Essential Questions to Ask Programs in Radiation Oncology Residency

Navigating the radiation oncology residency interview trail requires more than polished answers—it demands thoughtful, targeted questions. The programs you rank will shape your clinical skills, research trajectory, work–life balance, and career opportunities for years to come. Knowing exactly what to ask (and whom to ask) is one of the most powerful ways to evaluate fit and stand out as an insightful applicant.

This guide focuses entirely on questions to ask programs in radiation oncology—from the program director to residents to physicists and coordinators. You’ll find structured topic areas, suggested wording, and tips on how to adapt questions to different settings (virtual vs in-person, formal vs informal).

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Why Your Questions Matter in the Rad Onc Match

Radiation oncology is a relatively small specialty with significant variability between programs in:

• Case mix (complexity, modalities offered, patient volume)
• Research expectations and support
• Culture and mentorship
• Job placement and fellowship opportunities
• Departmental stability (funding, leadership, technology)

Thoughtful questions help you:

1. Assess fit beyond the brochure. Websites and slide decks rarely capture the day-to-day reality of the residency.
2. Clarify training quality. Are you truly gaining the breadth of experience needed to be an independent attending?
3. Gauge culture, wellness, and support. Radiation oncology is intellectually demanding; the environment matters.
4. Demonstrate genuine interest. Well-chosen questions show you’ve done your homework and you’re thinking like a future colleague.
5. Compare programs objectively. Standardizing your questions across interviews helps you make a more rational rank list.

As you prepare, think in two parallel tracks:

• “What information do I need to rank this program intelligently?”
• “What questions will reveal how this program actually functions day to day?”

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Core Domains: What You Should Learn About Every Program

Before getting into specific phrasing, it helps to frame your question strategy around core domains that matter in a radiation oncology residency:

1. Clinical Training & Case Mix
2. Education & Feedback
3. Research & Academic Development
4. Career Outcomes & Mentorship
5. Culture, Wellness & Workload
6. Technology, Physics, and Innovation
7. Program Stability & Future Directions
8. Location & Logistics

Within each domain, you’ll find examples of interview questions for them (faculty, PDs, residents, staff) that can be customized.

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Questions for Program Leadership (Program Director, Chair, Associate PDs)

Program leadership is best positioned to answer big-picture questions about vision, curriculum, and program health. When you’re planning what to ask program director and senior leaders, focus on training philosophy, expectations, and where graduates end up.

1. Training Philosophy and Curriculum

Goals: Understand how they think about resident development, structure, and autonomy.

Sample questions:

• “How would you describe the philosophy of your radiation oncology residency training? What do you hope your graduates look like on day one as attendings?”
• “How is the residency curriculum structured across the four years? How often do residents change services or disease sites?”
• “Can you describe the progression of autonomy during residency? For example, what is expected of a PGY-2 versus a PGY-4 on service?”
• “How do you balance service needs (e.g., contouring, plan checks, on-treatment visits) with education, protected time, and scholarly work?”

Follow-up prompts:

• “Could you give a concrete example of how a resident’s responsibilities change from early to late residency?”
• “Have there been any recent changes to the curriculum based on resident feedback or board outcomes?”

2. Case Volume, Diversity, and Clinical Breadth

Goals: Ensure you’ll see enough cases, with sufficient diversity, to be prepared for practice or fellowship.

Targeted questions to ask residency leadership:

• “What is the typical annual case volume per resident, and how does it break down by major disease sites (breast, GU, GI, thoracic, CNS, peds, etc.)?”
• “Are there any disease sites or techniques where you feel residents need to seek outside electives to gain adequate experience?”
• “How are rare or highly specialized cases handled? For example, pediatrics, ocular, LDR brachytherapy, or proton therapy?”
• “Do residents have continuity with certain patients or follow specific disease-site teams over time?”

If the program touts a niche (e.g., protons, MR-Linac), ask:

• “How consistently are residents involved in that niche modality, and at what level of responsibility?”

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3. Education, Didactics, and Board Preparation

Goals: Understand structure, quality, and success of formal teaching.

