Course Description
Students continue to gain clinical experience at an affiliated clinical internship site by concentrating on more advanced treatment planning and brachytherapy procedures while continuing to learn concepts of clinical oncology specific to patient treatments.
Assessments & Activities
Students were assessed and graded on their performance and participation in clinical labs, competencies, service learning project, clinical evaluations, contouring, and e-portfolio contributions.
Planning Assignment
Students participated in a prostate planning challenge through ProKnow. I created my VMAT plan using the Pinnacle treatment planning system. The plans were scored on things such as conformality, dose to specified structures, and dose to treatment volumes. Prostate Plan Challenge Competencies Students are required to complete a total of 17 competencies throughout the program. This semester, completion of 6 competencies was mandatory. Please follow the links below to view this semester's completed competencies. Pelvis-GYN Intact Breast Tangents Chest Wall Tangents with SCV & PAB Prostate IMRT Thoracic IMRT Electron Beam Plan Case Logs Throughout this course, students recorded the different activities they observed, assisted with, or performed, allowing reflection on areas of experience and areas the student needs be exposed to more. Please follow the link below to view the summary of my case logs competed this semester. Clinical Practicum II Case Logs |
Contouring
Using the ProKnow program, we were scored on the accuracy of our contour of the rectum, sigmoid, and large bowel. Please follow the link below to view my scores and certificates for the rectum, sigmoid, and large bowel contours. Rectum Contour Sigmoid Contour Large Bowel Contour Service Learning Project Students must fulfill the service learning requirement by volunteering their time in all 3 categories, which include community, professional, and employer before the end of the program. This semester, I completed a community service learning project. Please follow the link below to view my service learning project. Community Service Learning Project Clinical Evaluations The clinical preceptor at the internship site completed an evaluation of the student's performance 3 times, throughout this course. Please follow the link below to view my clinical evaluations. Clinical Practicum II Evaluations |
Self Reflection
At the completion of every course students are asked to reflect on a series of questions that focused on their knowledge gained, skills, areas of opportunity, and overall thoughts about the course.
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this clinical semester were....
Though I began IMRT and VMAT planning at the end of last semester, this semester I was able to spend more time working on these planning techniques. At this point, I feel very confident in my understanding of the planning concepts and comfortable creating IMRT and VMAT plans for various sites of the body.
Skills I hope to learn more about and use next semester are....
I would really like to gain more experience creating brachytherapy plans. Though this is completed by physicists at my facility, I would like to become comfortable with planning brachy cases. I would also like to start planning head and neck cases. I have planned a couple of cases using 3D Tomo Direct and 3D Tomo Helical techniques, but would like to become comfortable planning IMRT and VMAT cases, as well.
What I enjoyed most about this clinical rotation....
I have had the opportunity to work on some very difficult cases this semester, and have really enjoyed the challenge. It has been great motivation to continue cultivating my planning skills when these difficult plans come together. I have also enjoyed having the opportunity to learn from so many skilled dosimetrists at my internship site. They are all amazing resources and I have already learned so much from my time spent with them.
What I struggled with the most throughout this clinical rotation and how I plan to work on it....
Though I feel very confident in understanding the concepts of VMAT and IMRT planning, it still takes me a good amount of time to create a plan. I'm still meeting the deadlines for plans, but feel that I should and can get these plans done more quickly. I know that this will come with experience, but I have taken it upon myself to take as many VMAT and IMRT plans that I can so that I can become even more proficient at planning them.
Other reflective thoughts...
This semester was unique in that there were times when there were multiple dosimetrists out. This was an opportunity to take on more plans and not only gain valuable planning experience, but really feel like part of the dosimetry team. I am very grateful to have been placed at UW Hospital for my clinical internship and I know that I will continue to grow and become a successful dosimetrist as a result of it.
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this clinical semester were....
Though I began IMRT and VMAT planning at the end of last semester, this semester I was able to spend more time working on these planning techniques. At this point, I feel very confident in my understanding of the planning concepts and comfortable creating IMRT and VMAT plans for various sites of the body.
Skills I hope to learn more about and use next semester are....
I would really like to gain more experience creating brachytherapy plans. Though this is completed by physicists at my facility, I would like to become comfortable with planning brachy cases. I would also like to start planning head and neck cases. I have planned a couple of cases using 3D Tomo Direct and 3D Tomo Helical techniques, but would like to become comfortable planning IMRT and VMAT cases, as well.
What I enjoyed most about this clinical rotation....
I have had the opportunity to work on some very difficult cases this semester, and have really enjoyed the challenge. It has been great motivation to continue cultivating my planning skills when these difficult plans come together. I have also enjoyed having the opportunity to learn from so many skilled dosimetrists at my internship site. They are all amazing resources and I have already learned so much from my time spent with them.
What I struggled with the most throughout this clinical rotation and how I plan to work on it....
Though I feel very confident in understanding the concepts of VMAT and IMRT planning, it still takes me a good amount of time to create a plan. I'm still meeting the deadlines for plans, but feel that I should and can get these plans done more quickly. I know that this will come with experience, but I have taken it upon myself to take as many VMAT and IMRT plans that I can so that I can become even more proficient at planning them.
Other reflective thoughts...
This semester was unique in that there were times when there were multiple dosimetrists out. This was an opportunity to take on more plans and not only gain valuable planning experience, but really feel like part of the dosimetry team. I am very grateful to have been placed at UW Hospital for my clinical internship and I know that I will continue to grow and become a successful dosimetrist as a result of it.