Mula-Hussain Layth, Shamsaldin Akhtar N, Al-Ghazi Muthana, Muhammad Hawzheen Aziz, Wadi-Ramahi Shada, Hanna Rabbie K, Alhasso Abdulla
Physician in Radiation Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute - University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Consultant Medical Physicist, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq.
Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2019 Aug 19;19:46-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ctro.2019.08.002. eCollection 2019 Nov.
Residency programs leading to board certification are important for safe and competent Radiation Oncology (RO) practice. In some developing nations, there is a gap in this field. This work addresses the experience that was accomplished to establish such a program in Iraq despite all the challenges that faces a country under war.
Descriptive report of challenges faced in a developing country that is still reeling from war, the steps taken to overcome these challenges and outcomes after graduation of two classes.
After over 18 months of prerequisite technical and logistical preparations, a group of local and external faculty members were invited to establish the required syllabus of a structured RO residency program in Iraq. It is comprised of a total of 100 post-graduate academic credits over a 48-months period after clinical internship. First year evaluations included regular practical assessments; seven in-house papers covering RO, cancer and radiation biology, medical physics, radiological anatomy and diagnostic oncology, tumor pathology, onco-pharmacology, and medical statistics, research methodology, and cancer epidemiology, followed by a comprehensive examination. Subsequent evaluations were on an annual bases with enrollment in the American College of Radiology In-Training examination in RO. Final assessment included logbook and skills' reviews, graduation thesis or peer-review publication, two-papers' written examination, and an exit practical examination.
Given the political, economic and social difficulties in post-war Iraq, it was a major challenge to establish a residency program in RO. Despite the significant difficulties, the residency program leading to board certification in RO was successfully started in Iraq. The new specialists will help in addressing the shortage of radiation oncologists in the country.
获得委员会认证的住院医师培训项目对于安全、胜任的放射肿瘤学（RO）实践至关重要。在一些发展中国家，该领域存在差距。这项工作讲述了在伊拉克建立这样一个项目所取得的经验，尽管这个国家面临着战争带来的所有挑战。
描述一个仍在战争影响下的发展中国家所面临的挑战、为克服这些挑战所采取的步骤以及两届学员毕业后的成果报告。
经过18个多月必要的技术和后勤准备后，邀请了一批本地和外部教员来制定伊拉克结构化RO住院医师培训项目所需的教学大纲。该项目在临床实习后的48个月内总共包含100个研究生学术学分。第一年的评估包括定期实践考核；七篇内部论文，涵盖RO、癌症与放射生物学、医学物理、放射解剖学与诊断肿瘤学、肿瘤病理学、肿瘤药理学、医学统计学、研究方法以及癌症流行病学，随后是综合考试。后续评估每年进行一次，并参加美国放射学会RO住院医师培训考试。最终评估包括日志和技能评估、毕业论文或同行评审发表文章、两篇论文的笔试以及结业实践考试。
鉴于战后伊拉克的政治、经济和社会困难，在RO领域建立住院医师培训项目是一项重大挑战。尽管困难重重，但伊拉克成功启动了通往RO委员会认证的住院医师培训项目。新的专科医生将有助于解决该国放射肿瘤学家短缺的问题。