Questions for program leadership:

• “Can you walk me through your didactic schedule over a typical year? How are sessions structured across PGY levels?”
• “How do you incorporate physics, biology, and radiation safety into the curriculum? Are those taught in-house or regionally?”
• “What is your approach to ABR written and oral board preparation? Are there mock orals, in-training exam review sessions, or dedicated board-review series?”
• “What has been your board pass rate over the past 5–10 years, and how has that changed, if at all?”

Ask for feedback structures:

• “How often are residents formally evaluated, and how is feedback delivered? Is there a mechanism for real-time feedback after clinics or plan reviews?”
• “How do residents give feedback on faculty teaching and the program overall, and how is that feedback acted upon?”

4. Research Expectations and Support

Research is central to many rad onc match programs, but the degree and style varies widely.

Key questions to ask program director:

• “What are the expectations for resident research in your program? Is scholarly work required for graduation, and if so, what typically fulfills that?”
• “How much protected time is typically available for research, and during which years? Is that time truly protected from clinical duties?”
• “Can you describe the types of projects current residents are working on—clinical, translational, physics, outcomes, global oncology?”
• “What kind of support is available for residents: biostatistics, research coordinators, data access, mentorship, funding for conferences?”

For academically oriented applicants:

• “How successful have your residents been in presenting at national meetings or publishing during residency?”
• “Do residents pursuing an academic career have opportunities to be co-PIs, design prospective trials, or participate in cooperative group work?”

5. Career Outcomes and Placement

You want to know where graduates go and whether their options align with your goals.

Questions:

• “Where have your recent graduates gone after residency—academics, private practice, further fellowship training? What trends have you seen?”
• “How does the program support residents in their job search? Are there structured career advising, networking opportunities, or alumni connections?”
• “For residents seeking academic careers, what proportion have secured positions matching their interests? For those seeking community practice, how well prepared do they feel for the clinical and administrative demands?”
• “Could you share an example of a resident with a non-traditional or niche career path and how the program supported them?”

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Questions for Residents: Real-Life Culture, Workload, and Fit

Residents are your best window into daily reality. This is where many of the highest-yield interview questions for them come into play.

1. Day-to-Day Life and Workload

Aim for specific, practical details.

Examples:

• “Can you walk me through a typical day for a PGY-2 and a PGY-4 on service here?”
• “On average, how many new consults, simulations, and on-treatment visits do you handle in a week?”
• “How much time do you realistically spend contouring, reviewing plans, seeing patients, and doing administrative tasks?”
• “How often are you staying significantly past regular hours, and what are the main reasons—clinic, planning, documentation, after-hours calls?”

Clarify call and coverage:

• “How is call structured—home or in-house, and at what PGY level does it start?”
• “What does a typical call night or weekend look like? How often are residents called in for emergent cases?”
• “When someone is out (illness, parental leave, conference), how is coverage handled? Do you feel the system is fair?”

2. Culture, Support, and Mentorship

Culture can be hard to quantify, but residents can describe patterns.

Useful questions:

• “How would you describe the culture among the residents? Is it more collaborative or independent?”
• “What is the relationship like between residents and attendings? Are faculty approachable for questions or feedback?”
• “Are there formal or informal mentorship structures? How did you find your primary mentor(s) here?”
• “Have you ever needed personal support (e.g., for illness, family crisis, mental health, parental leave), and how did the program respond?”

To probe for red flags without being confrontational:

• “If you could change one thing about the residency, what would it be?”
• “What surprised you most after starting here—either positively or negatively?”
• “Have there been any residents who have left the program in recent years, and if so, do you feel the reasons were addressed?”

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3. Education, Autonomy, and Feedback From the Resident Viewpoint

Residents can tell you how the stated curriculum plays out in reality.

Questions:

• “How consistent and protected are your didactics? Do clinical demands often override teaching time?”
• “Do you get enough hands-on experience with contouring and plan evaluation to feel confident? Are attendings good about teaching rather than just correcting?”
• “How is feedback given in practice—do you get regular, actionable feedback on contours, notes, and interactions with patients?”
• “Do you feel progressively more autonomous each year, or does autonomy depend mostly on the attending?”

4. Research and Scholarship in Real Life

You want to know if research “support” is real or theoretical.

