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WelcomeWelcome to DOSE, a web-based, interactive learning tool design to supplement your didactic education in medical dosimetry. DOSE is composed of a series of clinically-oriented teaching modules -- organized by treatment site and degree of difficulty -- that contain narrative, annotated images and treatment plans, hands-on treatment planning exercises, and a quiz designed both to gauge how much information has been retained and to help with self-assessment.
Medical DosimetryAs a medical dosimetrist, you will measure and calculate dose for the treatment of cancer patients. Dosimetrists use their knowledge of physics, anatomy, and radiobiology to develop an optimal arrangement of radiation portals to spare normal and radiosensitive tissues while applying a prescribed dose to the targeted disease volume. Overview of Dosimetry Teaching ModulesOur goal in these teaching modules is to foster the acquisition of dosimetric methods and concepts as well as provide the treatment planning tools and treatment planning programs to complete an educational foundation. We will guide the individual through concepts as well as actual patient treatment plans that allow individual to practice their new found knowledge in a clinic type environment. Each Module will provide a lesson, sample dosimetric cases, and help develop critical thinking. The lessons will be followed be a quiz designed to help the individual in a self assessment and gauge how much information has been retained. A Brief Introduction to Radiation Therapy A Medical Dosimetrist is a member of the radiation oncology team who has knowledge of treatment machines/equipment, is aware of procedures common in the clinic, and has the education/expertise necessary to produce radiation dose distributions and calculations for the radiation oncologist. Kahn defined treatment planning as "...a process that involves the determination of treatment parameters considered optimal in the management of a patient's disease. In Radiotherapy, these parameters include target volume, dose limiting structures, treatment volume, dose prescription, dose fractionation, dose distribution, positioning of the patient, treatment machine settings, and adjuvant therapies. The final part of this activity is a blueprint for the treatment, to be followed meticulously and precisely over several weeks."
The Medical Dosimetrist is responsible for the Treatment Planning step in this workflow. |
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