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Radiation Oncology
Volume 12 No 4
I
September 2016
55
Radiation Oncology Trainees
Committee Update
Examination Series
A collective sigh of relief can be heard
among the trainees with the completion
of all examination series for 2016. The
Phase 1 examination was held on 9
September and the second sitting of the
Phase 2 examination series took place
from July through to early September.
Congratulations to the trainees who
were successful in these sittings and
best of luck to those who are studying
for upcoming examinations next year—
all your hard work and effort will be
rewarded!
Trainee Feedback
Maintaining the high standard of the
Faculty of Radiation Oncology (FRO)
training program is an ongoing priority
for the College. There are numerous
ways in which the College evaluates
the quality of our training and many
of these methods rely heavily on
trainee feedback. One important
tool is the Trainee Assessment of
Training Site or ‘TATS’, which we
are required to complete every six
months at a minimum. The TATS form
is currently under review to ensure
that it is an accurate and valid tool. In
addition to this, our training sites are
regularly reviewed to ensure they meet
accreditation standards. As trainees, we
can capitalise on these opportunities
to provide constructive feedback to
the College by participating in these
activities as honestly and accurately
as possible. The TATS forms are
anonymous and collated over a period
of time, such that any information
provided is de-identified. The Radiation
Oncology Trainees Committee (ROTC)
is working together with the College to
optimise this feedback process and in
particular, will be aiming to optimise the
utility of the TATS forms.
Courses and Conferences
The 2016 College Annual Scientific
Meeting (ASM) will be held on the Gold
Coast on the 13-16 October. In addition
to the jam-packed scientific program,
the Trainee Learning Day will provide
a focused series of talks, covering
both clinical content as well as other
trainee related topics such as fellowship
opportunities. The trainee forum, held
at the conclusion of the day, will provide
an opportunity to share any thoughts,
feedback or concerns amongst the
trainee body as well as with College
staff. A short survey by the ROTC will
be emailed to all trainees prior to the
trainee forum to enable you to identify
any issues you wish to discuss. The ASM
social calendar will ensure that we both
‘work hard and play hard’ on the Gold
Coast. This year the inaugural trainee
and junior consultant reception will be
held in addition to the annual social
events. Lastly, don’t forget to pack your
sneakers and sign up for the Targeting
Cancer Fun Run.
There are a number of other fantastic
meetings coming up over the next few
months. Hopefully you can attend one
or more of these:
• The Australasian Melanoma
Conference 2016. 28-29 October,
Sydney
• Clinical Oncology Society of
Australia, Trainee’s Weekend
“Everything you need to know about
breast cancer”. 12-13 November
2016, Gold Coast
• The ESTRO School’s Evidence Based
Radiation Oncology: how to evaluate
the scientific evidence and apply it
to daily practice. 19-22 November,
Sydney
ROTC 2017 Election
The nomination and voting process for
the 2017 ROTC took place in August
and September. Hopefully all trainees
participated in electing their incoming
ROTC members who will continue
championing our concerns. I look
forward to meeting the new committee
for 2017.
Dr Gina Hesselberg
Chair, Radiation Oncology Trainees
Committee