Ask:

• “How easy or difficult has it been for you to start and complete research projects here?”
• “Is the ‘protected’ research time actually protected? Or do you still get pulled into clinical work?”
• “How often do residents present at national meetings? Is the program supportive with funding and time off?”
• “For residents who are less interested in research, how does the program respond? Is there pressure to do more than you want, or flexibility?”

5. Wellness, Burnout, and Life Outside the Hospital

Radiation oncology generally allows better lifestyle than some other specialties, but this varies.

Questions:

• “Do you feel the work–life balance here is sustainable?”
• “Are duty hours and call manageable, or are there periods that feel overwhelming?”
• “What do residents typically do for fun in this city/area? Do you feel you have time to maintain relationships and hobbies?”
• “Have you seen signs of burnout among residents, and how has the program addressed that?”

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Questions for Physicists, Dosimetrists, and Other Key Staff

If you have the chance to speak with medical physicists, dosimetrists, or radiation therapists, you can learn a lot about technology, workflow, and interprofessional culture—hugely important in a field where planning and delivery are team-based.

Consider asking:

• “From your perspective, how involved are residents in the planning process—do they review plans in detail with physics and dosimetry?”
• “Do you feel residents here get a solid understanding of the technical aspects—machine QA, limitations of different techniques, treatment planning nuances?”
• “How is communication between physicians, physicists, and dosimetrists handled? Are residents encouraged to participate in those conversations?”
• “Are residents involved in physics or dosimetry research or quality-improvement projects?”

You can also ask about innovation:

• “What new technologies or techniques has the department implemented recently, and how are residents brought up to speed?”
• “How does the department approach integration of new planning systems or delivery techniques from a training standpoint?”

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Technology, Innovation, and Program Stability

Radiation oncology is technology-intensive. You need to understand not just what they have but how they use it and how stable the environment is.

1. Equipment, Modalities, and Access

Questions for attendings or program leadership:

• “Could you describe the department’s treatment platforms and planning systems (e.g., number and types of linacs, SBRT capability, brachytherapy, proton access, MR-Linac, surface-guided RT)?”
• “How are residents assigned to different machines or treatment sites—do all residents get exposure to advanced modalities like SBRT, SRS, or brachy?”
• “Do you anticipate major equipment upgrades or replacements during the next 3–5 years that will affect resident training?”

To gauge depth of support:

• “If a machine goes down or volumes shift, how does the department protect resident learning opportunities?”

2. Financial and Institutional Stability

This can feel awkward, but it’s important—especially in a changing rad onc job market.

Tactful ways to ask:

• “How would you characterize the department’s relationship with the larger health system or university? Are there any recent or anticipated changes that may affect resident training?”
• “Has there been any recent or expected change in leadership (chair, program director), and how has that influenced the program?”
• “Over the past several years, have there been any significant reductions or expansions in faculty, staff, or treatment sites?”

You can also ask residents:

• “Do you feel the program is on an upward trajectory, stable, or in transition? What makes you say that?”

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Adapting Your Questions for Different Settings

1. Virtual vs In-Person Interviews

• Virtual: Have a prioritized list; you may get less informal time. Put your highest-yield questions in early resident Q&A sessions.
• In-person: Use downtime (tours, lunch, walking between sessions) for more open-ended questions about culture, city life, and subtle dynamics.

2. Group vs One-on-One Settings

• Group resident sessions: Ask questions others will also care about (call, culture, didactics). Let multiple residents answer to see if perspectives align.
• One-on-one with PD or chair: Focus on long-term vision, outcomes, program changes, and personalized questions about your goals.
• Interviews with potential mentors: Tailor questions around their research area, collaboration style, and expectation of residents on their team.

3. Ranking vs Early-Season Exploration

Earlier in the interview season:

• Broader, exploratory questions. Later in the season, as you build your rank list:
• More comparative, detail-focused questions (e.g., “How many independent clinics do seniors run?” “How many days of conference funding per year?”).

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How to Prepare and Organize Your Questions

Step 1: Do Your Homework

Before each interview day:

• Review the program’s website, curriculum, case volume, and faculty interests.
• Note anything that seems vague or inconsistent—these are great places to dig deeper.
• Avoid asking questions easily answered by a two-minute website scan.

