Since our last newsletter, we have graduated another class of radiation therapists (n=12)! While most stayed in Virginia, we did have three take jobs outside the area (PA, NC and TX).

In 2025, we completed some renovations to the treatment planning and VERT (Virtual Environment in Radiation Therapy) labs. Most notably, we acquired a surgical table with six degrees of freedom to simulate a linac table. We installed lasers so that students can practice triangulation on each other – not a skill you can learn virtually. The newest VERT software upgrade has expanded the library of imaging matching datasets to include not only CBCT, but also KV/MV and KV pairs. The students have really enjoyed practicing their imaging matching skills without the time crunch they experience in the clinical setting.

On the road to the ASRT Radiation Therapy Conference

Timmerie Cohen, PhD, RT(R)(T), CMD and Melanie Dempsey, PhD, RT(R)(T), CMD, FAAMD attended the ASRT Radiation Therapy Conference in San Francisco in September. Both Melanie and Timmerie serve on the Editorial Review Board for Radiation Therapist, with Cohen serving as chair. They participated in a panel discussion regarding the “Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Scholarly Publishing.”  While at the conference, the two interacted with several VCU graduates, many of whom were attending the conference for the first time.

Student and alum activities build connections

In October, the Radiation Therapy Junior/Senior picnic promoted inter-class comradery. The picnic was held at a local park and a good time was had by all.

The department celebrated National Radiologic Technology Week Nov. 2-8 with goodie bags distributed to students, along with a raffle throughout the week for “tech swag.” The week ended with a fundraiser for the ASRT Foundation by participating in the RAD DASH 5K. A group of 15 gathered at Belle Isle for the event. Hats off to Charlie Downing for organizing the event.

We had a lot of fun attending a VCU Men’s basketball game in November with students, faculty and clinical staff/preceptors.

During a clinical preceptor’s meeting in November, we reviewed our mission/goals and recent outcomes with over 20 preceptors. We are transitioning to a new clinical tracking system, known as TRAJECSYS.