NORTHDIP

NORTHDIP is a two (2) year advanced training program in radiation oncology for clinical oncologists. At the end of the program the candidate should have scientifically based clinical proficiency in assessing and treating patients that need radiotherapy treatment.

During these two years there will be five spread-out one-week long residential courses, one in each Nordic country, which means that the applicant must be willing to travel and to engage in all five parts of the course during the program. This is important to be able to build the Nordic network of clinical oncologists. The first two days of each residential course (Monday and Tuesday) will include online training which can be performed back in the applicants own country. The next three days (Wednesday – Friday) includes on-site training (= residential course). In collaboration with MVision we also offer participation in an evaluation study that means free access to an online contouring tool where you can get feedback on your target delineation on dummy patients compared to international guidelines. The program is held in English.

Dates for the residential courses

By the program's conclusion, candidates should possess scientifically based clinical proficiency in assessing and treating patients requiring radiotherapy. The overarching training objectives for the program fall into five categories:

1. Principles in Modern Radiotherapy: This encompasses physical aspects of radiotherapy, dose planning, organs-at-risk (OAR) and dose constraints, the fundamentals of particle therapy, advanced technology, and the role of Artificial Intelligence in radiotherapy – its limitations, advantages, and disadvantages.

2. Radiobiology, benign diseases an palliative radiotherapy: This topic covers modeling and its application in daily routines, the use of radiotherapy in treating benign diseases, and palliative radiotherapy, transitioning from opinion-based to evidence-based treatment.

3. Reirradiation, Stereotactic Radiotherapy, and BCNU Treatment: This section focuses on advanced treatment options, including reirradiation, stereotactic radiotherapy, and BCNU treatment.

4. Integrating New Radiotherapy Treatment Options: This involves retrospective adaptive radiotherapy, prospective plan-of-the-day adaptation, use of imaging (CBCT and MRI), dose accumulation, and the integration of proton therapy.

5. Development of Protocols and Designing Effective Radiotherapy Trials: Here, candidates learn how to create protocols and design high-quality radiotherapy trials.

Practical training in target delineation is also available throughout the program through participation in an evaluation study in collaboration with MVision.

Criteria for Application

Candidates entering the program should have already completed specialist training in clinical oncology. Preference will be given to specialists with less than five years of experience in the radiotherapy department. Applicants from both university and non-university hospitals are encouraged. Each country will have a

National committee responsible for selecting candidates, and the Nordic steering committee will fill any remaining spots. All NORTHDIP members, including applicants, participants, and steering committee members, are expected to maintain a high standard of personal conduct and treat others with respect.

Course Outline

The program comprises three components aligned with the training objectives:

• Clinical Practice: Participants must work in settings where they regularly provide radiotherapy. A written agreement with the employing department outlining participation, clinical work, tutorials, and quality improvement activities is essential.

• Directed Self-Study and Distance Learning: Candidates are expected to cover the theoretical and practical training outlined in the training objectives. The program will provide lectures and materials based on the best available evidence and best practices.

• Residential Courses: Five residential courses held in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland bring together candidates to network, share knowledge and experience. Each course covers one of the five topic groups and lasts for three days.

More detailed information about the content of the course can be found here.

Certification

Upon program completion, participants will receive the NORTHDIP Diploma, contingent upon participating in all program components.

Admission fee

The NORTHDIP program is a not-for-profit initiative. The participation cost is €3,500, covering the educational program and residential courses (including meals and accommodation). Travel expenses are not included, and payment is required before entering the program.