Step 2: Build a Short, Prioritized List

For each program, aim for:

• 3–4 questions for the program director / leadership
• 5–7 questions for residents
• 2–3 questions for potential research mentors / faculty
• 1–2 questions for physicists or staff, if you meet them

Keep a running document or spreadsheet to track:

• Q’s you asked
• Key answers
• Your impressions (green flags, yellow flags)

This will help immensely when finalizing your rad onc match rank list.

Step 3: Customize to Your Goals

If you’re academically inclined:

• Emphasize research infrastructure, mentorship, and graduating residents’ academic placement.

If you’re oriented toward community practice:

• Ask about community rotations, practice management exposure, and how graduates perform in private practice settings.

If you care deeply about a specific domain (global health, palliative care, health equity, AI and informatics, etc.):

• Ask how the program supports those paths and what examples exist among current or recent residents.

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Asking yes/no questions only. Aim for open-ended prompts that invite stories and specifics.
• Over-focusing on “lifestyle” too early. Work–life balance is important, but balance it with substantive questions about training quality.
• Sounding unprepared. Don’t ask questions clearly answered on the first page of their website.
• Putting programs on the defensive. You can ask about board pass rates, job placement, or leadership turnover respectfully; avoid accusatory framing.
• Forgetting to listen. Ask, then pause. Let silence work—people often fill it with valuable detail.

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Example “Question Sets” You Can Reuse

To make things concrete, here are adaptable sets you could bring to multiple interviews.

For the Program Director

• “How would you describe the strengths of your radiation oncology residency compared to other programs?”
• “What changes or improvements are you most excited about over the next few years?”
• “How do you see the job market evolving, and how is the program responding to prepare residents for that reality?”

For Senior Residents

• “Looking back, what aspects of your training here have prepared you best for your next step?”
• “If you had to decide again, would you choose this program? Why or why not?”
• “How do you feel about your case mix and readiness for independent practice or fellowship?”

For Potential Research Mentors

• “What roles do residents typically play in your projects—data collection, analysis, manuscript writing, trial design?”
• “How have past residents on your team done in terms of publications, presentations, or career placement?”
• “If I joined your group, what would your expectations be in terms of time commitment and deliverables?”

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FAQs: Questions to Ask Programs in Radiation Oncology

1. How many questions should I ask during each interview?

Aim for 2–3 thoughtful questions in each individual faculty interview and 4–6 questions during group resident sessions. It’s better to ask fewer, deeper questions than many shallow ones. You don’t need to ask a new question in every single interview if time is short or your questions have already been answered.

2. What are the most important questions to ask if I’m short on time?

If you have very limited time, prioritize:

1. For PD/leadership:

   • “How would you describe your program’s strengths and areas of ongoing improvement?”
   • “What are your graduates doing now, and how do you help them get there?”

2. For residents:

   • “What does your day-to-day life actually look like here?”
   • “If you could change one thing about the program, what would it be?”
   • “Would you choose this program again?”

These provide broad insight into training quality, culture, and outcomes.

3. Is it okay to ask about board pass rates, job placement, or program weaknesses?

Yes—these are fundamental areas. Frame them respectfully:

• “How have your board pass rates been over the last several years, and have you made any changes in response to those outcomes?”
• “Where have your recent graduates gone, and are there trends you’re working to strengthen?”
• “Every program has areas it’s working on. What are you focusing on improving right now?”

Programs that respond transparently are often more trustworthy.

4. Do I need different questions for radiation oncology compared to other specialties?

Many core questions to ask residency programs (culture, workload, education) are shared across specialties, but for radiation oncology you should also emphasize:

• Case mix by disease site and modality
• Depth of contouring, planning, and physics education
• Access to advanced technologies (SBRT, SRS, brachy, protons, MR-Linac)
• Interactions with multidisciplinary cancer teams (tumor boards, joint clinics)

Tailoring your interview questions for them to these rad onc–specific aspects will help you better evaluate how well each program will prepare you for the rapidly evolving field.

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Thoughtful, well-structured questions can transform your interview day from a passive tour into an active exploration of your future. Use this guide as a template, personalize it to your priorities, and you’ll be well-equipped to choose the radiation oncology residency that fits your goals, values, and vision for your career.