Guidelines for the infrastructure of training institutes and teaching departments for radiotherapy in Europe.

AIM To develop guidelines for the infrastructure of training institutes and teaching departments for medical specialist training in radiotherapy within Europe. MATERIAL AND METHODS Guidelines for teaching departments were developed under consideration of the updated European Core Curriculum for Radiotherapists (Radiation Oncologists) by an expert panel jointly appointed by the European Union of Medical Specialists and the European Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. The group approached national professional and scientific societies for information on national requirements for teaching departments. Based on this information, a draft document was circulated among the national and professional societies for radiotherapy in Europe for review before a European consensus conference took place in Brussels in December 2002. RESULTS The guidelines for the infrastructure of training institutes and teaching departments for medical specialist training in radiotherapy within Europe were endorsed by representatives of 35 European nations during the Brussels consensus conference on December 14, 2002. CONCLUSION The infrastructure guidelines represent an important instrument that can be used by teaching departments for comparison of their situation with that of other departments in Europe as a basis for negotiations with authorities on resources provided for training.