Standardizing Research Training in Radiation Oncology Residency: A Pilot Program Evaluation

Summary: Research scholarship is integral to radiation oncology residency training, yet experiences vary widely, relying heavily on project-specific training. The ability to dedicate research time while maintaining patient care and work-life balance is crucial to promote meaningful experiences during residency. To standardize research training and improve efficiency, we created a pilot program called The “How To" Research Enrichment Series, which includes a peer-led seminar series conducted during protected time on developing clinical research skills to accelerate resident-initiated projects. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of the “How To” pilot program. A prospective, anonymous, qualitative survey was conducted at a single institution from 2022 to 2024 following each "How To" seminar: 1) Building a Database, 2) Initiating a Clinical Trial, 3) Performing a Meta-Analysis, 4) R coding for Kaplan-Meier Curves, 5) MATLAB DICOM Analyses, and 6) Applying for Grants. Clinical and medical physics resident participants were categorized as "Junior" (PGY2-3 for clinical and PGY1 for medical physics) or "Senior" (PGY4-5 for clinical and PGY2 for medical physics). The survey assessed self-reported improvements in knowledge, likelihood of applying gained knowledge, and the perceived value of information from peer leaders on a 5-point Likert scale. Fisher’s exact test was performed to compare scores between Juniors and Seniors for each seminar. Between 2022 and 2024, a total of 21 unique residents attended 6 seminars, led by Seniors (1 medical physics, 5 clinical). From the 6 seminars, 61 survey responses were collected, with 51 (83.6%) from clinical residents and 10 (16.4%) from medical physics residents; with an average survey response rate of 73%. At the time of surveys, 34 (55.7%) responses were from Juniors, and 27 (44.3%) responses were from Seniors. All responses (100%) indicated agreement or strong agreement that knowledge increased and peer speakers provided valuable information. Almost all (97%) expressed agreement or strong agreement that they would likely apply what they learned, while a minority (3%) expressed neutrality. Median survey scores for improvement of knowledge and likelihood of applying knowledge for the seminar on Initiating a Clinical Trial were significantly higher for Seniors than Juniors (5 vs 4, respectively; p=0.048). For all other seminars, there were no significant differences in any survey responses between Juniors and Seniors. The “How To” pilot program substantially enhanced research knowledge of resident participants, regardless of their training level, with material taught by peer leaders universally perceived as valuable. Our findings support the formal integration of a peer-led research curriculum to standardize radiation oncology research training, and thereby create an equitable environment for resident development, irrespective of baseline expertise. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term impacts of peer-led research mentorship on radiation oncology residents' personal and academic growth and career trajectories. Rojine T. Ariani (she/her/hers), MD, MS (Presenting Author) - Department of Radiation Oncology, UCLA; Trudy Wu, MD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Matthew Farrell, MD, MFA (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Michael Lauria, PhD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Jack Neylon, PhD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Minsong Cao, PhD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Ann Raldow, MD, MPH (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Amar Kishan, MD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Alexandra Klomhaus, PhD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Susan McCloskey, MD, MSHS (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Joanne Weidhaas, MD, PhD, MS (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Michael Steinberg, MD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles; Jie Deng, MD, PhD (Co-Author) - University of California, Los Angeles