The Employment Experience of Recent Graduates From US Radiation Oncology Training Programs: The Practice Entry Survey Results From 2012 to 2017.

PURPOSE: The Practice Entry Survey presentation is a highly anticipated session for the radiation oncology (RO) resident at the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting. Each year the senior author reports the employment outcomes and job market experiences for the most recently graduated RO residents. METHODS: The Practice Entry Survey has been continuously administered annually to graduated RO residents since 1984 via the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology directory. Six years of individual-level data, from 2012 to 2017, were readily available for analysis. The questionnaire queries the workforce placement experience and collects debt, salary, and benefits information. Respondents were subgrouped by practice type (academic vs private practice), and results were tested for trends over time. RESULTS: Survey data were collected from 302 recently graduated residents. There were 7 in fellowship and 1 practicing internationally, leaving 294 eligible for analysis. They identified themselves as working in either an academic setting (n = 150 [51%]) or private practice (n = 144 [49%]). First-year salaries for those in private practice were more than those in academics ($303,000; [interquartile range, $270,000-$375,000] versus $280,000 [interquartile range, $260,000-$325,000]; P < .01). With regard to the job search, 21.8% of respondents found their jobs through the online American Society for Radiation Oncology Career Center, while most respondents, 77.2%, found their jobs through other means. Respondents also ranked the items they found to be most helpful during the interview process. CONCLUSIONS: These data can help gauge the competitiveness of an offer as well as what to expect during the job hunt and interview process.

Ethics in the Legal and Business Practices of Radiation Oncology.

Ethical issues arise when a professional endeavor such as medicine, which seeks to place the well-being of others over the self-interest of the practitioner, meets granular business and legal decisions involved in making a livelihood out of a professional calling. The use of restrictive covenants, involvement in self-referral patterns, and maintaining appropriate comity among physicians while engaged in the marketplace are common challenges in radiation oncology practice. A paradigm of analysis is presented to help navigate these management challenges.

International outreach: what is the responsibility of ASTRO and the major international radiation oncology societies?

In this era of globalization and rapid advances in radiation oncology worldwide, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is committed to help decrease profound regional disparities through the work of the International Education Subcommittee (IES). The IES has expanded its base, reach, and activities to foster educational advances through a variety of educational methods with broad scope, in addition to committing to the advancement of radiation oncology care for cancer patients around the world, through close collaboration with our sister radiation oncology societies and other educational, governmental, and organizational groups.