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The speciality of radiation oncology has been recognised as a distinct field of medicine, and separated from diagnostic radiology in Poland in 1953. This was possible because the majority of radiation oncology departments were organised as parts of an independent oncological network. The first curriculum in radiation oncology was based on the programme elaborated in the UK centres, and modified later in 1973, 1984, and 1991 following the natural evolution of our knowledge and technical progress. In 1997, when the Polish Society of Radiation Oncology (Polskie Towarzystwo Radioterapii Onkologicznej) was established, the Education Committee of the Society elaborated the new curriculum (based on the European Core Curriculum), which has been introduced as obligatory in all radiation oncology departments in Poland. Simultaneously, the certification of the teaching centres has been introduced according to the unified standard. The specialisation takes at least 5 years, and is followed by official government examination.

The Society organises also teaching courses for the general practitioners, physicians representing other medical specialities, nurses, and technicians. Lectures and discussions concerning radiation oncology are very often included into the programmes of many conferences and meetings of the different medical societies.

At the present time the Polish Society of Radiation Oncology includes about 360 members. Most of them are fully qualified radiation oncologists.

Radiation oncology is also taught to the medical students attending the advanced courses of clinical medicine at the Medical Schools, mostly in the framework of general oncology programmes. Anyhow, at the present time the different Medical Schools have various curricula, and the unification of these programmes is now under discussion.

For further information

Prof. Jan Skolyszewski
Centre of Oncology - M. Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Institute,
Garncarska 11
31-115 Krakow
Poland
email z5skolys@cyf-kr.edu.pl