My shining moment took place in late July, when I had the privilege of welcoming our first cohort of students to the Radiation Oncology Intensive Shadowing Experience (RISE) program! The brainchild of Radiation Oncology medical residents Drs. Damilola Oladeru and Ivy Franco, the RISE program was launched in the summer of 2020 to offer virtual shadowing and educational experiences in Radiation Oncology to talented, underrepresented minority medical students.

Many of these students might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience the radiation oncology specialty, especially in the current COVID-19 environment. Each student was paired with one to two radiation oncologists to shadow virtually over five days. The students participated in learning sessions with established curricula in pathology, radiation dosimetry and e-contouring. They joined our attendings and residents virtually for tumor boards and patient visits, were mentored by our physics staff in radiation planning, watched a live MR-based radiation treatment and prepared a capstone presentation.

Every member of our RISE team was essential, including administrative staff, residents, attending physicians, dosimetrists, physicists and radiation therapists. What a joy it was to see this screen of smiling faces from the inaugural group of RISE students and their mentors!

Daphne Haas-Kogan, MD
Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
Willem and Corrie Hees Family Professor of Radiation Oncology

Home