Competency-based (CanMEDS) residency training programme in radiology: systematic design procedure, curriculum and success factors

Based on the CanMEDS framework and the European Training Charter for Clinical Radiology a new radiology curriculum was designed in the Netherlands. Both the development process and the resulting new curriculum are presented in this paper. The new curriculum was developed according to four systematic design principles: discursiveness, hierarchical decomposition, systematic variation and satisficing (satisficing is different from satisfying; in this context, satisficing means searching for an acceptable solution instead of searching for an optimal solution). The new curriculum is organ based with integration of radiological diagnostic techniques, comprises a uniform national common trunk followed by a 2-year subspecialisation, is competency outcome based with appropriate assessment tools and techniques, and is based on regional collaboration among radiology departments. The application of the systematic design principles proved successful in producing a new curriculum approved by all authorities. The principles led to a structured, yet flexible, development process in which creative solutions could be generated and adopters (programme directors, supervisors and residents) were highly involved. Further research is needed to empirically test the components of the new curriculum

Perspectives on medical education in radiation oncology and the role of the ESTRO School

Radiation oncology is a medical specialty not just delivering ionizing radiation to cancer patients but also participating as an important partner in the care of the patient from diagnosis to cure, follow up or end of life. The specialty is rapidly evolving in a multi- and interdisciplinary setting as multimodality treatment is becoming frequent. This requires that the medical undergraduate and postgraduate training evolve to these changes. The ESTRO School has for more than 30 years offered postgraduate training courses in and outside Europe and strives to develop its services to accommodate the educational needs of a specialty in constant development. Some of these developments are described in the present paper