Department of Radiation Oncology

About

High-quality radiation therapy for cancer patients

Radiation oncology is a clinical specialty that involves the delivery of radiation therapy for treatment of cancer. We deliver high-quality radiation therapy to patients with cancer across Atlantic Canada. As a student or resident, you'll have access to cutting edge technology and work closely with provincial cancer site teams to ensure the delivery of top-notch care.

You’ll experience what it feels like to work as a closely integrated team of radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, physicists, dosimetrists, nurses and support staff. Our people are collaborative and put strong emphasis on research that includes involvement in clinical trials.

Your role as a radiation oncologist

Radiation oncology is a very satisfying career where you work closely with surgeons, family physicians, medical oncologists and other health care professionals. Because cancer can impact many aspects of a patient’s health, patients often require more than one type of treatment--it’s important that you have a strong background in general medicine to prepare you for the variety of challenges you'll face. 

A typical week as a radiation oncologist

As a radiation oncologist, you’ll typically see five-to-eight new patients per week. You’ll give new patients advice about treatment options and management that often needs to be coordinated or discussed with other specialists. There's also time spent in follow up appointments and monitoring patients who have gone through treatment.

You'll spend time in radiotherapy planning, which involves interpreting diagnostic imaging, identifying which areas need to be treated and reviewing radiotherapy plans (how a patient's radiation is to be delivered). Part of your job will also involve teaching medical students and residents.

You'll be involved in provincial tumor boards, have regularly scheduled meetings with other physicians to discuss interesting or challenging management issues and strategize how care should be delivered on a provincial level.