Department of Radiation Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2024 Nov;25(11):e14501. doi: 10.1002/acm2.14501. Epub 2024 Oct 7.
A survey of medical physics residency program directors was conducted in Spring 2021 to examine the current state of brachytherapy (BT) training during residency. In this related work, a subsequent survey of therapeutic medical physics residents in 2022 was conducted to assess the confidence and experience of the trainees. Concerns for access to high-quality and diverse training in BT have escalated in importance due to recent declines in BT utilization.
A survey consisting of 26 questions was designed by a working unit of the Brachytherapy Subcommittee of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and approved for distribution by the Executive Committee of the AAPM. The survey was distributed to current trainees and recent graduates of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs accredited therapeutic medical physics residency programs by the AAPM. The participant response was anonymously recorded in an online platform and subsequently analyzed using spreadsheet software.
The survey was distributed to 796 current medical physics residents or recent graduates over the course of 6 weeks in February and March of 2022. The survey received 736 views and a total of 182 responses were collected, with 165 respondents completing the survey in full. Among those responses, 110 had completed their residency training, with program start dates ranging from calendar years 2015 to 2021. Individual responses from the survey takers (including partial survey submissions) were evaluated and analyzed to compile results.
Medical physics residents reported the highest levels of confidence and caseload for gynecological BT procedures when compared with other surveyed treatment techniques. This indicates opportunities to improve training and increase access to clinical caseload are needed in order to improve competency and confidence. Time constraints (clinical and rotation-based) were indicated as impediments to BT proficiency. Medical physics residents reported enthusiasm for additional training opportunities in BT, and it is evident that additional structure and programs are required to ensure adequate access to BT training during residency.
2021 年春季对医学物理住院医师培训计划主任进行了调查，以检查住院医师培训期间近距离放射治疗（BT）的现状。在这项相关工作中，2022 年对治疗性医学物理住院医师进行了后续调查，以评估受训者的信心和经验。由于 BT 利用率的最近下降，对高质量和多样化 BT 培训的关注度已经增加。
由美国医学物理学家协会（AAPM）近距离放射治疗小组委员会的一个工作组设计了一份包含 26 个问题的调查问卷，并经 AAPM 执行委员会批准分发。该调查面向当前接受培训的人员和最近从 AAPM 认可的治疗性医学物理住院医师培训计划认证的医学物理教育计划委员会毕业的人员。参与者的回复以匿名方式记录在在线平台上，并随后使用电子表格软件进行分析。
该调查于 2022 年 2 月至 3 月的 6 周内向 796 名当前医学物理住院医师或最近的毕业生分发。该调查共收到 736 次浏览，共收集到 182 份回复，其中 165 人完整填写了调查。在这些回复中，有 110 人完成了住院医师培训，其培训开始日期从 2015 年到 2021 年不等。从调查参与者（包括部分调查提交）中评估和分析个人回复，以汇总结果。
与其他调查治疗技术相比，医学物理住院医师报告说在妇科 BT 程序方面的信心和病例量最高。这表明需要改进培训并增加获得临床病例量的机会，以提高能力和信心。时间限制（临床和轮转）被认为是 BT 熟练程度的障碍。医学物理住院医师报告说对 BT 培训的额外培训机会感兴趣，显然需要额外的结构和计划，以确保在住院医师培训期间有足够的机会获得 BT 培训。
