Alternative Radiation Oncology Residency Programs

The following conditions define an Alternative Program:

1. If the program is not a minimum two years of continuous radiation oncology training which fulfills all of the requirements defined in Sections V-XV of the American College of Veterinary Radiology Recognized Veterinary Specialty of Radiation Oncology Training Program Guidelines, it will be defined as an Alternative Program.
2. If exemption from any requirement for a Standard program is requested in the application, the program must be submitted as an Alternative Program.

Radiation oncology training in an Alternative program must entail training equivalent to that received in a Standard two-year training program. Alternative programs will be considered without having a specific candidate identified. This provides flexibility and could allow the trainee to be identified using the matching program mechanism. If the program is a combined program with another discipline, the program must be evaluated and considered by Council before the trainee begins the radiation oncology portion of training. Once an Alternative Program is approved and a candidate completes training, the program must be re-evaluated and reapproved prior to accepting another trainee.

Approval of Alternative programs is limited to 3 years. Those programs that do not accept a resident for training within a 3 year period must resubmit an application for program approval.

Trainees in Alternative Programs must keep a log of the patients for which the candidate was the primary person responsible for planning and administration of treatment during the training period. This log must include:

• descriptions of the tumor (site, type, volume);
• treatment (modality, plan description, time-dose scheme);
• current follow-up information on each patient on the log; and
• follow-up information on normal tissue and tumor response.