The teaching of physics and related courses to residents in radiation oncology

A survey of physics and related teaching to radiation oncology residents in 21 Canadian cancer centres was undertaken in December 1987 and January 1988. This survey illustrates a very considerable variation in the formal teaching of physics to aspiring radiation oncologists with, for example, the number of hours offered ranging from 40 to 160 in those 10 centres which have a training program. It would appear to be of benefit to radiation oncology residents, those charged with teaching them, and the radiation oncology community as a whole, to develop specific guidelines for this aspect of resident education.