To all radiation oncology residents, congratulations! Having recently completed my own residency, I firmly believe you have chosen the most rewarding specialty in all of medicine.
While there’s much to celebrate, we must also acknowledge that the field of radiation oncology currently finds itself in a challenging position, which has little to do with clinical medicine. Rather, it has almost everything to do with government relations and health policy. The combination of historic Medicare payment cuts, persistent prior authorization delays and shrinking research funding have begun to erode the stability of our specialty. Unfortunately, these policy issues directly threaten access to radiotherapy for our cancer patients across the country.
Now, allow me to share a more encouraging truth that you may not yet have discovered: your voice is incredibly powerful! You may be a PGY-2 with limited radiation knowledge. You may be a PGY-5 experiencing imposter syndrome. In my experience, this is all quite normal. However, to the public and policymakers, your title is clear: you are a doctor. Your voice is universally respected, so use it! Get involved with advocacy efforts early while you are still in residency, whether it be through education, committee work or reaching out to your local representatives.
One major opportunity available to dive even deeper is ASTRO’s 2025 Government Relations Fellowship. As the inaugural 2024 fellow, I can confidently say this was one of the greatest experiences of my entire residency. During the fellowship, you will be fully integrated into ASTRO’s government relations, congressional relations and nuclear regulatory commission committees. This represents an unprecedented opportunity for residents to witness in real time how proposed health policies become law and how those laws are implemented through regulation. Throughout the year you will also have personal monthly meetings with ASTRO staff and government relations leaders completely focused on your professional development.
The fellowship culminates in an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC, where you will have the opportunity to put your government relations skills to the test. This is truly a surreal and once in a lifetime experience. Overall, I met with seven members of Congress face to face including the house majority leader and my own congressional representative. To be clear, this was not superficial shadowing. I personally led most of these conversations, which at times lasted nearly an hour!
Please reach out to me via email if you wish to learn more about my experience with the fellowship and how to apply. Regardless of whether you choose to engage in advocacy efforts, I applaud you all for your continued dedication to cancer patients in the clinic every day.
