Fellowship training in radiation oncology: an Australasian survey of current teaching and perceived needs

Thirty Australian and New Zealand Radiation Oncology registrars, who were preparing for their final qualifying examinations, were surveyed about their attitudes to their training programmes. While two (7%) indicated that they had no structured tuition whatsoever, the majority 19 (63%) received on average 1-2h per week, which was much less than their perceived need. Other areas of training considered deficient included exposure to curriculum requirements, peer support and access to other hospital specialty meetings. When asked about the concept of job rotation between training centres, 23 (77%) considered it to be potentially advantageous, with a majority preferring one such rotation of 6-12 months duration occurring in their third year, with a return to their base unit prior to final qualifying examinations. Limitations and potential benefits of the job rotation concept are discussed.