This year, Michener’s Radiation Therapy faculty launched a new initiative to better support 2nd year students in the program as they work on patient treatment plans, which is a core component of the curriculum.
Radiation Therapy students are given a case scenario and asked to create an individualized treatment plan based on specific protocol requirements, but faculty found that the students’ recall of certain aspects of treatment plans, like the physics side of the plans, was a challenge. This led to faculty rethinking the assignment and turning it into a presentation style where the students can show faculty what they know about treatment plans and where the knowledge gaps are. During the presentations, the students also establish touch points to other didactic courses, including Oncology, Anatomy, Methodology and Patient Care. Another benefit is that 1st year Radiation Therapy students attend the presentations, giving them a chance to learn more about treatment plans and what’s to come in their 2nd year.
Rahul Mohla is an Associate Professor in the program and says that the presentations are about community building and giving students the confidence to talk about treatment plans in a safe learning space. “With technology like MRI Linacs coming to the forefront in Radiation Therapy, I’m looking to enlighten the students with an understanding of treatment planning,” says Rahul. “This will help them in their future careers and give them the experience of adapting treatment plans in real time.”
This student-focused initiative was led by the entire Radiation Therapy faculty: Rahul Mohla, Renate Bradley, Alfred Lam, Robert Case, Martin Chai, Reshika Balakrishnan and Niusha Nowbahari.
