Tufts Medical Center radiation oncology residency clinical experience

Tufts Medical Center offers clinical training that prepares residents to manage all stages of radiation oncology care. Residents gain experience across diverse cancers through rotations at Tufts Medical Center and partner hospitals, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts. Pediatric training is provided in collaboration with Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Residents are exposed to discussions of practice-changing and informing research papers and gain hands-on experience working closely with surgical, radiological and medical oncology teams, including extensive time with the radiation therapy team. Clinical rotations emphasize one-on-one learning with supervising faculty, providing experiential training with increasing autonomy. Regular feedback helps residents and the program director identify strengths and areas for growth.

While the program does not have formal areas of concentration, residents interested in specializing in certain techniques or diseases can explore elective opportunities with guidance from the program director and faculty.

Our program combines rigorous clinical experience with strong faculty support, preparing residents to become skilled, confident radiation oncologists.

Hands-on quality improvement training for residents

Residents actively participate in quality improvement (QI) efforts as part of their clinical education. Each QI project is interdisciplinary, involving collaboration with nursing, radiation therapists and medical physics. These projects offer hands-on experience in identifying opportunities for process improvement and implementing changes that enhance patient care.

As part of their training, residents attend bi-monthly Quality Assurance Working Group (QAWG) meetings, Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences and QA Committee meetings. These forums offer structured education on clinical safety, communication, and regulatory expectations and prepare residents to lead improvement efforts in their future practice.

Tufts Medical Center radiation oncology residency program curriculum + training structure

At Tufts Medical Center, our Radiation Oncology Residency Program is built on a foundation of rigorous clinical training, evidence-based learning and personalized mentorship. We strive to create an environment where residents gain expertise across a wide range of cancer types and treatments while developing critical thinking and communication skills. Our structured curriculum and collaborative clinical rotations prepare residents to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care in diverse healthcare settings. We also emphasize scholarly activities, encouraging residents to contribute to research and advance the field of radiation oncology.

Structured radiation oncology training with milestone evaluation at Tufts Medical Center

Residents receive comprehensive hands-on training in all aspects of radiation oncology. From the start, residents actively participate in patient care—performing consultations, developing treatment plans, overseeing simulations and delivering various radiation therapies. They work closely with faculty to gain experience in both common and complex cases, including external beam radiation, brachytherapy, stereotactic treatments and supportive care during therapy. This immersive clinical environment is complemented by a strong foundation in the scientific principles behind radiation oncology, including physics and radiobiology integrated throughout the program.

Residents also have one protected educational day each week, held on Fridays at Tufts Medical Center. This academic day follows a well-developed curriculum beginning with two hours of clinical didactics and a resident-led journal club. This is followed by two hours of medical physics instruction and one hour of radiobiology education, both taught by faculty. The educational sessions are enriched by participation from Tufts School of Veterinary Radiation Oncology residents and Tufts University School of Medicine Oral Medicine residents, offering a unique multidisciplinary perspective on cancer biology and management.

As residents progress, they take on increasing responsibility under faculty supervision, ensuring a balance between independence and expert guidance. Weekly tumor boards and multidisciplinary conferences further enhance their clinical knowledge and decision-making skills. Residents also engage in research projects and quality improvement initiatives and contribute to the education of medical and health professions students.

To ensure consistent and structured evaluation of resident progress, Tufts Medical Center follows the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines using defined milestones. Each resident is assessed by faculty on every rotation, with performance reviewed regularly by the Program Director. These milestones cover key competency areas essential to radiation oncology practice:

• Patient care: Consultation, simulation, contouring and target delineation, treatment planning and plan evaluation, treatment delivery including localization and film review, supportive care during treatment, follow-up care, brachytherapy and stereotactic treatments.
• Medical knowledge: Applied sciences such as physics, cancer biology, radiation biology, clinical trial design, oncoanatomy and evidence-based foundations of radiation oncology.
• Systems-based practice: Patient safety and quality improvement, system navigation for patient-centered care and understanding the physician’s role within the healthcare system.
• Practice-based learning and improvement: Evidence-based and informed practice, reflective learning and commitment to personal and professional growth.
• Professionalism: Professional behavior and ethical principles, accountability and conscientiousness, self-awareness and help-seeking behaviors.
• Interpersonal and communication skills: Communication that is patient- and family-centered, collaboration within interprofessional teams and effective communication across healthcare systems.

This structured milestone framework supports resident development, identifies learning needs and ensures readiness for independent practice as compassionate and skilled radiation oncologists.

Expert-led radiation oncology training at Tufts Medical Center

The Radiation Oncology Residency Program at Tufts Medical Center provides comprehensive, hands-on clinical training designed to produce well-trained, board-eligible radiation oncologists who are confident, compassionate and skilled in multidisciplinary cancer care. Tufts Medical Center partners with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and other leading institutions to care for people with a wide range of diseases and conditions, serving patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Residents spend one-on-one time with faculty and clinicians, developing strong professional relationships and gaining progressive responsibility throughout their training. One full day each week is dedicated to didactic education that complements daily clinical experience.

Training encompasses a diverse range of treatment modalities, including external beam radiation therapy, interstitial and intracavity brachytherapy​ and radiopharmaceuticals. The program also features Gamma Knife radiosurgery in Massachusetts and northern New England. Residents first see each new patient, conduct detailed history and physical exams and review imaging and pathology. Under faculty supervision, residents participate in simulation, treatment planning and follow patients through therapy and survivorship care. Foundational education in physics and radiobiology is integrated from the start to enrich clinical understanding. Residents complete at least one research project leading to publication and a quality improvement initiative. Teaching medical, dental and other health professions students is an active part of the residency experience.

• Mission: To train residents to be part of a collaborative learning organization that enhances patient health through clinical excellence, education and research.
• Vision: To become a leading training program for radiation therapy where its faculty, trainees and alumni are recognized for patient-centered, high-quality care.  

Program aims:

• To develop mastery of the principles of Radiation Oncology, along with a proficiency in clinical skills to provide excellent care for a diverse patient population.
• To become professional role models with the communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with patients, caregivers, and multidisciplinary teams to provide safe and effective patient care.
• To cultivate learning in an environment that supports teamwork, life-long learning skills and critical thinking.
• To develop skills, participate in education and scientific research in medicine.

Hands-on radiation oncology training with academic + clinical excellence at Tufts Medical Center

The Radiation Oncology Residency Program at Tufts Medical Center prepares board-eligible radiation oncologists who are confident, compassionate and skilled in working as part of a multidisciplinary care team. Tufts Medical Center is a world-class academic hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts, and serves as the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Our residents care for individuals across all socioeconomic backgrounds, from those with early-stage cancer to those with advanced or palliative needs. We are committed to clinical excellence, hands-on learning and fostering an inclusive environment that values diversity among our trainees and faculty.

Residents receive close mentorship through one-on-one clinical training with experienced faculty. The program offers a full day each week dedicated to didactic education and opportunities for research and professional development. In addition to training at Tufts Medical Center, residents rotate through Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and will also gain experience at the University of Massachusetts starting in the 2025–2026 academic year. Our graduates go on to succeed in both academic medicine and private practice.

Program highlights:

• Broad clinical experience, from early-stage to complex and palliative care
• One full day each week is dedicated to didactic training
• Close mentorship through one-on-one clinical teaching
• Rotations at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts
• Graduates succeed in both academic and private practice careers