DOS 522: Radiation Dose Calculations
Course Description:
This course was an advanced approach to dosimetry calculations that would be applied in treatment planning.
Course Assessment:
Each week in this course there was a discussion regarding the current dose calculations and how they apply to radiation oncology. This course teaches dose calculations for multiple different scenarios such as SSD versus SAD setups, timer errors, temperature/pressure corrections, and weighted fields. Each week there were practice problems given for the topic covered. At the end of the course a final exam was given to test the knowledge gained.
Course Discussions:
Every couple of weeks the question of what have you learned in your directed readings or somewhere in the clinic that was not in the lecture notes? Then post with your response. Then we would all read each others responses and learn from one another. We would comment on each others responses with questions and reply back with answers to expand our knowledge.
Discussion Week 1: Give an example of a clinical situation when you had to calculate the dose to a different point(depth) when you were treating parallel opposed SSD or SAD.
Discussion Week 2: Explain what a CT to density table is, how the planning system uses it, and why it is so important.
Discussion Week 3:You have read the about homogeneity and heterogeneity corrections. Talk to your preceptors and/or clinical instructors about the effect each can have on a treatment plan. Does your site use heterogeneity or homogeneity? Why or why not?
Discussion Week 4: Many radiation therapy departments utilize third party software (e.g. MU Check, RadCalc, etc.) for performing monitor unit second checks; as opposed to pen and paper with a calculator. What does your department use for verifying proper MU/dose from the treatment planning system?
Discussion Week 5: What is an acceptable MU/dose discrepancy (i.e. treatment planning system vs. hand calculation)? Does it vary on treatment modality, technique, or body site?
Self-Reflection:
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were the various in depth calculations that go into treatment planning.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by better understanding how my plans are being calculated in the treatment planning system and allow me to do hand calculations to second check my own work.
I struggle with the depth of some of the questions asked. I have to break them down and take them one step at a time.
I feel pretty good about the equations I have learned and the meaning behind each one and how they relate to treatment planning.
Other reflective thoughts it’s nice to understand how everything comes together to calculate a field in the treatment planning system and have the ability to hand calc my own work if I needed to.
Course Description:
This course was an advanced approach to dosimetry calculations that would be applied in treatment planning.
Course Assessment:
Each week in this course there was a discussion regarding the current dose calculations and how they apply to radiation oncology. This course teaches dose calculations for multiple different scenarios such as SSD versus SAD setups, timer errors, temperature/pressure corrections, and weighted fields. Each week there were practice problems given for the topic covered. At the end of the course a final exam was given to test the knowledge gained.
Course Discussions:
Every couple of weeks the question of what have you learned in your directed readings or somewhere in the clinic that was not in the lecture notes? Then post with your response. Then we would all read each others responses and learn from one another. We would comment on each others responses with questions and reply back with answers to expand our knowledge.
Discussion Week 1: Give an example of a clinical situation when you had to calculate the dose to a different point(depth) when you were treating parallel opposed SSD or SAD.
Discussion Week 2: Explain what a CT to density table is, how the planning system uses it, and why it is so important.
Discussion Week 3:You have read the about homogeneity and heterogeneity corrections. Talk to your preceptors and/or clinical instructors about the effect each can have on a treatment plan. Does your site use heterogeneity or homogeneity? Why or why not?
Discussion Week 4: Many radiation therapy departments utilize third party software (e.g. MU Check, RadCalc, etc.) for performing monitor unit second checks; as opposed to pen and paper with a calculator. What does your department use for verifying proper MU/dose from the treatment planning system?
Discussion Week 5: What is an acceptable MU/dose discrepancy (i.e. treatment planning system vs. hand calculation)? Does it vary on treatment modality, technique, or body site?
Self-Reflection:
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were the various in depth calculations that go into treatment planning.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by better understanding how my plans are being calculated in the treatment planning system and allow me to do hand calculations to second check my own work.
I struggle with the depth of some of the questions asked. I have to break them down and take them one step at a time.
I feel pretty good about the equations I have learned and the meaning behind each one and how they relate to treatment planning.
Other reflective thoughts it’s nice to understand how everything comes together to calculate a field in the treatment planning system and have the ability to hand calc my own work if I needed to.