Events & Professional Development

Peer Review Conference

There are many opportunities for residents to sharpen research skills and develop their ability to locate, appraise and assimilate evidence, then apply it to their patients’ health problems.

Peer Review Conference and New Patient Conferences are two forums in which residents present cases, having conducted appropriate literature searches and targeted reading in the field, prior to suggesting treatment planning options. In consultation with the attending physician with whom they are rotating, residents evaluate existing approaches to treatment and determine what is best suited for a particular patient’s condition.>

Residents have access to the University of Cincinnati’s excellent online library resources, including the library’s own catalog, a statewide system for searching journals (OhioLINK) and the internationally recognized PubMed journal database.Within the College of Medicine, residents are encouraged from the outset to make use of librarians on staff and free training in conducting effective literature searches.

Within the program, residents are guided year by year to evaluate sources, to become familiar with the significant research being published, to assimilate and apply the information to patient care.

New Patient Conferences

B Radiation Oncology Attending Physicians
Weekly, in the Barrett Center Library (BCC 1072) or Conference Room (BCC 1074), according to schedule below:

Dr. John C. Breneman (Neuro-oncology, Pediatric)
Mondays, noon-1 p.m.

Dr. Michelle L. Mierzwa (Gastrointestinal)
Tuesdays, 8-9 a.m.

Dr. William L. Barrett (Head & Neck, Genitourinary)
Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m.

Dr. Bradley J. Huth
Thursdays, noon-1 p.m.

Dr. Kevin P. Redmond (Thoracic, Genitourinary)
Fridays, 8-9 a.m.

An ideal opportunity for residents to identify strengths and weaknesses is New Patient Conference.The department has six attending physician faculty currently holdinga weekly New Patient Conference, and two faculty offer a conference in the same block of time on alternate weeks; residents therefore spend five to six hours a week in these conferences. They may cover topics in pediatrics, breast, lung/thoracic, soft tissue sarcoma, head and neck, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, central nervous system and gynecologic cancers.

The format is the same in each conference; namely, case presentation of a patient recently seen, followed by discussion. Pathology is reviewed, as well as imaging. Questions are asked of the residents, usually in a round-robin format. Pertinent literature is discussed as well.

Simulation techniques are presented, and finally a treatment plan is formulated. Due to the spontaneous nature of the questions, there is little opportunity to prepare in depth prior to the conference.It is a great yardstick by which the residents can measure their knowledge of each aspect of caring for a patient, from the initial history and physical through daily treatment.

The format closely resembles a group mock oral exam. By occurring on a weekly basis, it continually reinforces key skills and allows residents to identify and remedy any deficiencies they may have in a certain subject in an ongoing process of practice-based learning and improvement. Lifelong learning is important, particularly for the attendings, to be aware of and be able to quote the most current literature.

Grand Rounds

Weekly on Wednesdays, from 8 to 9 a.m., in the Radiation Oncology Conference Room(BCC 1074). ‎

Open to all staff in UC Health University Hospital and the College of Medicine, Radiation Oncology Grand Rounds are a unique opportunity for residents to attend high-quality oncologic lectures.

Residents and attending physicians are required to give a presentation semi-annually. In addition, presentations are given by the physics staff, visiting radiation oncologists and attending physicians in other oncologic specialties in our institution. Additional topics throughout the year included treatment success and failure, morbidity and mortality and updates on open clinical trials at our institution. Attendance is encouraged for the entire radiation oncology department, as well as community physicians.

Resident Seminar / Journal Club

Weekly on Mondays (Sept. to May), from 4 to 5 p.m.,in the Barrett Center Library (BCC 1072).

During this time, residents are responsible for teaching one another.Throughout the year, residents take turns reviewing and providing an outline of a current radiation oncology textbook chapter.One resident presents a chapter every week, and discussion of the disease site is encouraged.

Key journal articles pertaining to the chapter are provided by the resident, as well. In the past, textbooks have included those authored by Cox and Ang, Gunderson and Tepper and Perez and Brady.

Approximately once a month, resident seminar is replaced by a journal club. During this time, three or four key papers published in academic journalsare presented by the residents for discussion as a group.