The UC San Diego Department of Radiation Oncology was founded in 2006. Arno J. Mundt, MD, an internationally recognized radiation oncologist, was recruited from the University of Chicago to head the department and is still department chair. Today, the department is home to a wide variety of clinicians and researchers. In 2012, the department officially changed its name to the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences.
Our mission is to be a regional, national and international leader in radiation medicine through the following actions:
- Provide high-quality, individualized patient care
- Adopt and develop new radiation oncology technology
- Contribute to the advancement of academic radiation medicine
The department was committed to establishing residency programs in radiation oncology and medical physics from the beginning. The first physics resident was admitted in July 2007, and we now routinely receive application from throughout the Unites States and abroad. The first radiation oncology residents were admitted in 2010 with four residents. In 2012, it was increased to eight residents, and in 2014 to 12 residents. For more information, see
Education.
Our department offers patients access to cutting-edge technologies for adult and pediatric tumors, including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), IMRT, IGRT and proton therapy. A wide variety of brachytherapy programs are also available for patients with breast, gynecologic, prostate, ocular and lung cancers. Department clinicians also attend tumor boards at both the main campus, satellites and affiliates hospitals, including the VA, Rady Children's Hospital and Kaiser Permanente. For more information, see
Patient Care.
We also have an active research department that is actively involved in clinical trials, and has recently been expanded to include proton therapy and particle research. Since the founding of the department in 2006, our researchers and other faculty have produced considerable academic output, in terms of journal articles, reviews and book chapters, many published in prestigious radiation oncology and physics journals. For more information, see
Research.
For a detailed look at all department activities, see our
2014 Department Overview (PDF) or the following links: