Women and Leadership in Radiation Oncology: How are we doing?

Abstract

the final attempt, all participants were able to place the needles within the target. The mean deviation of the needles from the ideal distance of 1 cm in their first attempt was 3.4 mm +0.11 mm compared to 2.9 +0.11 mm in their final attempt. Residents reported in the surveys that their confidence to implant a needle in a supervised setting on a patient and their confidence to explain brachytherapy in an oral exam increased by a magnitude of 1.5 (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, p<0.05). Conclusion: We believe this is the first simulation program for teaching HDR breast brachytherapy implant skills. We have shown that simulation can help residents improve their skills and confidence in inserting needles. This model has the potential to be developed into a module for teaching residents breast brachytherapy in a competency-based curriculum.