DOS 771: Clinical Practicum I
Course Description
Students are exposed to the clinical aspects of dosimetry and gain clinical experience throughout the semester. This course focuses on learning how to contour, fuse images and start the basics of 3D planning. Students also begin the basics of dosimetric calculations that coincide with treatment planning.
Clinical Labs
To help students better understand the basics of treatment planning, two clinical labs were assigned (lung and pelvis). A set of instructions were given and with each added instruction the students were to notate the changes they saw in the isodose lines and hot spots of the plans. Then students were asked to take these observations and make a “treatable” plan out of the knowledge gained.
Lung Lab
Pelvis Lab
Clinical Affective Evaluations
Clinical preceptors were required to complete an evaluation based on the students’ performance for the month. Evaluating factors included communication skills, accuracy, safety, dependability, application of knowledge and dosimetry skills in general.
January-February Evaluation
February-March Evaluation
March-May Evaluation
Clinical Competencies
Each Semester there are a number of required competencies students are to achieve.
Electron Set-up
Pelvis/GYN
Intact Tangents Breast
Palliative Whole Brain
Case Logs
Time spent in clinic is documented through case log entries than can generate a graphical report. Here is a copy of my case log report.
Case Study
A detailed case study was completed on a patient each students choosing. The goal of the case study is to learn more background about the patient and reflect on the treatment process as a whole as we are creating the treatment plan. I chose a pediatric case of metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma.
Metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma Case Study
Service Project
I was able to participate in a service project during my spring semester as a part of my community service project. I got involved with the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation and helped with their Round Robbin Tennis Tournament to raise money for those with cancer in the Clermont, Florida area.
Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation Service Project
Self- Reflection
Each semester students are asked to reflect on what they have learned during the course and how it effect their education and growth.
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were overwhelmingly amazing and I cannot believe how much I learned in just four months. I worked as a therapist for a while at my clinical site so I had a little background on how things worked but it was easier to jump into than I thought.
Skills I hope to learn more about next semester are IMRT and brachytherapy. I feel very raw with my IMRT skills and I have not had much to do with brachytherapy since therapy school.
I enjoyed most about this clinical rotation was my clinical preceptor. He really took the time to break down why things are a certain way and test my knowledge as to why things are a certain way so that I was forced to think about not just what I was doing but why I was doing it.
My biggest struggle this rotation was IMRT I did not start IMRT planning until mid-March and I only had a couple of cases I was able to work on. I understand the concept I just need practice at finding that sweet spot of not undercovering the PTV while keeping my organs at risk within tolerance or lower. I plan to put more focus into this next semester and hopefully become more comfortable with is as I as did with 3D planning.
Other reflective thoughts. This has been an amazing experience. I opted to work PRN as a therapist during our Spring Break and it really brought home some of the concepts in dosimetry. I could look at a plan as it was being delivered and say that’s is happening now because of this, or this device is being used this way because of that. So it kind of rounded out my thought process on somethings.