clinical outcomes including increased toxicity and decreased survival. 1 Ohri N Shen X Dicker AP et al. Radiotherapy protocol deviations and clinical outcomes: A meta-analysis of cooperative group clinical trials. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013; 105: 387-393 Crossref PubMed Scopus (168) Google Scholar Some of this variation may be due to lack of a standardized contouring curriculum during residency training. Success of the currently utilized apprenticeship model depends on the expertise and skill of the attending physician, the number and variety of cases encountered during the rotation, and the time available to provide feedback. A recent survey of US residents demonstrates the inconsistent results of this system, with 43% of respondents stating they reviewed contours with an attending half the time or less. 2 Wu SY Sath C Schuster JM et al. Targeted needs assessment of treatment planning education for united states radiation oncology residents. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020; 106: 677-682 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar

Protocol for a Prospective Trial to Assess Novel Contouring Education Interventions for Radiation Oncology Residents Using an Interactive Online Platform