Daniel W. Golden, MD and Ryan Bair, MD
Why did you choose to support the ROI? And, in particular, why did you choose to support the ROI through your small business: RadOncQuestions.com?
Our primary mission with RadOncQuestions.com is to improve the quality of radiation oncology care by advancing the radiation oncology community's knowledge of evidence-based practice. RadOncQuestions.com has been well received by the radiation oncology community and we were looking for a way to give back. The Radiation Oncology Institute was a natural avenue for us at RadOncQuestions.com to support research that will advance the field of radiation oncology through innovative evidence-based quality, safety and cost-conscious research. The ROI funds research in safety and quality, toxicity management and comparative value of radiation oncology – all topics that are covered by our website content. The ROI is also supporting development of the RadOnc Toolbox app and website which dovetails with the RadOncQuestions.com mission to advance knowledge of evidence-based practice.
What (if any) benefits do you see to supporting the ROI as a Corporate Partner? And/or how do you envision your donation being used?
RadOncQuestions.com is proud to be a Corporate Partner of the Radiation Oncology Institute. A clear benefit to RadOncQuestions.com as a small business is we can visibly give back to our community while supporting research that is in line with our company's mission to improve the overall quality of radiation oncology clinical care. We envision our donation being used to fund novel research that will directly improve the quality of radiation oncology patient care. We look forward to the day we write a multiple-choice question for our users that cites practice-changing research from a ROI-funded research initiative.
What do you enjoy most about being a radiation oncologist?
Radiation oncology as a medical specialty is the ultimate crossroads between evidence-based patient care, cancer biology and medical physics. What other specialty allows you to discuss DNA repair mechanisms, photon-matter interactions and randomized phase 3 trials all in direct relation to a patient? We love the collaborative nature of radiation oncology. It is a privilege to work and collaborate with our radiation oncology colleagues who are passionate about delivering the highest quality evidence-based cancer care possible. This is evident to us when reviewing user comments on RadOncQuestions.com. Within the radiation oncology department we are privileged to work with numerous other professions including nursing, dosimetry, medical physics, radiation therapy, social work, etc. As "generalists," we also have the opportunity to interact on a daily basis with a wide spectrum of physicians including medical oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and countless other medical specialties. Lastly, and most importantly, the deep and enduring patient relationships that develop during the course of treatment and follow-up are what keep us motivated and remind us why we get up and go to work every day.
What are your hopes for the future of radiation oncology?
As junior attending radiation oncologists, we are excited by the emphasis radiation oncology leadership is placing on quality, safety and comparative-effectiveness research. The ROI is just one example of how our specialty is working to ensure we are providing the highest quality and most cost-effective treatment to our patients. ASTRO's choose-wisely campaign is another great example of how radiation oncology leaders are encouraging our community to deliver high quality, cost-effective treatments. By citing seminal research in RadOncQuestions.com content focused on high-quality and cost-effective care, we aim to encourage our colleagues to deliver high quality treatment both domestically and internationally. We look forward to participating in the continued evolution of radiation oncology as a medical specialty.
What advice would you offer to radiation oncology medical students and residents?
Radiation oncology is a wonderful medical specialty that provides an opportunity for a fulfilling career in clinical care, research and education. As future attending radiation oncologists, medical students and residents should pay close attention to the clinical, research and education milieu around them. What problems do they see? What challenges are faced by their patients, colleagues and peers? This can be a question related to basic science, clinical research, healthcare economics or medical education. Once they identify a problem, think about a potential solution and work with mentors and colleagues to effect change.
Daniel W. Golden, MD and Ryan Bair, MD are the Senior Editors of RadOncQuestions.com, an ROI corporate donor. Dr. Golden is an assistant professor of radiation and cellular oncology at The University of Chicago Medicine and Dr. Bair is a radiation oncologist at Gamma West Cancer Services.
