ESTRO 2023

Session Item

Saturday

May 13

09:00 - 10:00

Business Suite 3-4

Health services research; Education and training

Chair: , Austria

Session Type: Poster Discussion

Track: Interdisciplinary

Journey:

Are you planning to be a radiation oncologist? A survey by the Young Group of AIRO

Valerio Nardone, Italy

Presentation Number: PD-0084

Abstract

Abstract Title:

Are you planning to be a radiation oncologist? A survey by the Young Group of AIRO

Authors:

Valerio Nardone¹, Luca Boldrini², Viola Salvestrini³, Carlo Greco⁴, Gian Marco Petrianni⁴, Isacco Desideri⁵, Francesca De Felice⁶

¹Unit of Radiotherapy, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Department of Precision Medicine, Naples, Italy; ²Radiation Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rome, Italy; ³Radiation Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "M. Serio", Florence, Italy; ⁴Radiation Oncology, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rome, Italy; ⁵Radiation Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, University of Florence, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "M. Serio" , Florence, Italy; ⁶Radiation Oncology, Policlinico Umberto I "Sapienza" University of Rome, Department of Radiotherapy, Rome, Italy

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Purpose or Objective

Despite the pivotal role of Radiation Oncology in cancer therapy, the shortage of radiation oncologists and the low motivation amongst medical students to choose this discipline and join the residency program represents a long-standing problem in Italy.
The Young Section of the Associazione Italiana di Radioterapia ed Oncologia clinica (Young section of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology, yAIRO) circulated an online questionnaire survey among residents currently enrolled within Italian radiotherapy residency schools to investigate the profiles, motivations, knowledge of the radiotherapy discipline, and organizations and the needs of younger members.

Material and Methods

The survey was developed by the yAIRO steering committee and included questions about the demographic characteristics of the residents (Profile A), the background of their clinical experience during the school of medicine and national residency admission test performance (Profile B) and the residents’ knowledge of the scientific associations active in the field of radiotherapy (Profile C).

Results

A total of 134 residents responded to the questionnaire, out of a total of 400 residents actually in training (response rate 33,5%).
According to most of the residents, radiotherapy was not adequately studied during the medical school (n.95; 71%) and an Internship in Radiotherapy was not mandatory (n.99; 74%). Only a minority of the residents had chosen a master degree thesis in Radiotherapy (n.12; 9%).
A low percentage of the residents stated that they knew the Associazione Italiana di Radioterapia ed Oncologia Clinica (Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology, AIRO), its young section (yAIRO) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) when they were in School of Medicine (respectively 11%, 7% and 13%).

Conclusion

The results of the survey require a profound reflection on the current teaching of Radiation Oncology in our country, highlighting the need for a better-defined position in the framework of the School of Medicine core curriculum.
Regular surveys and comparisons over time could be helpful to evaluate the results of AIRO strategies aiming to increase the knowledge of radiotherapy and to create a networking platform for young professionals. With this aim in mind, the results of the survey must be interpreted as a benchmark for future comparisons.