Radiobiology and the role of the radiobiologist in the context of a teaching-oriented radiation oncology department.

This discussion concerns the function of a radiobiologist in the radiation oncology department of a hospital which maintains a radiation oncology training program. This involves teaching and research, both of which contribute to the oncology residents' total learning experience. The teaching commitment emphasizes the radiobiological basis of clinical problems, and makes use of both lectures and clinical experience to generate the teaching situations. As a part of the research commitment, the radiobiologist acts as an interface between clinical experience and research. He accomplishes this by maintaining a research program oriented toward clinical problems and organizing a research rotation during which the oncology trainees are able to participate in a specific research project. Radiobiology teaching and research must be relevant to the clinical experience of the oncologist.