University of Cincinnati Medical Center-College of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

University of Cincinnati is a long-standing academic radiation oncology program built around the Barrett Cancer Center, a quaternary/tertiary referral hub with an adult and pediatric level-1 trauma system, a dedicated VA site, and a unique partnership with Cincinnati Children's for pediatric radiotherapy and proton therapy. Its defining structural feature is the UC/Cincinnati Children's Proton Therapy Center, the only facility with a gantry dedicated purely to research, paired with heavy brachytherapy volume (MRI-based gynecologic HDR, LDR prostate seeds, ocular plaque) and significant stereotactic experience across CNS, lung, and abdominal disease. Eight months of protected elective time, NRG trial participation, faculty holding national leadership roles (IJROBP editors, COG/NRG committee chairs, ABR examiners), and a requirement that every resident complete a research project reflect an academic program that supports both scholarly and clinical trajectories rather than mandating a single path. The department explicitly frames its outcomes as producing graduates for academic, private practice, and fellowship careers alike, and its resident culture emphasizes collegiality, teaching investment, and graded autonomy rather than a narrow research-only identity.