The constant development and increasing complexity of radiation oncology brings various changes to radiotherapy practice. This in turn challenges the traditionally defined professional roles of Radiation Therapists (RTTs), with RTTs finding themselves taking on a wider range of tasks and responsibilities. Education programmes for RTTs should enable graduate RTTs to work at the contemporary standard of practice and to be able to adapt to the ever-changing roles and responsibilities.
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Human Health Campus
Human Health Campus
The RTT Profession: Present and Future
Webinar
5 July 2021
The first webinar in this series, “The RTT Profession: Present and Future”, will summarize developments in radiotherapy practice and their impact on the role of the RTT profession within the multidisciplinary team. Short- and long- term strategies to prepare for these changes in different settings / scenarios will be presented and discussed.
This free webinar will be broadcasted on Monday, July 5th 2021 at 11:00–13:00 GMT (UTC+0)
Objectives
- To describe recent and upcoming developments in radiation oncology, emphasizing the impact on the roles and responsibilities of the RTT
- To present qualification frameworks for advanced RTT practice
- To discuss the need for global collaborations among RTT professionals and educators for knowledge sharing
Agenda (120 minutes)
- The RTT Profession: Past, Present, Future – Mary Coffey (Trinity College)
- Proton Therapy – Nicola Bizzocchi (Trinity College / Paul Scherrer Institut)
- Current Status of RTT Education – Michelle Leech (Trinity College)
- Global Collaboration – Eduardo Zubizarreta (IAEA) and Michelle Leech (Trinity College)
Eduardo Zubizarreta
Dr. Eduardo Zubizarreta is Head of the Applied Radiation Biology and Radiotherapy (ARBR) Section at the Division of Human Health of the IAEA. He has contributed to a large number of Agency publications, and has been involved in the organization of QUATRO audits and expert missions, technical meetings, as well as training activities in Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. He has been involved in more than 100 radiotherapy projects worldwide as technical adviser and in 7 research studies as principal investigator. Dr. Zubizarreta is part of the Educational Council of the European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), and was part of the UICC – Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control (GTFRCC).
Mary Coffey
Mary Coffey is an Adjunct Associate Professor attached to the Department of Radiation Therapy at the School of Medicine of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. She established the School of Radiation Therapy at St. Luke's Hospital in 1982 and led the discussions that culminated in the integration of the School into the University, which involved developing the academic and clinical curriculum and ensuring that current trends in radiotherapy were adequately reflected in the degree programme. She established the first European Committee for radiation therapists within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and co-founded the radiation therapy committee within the European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) as well as currently chairs the ESTRO Radiation Oncology Safety and Quality Committee. Ms. Coffey is a member of the first council of the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy (IIRRT) and has held both Secretary and President positions. She has worked extensively with ESTRO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to improve the standard of education of radiation therapists and the quality of treatment delivered to cancer patients.
Michelle Leech
Dr. Michelle Leech is a Radiation Therapist, Associate Professor and Head of the Discipline of Radiation Therapy at Trinity College in Dublin Ireland. She holds a BSc., MSc and PhD in Radiation Therapy as well as postgraduate diplomas in Statistics and Clinical Health Sciences Education. Dr. Leech is Course Director of the BSc. (Hons.) Radiation Therapy at Trinity College Dublin and Chair of blended learning at ESTRO. She is Editor in Chief of the ESTRO journal Technical Innovations and Patient Support in Radiation Oncology and is an editorial board member of Radiotherapy and Oncology
Nicola Bizzocchi
Mr. Nicola Bizzocchi is an experienced senior medical dosimetrist with over 20 years in the sector. After working for 12 years in the radiotherapy department at the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Reggio Emilia (Italy), where he specialized in various advanced radiotherapy techniques, he joined the proton therapy team at the novel Proton Therapy Center in Trento (Italy). In 2017, Bizzocchi moved to Switzerland, where he is currently a senior medical dosimetrist and Head of Treatment Planning at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) Proton Therapy Center.
Since 2017, he has been working as Adjunct Professor of Radiotherapy Techniques at the University of Verona (Italy) and Cattolica University of Rome - Bolzano (Italy).
He has recently been appointed the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Postgraduate M.Sc. in Advanced Radiotherapy at the Dublin Trinity College (Ireland).