The Accelerators Podcast

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We're back!

The Season 2 premier of Rad Onc's favorite podcast was inspired by Simul's Twitter poll on neoadjuvant radiotherapy dosing for esophageal cancer! Are you team 4140 or 5040... or something else?

In this episode, the Accelerators (Dr. Anna Laucis, Matt Spraker, and Simul Parikh) host Mayo Clinic Radiation Oncology GI specialist Dr. Krishan Jethwa and PGY-3 resident Dr. Yasamin Sharifzadeh for a conversation about the poll. We discuss dose selection and chemotherapy regimens for esophageal treatment as well as open-mindedness in adopting therapeutic strategies. 

Later, we discuss whether radiotherapy dose-escalation may offer patients benefits, the value of proton therapy for this disease, and... wait for it... carbon ions! 

Here are some studies discussed during the show: 

• Protect-1402 (FOLFOX and RT) and an associated treatment planning study
• ECOG-ACRIN 2174 (ImmunoRT)
• PRODIGE 26 (Dose Escalation) 
• ESO-Shanghi 12 (Dose Escalation)
• NRG GI-006 (Protons, phase 3)
• MDACC Trial (Protons, phase 2B)

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Intro and Outro music generously donated by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.

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Dr. Matt Spraker is joined by Dr. Jason Beckta for a petite episode packed with announcements and teasers for The Accelerators Podcast Season 2.  The Accelerators will return from Summer break with renewed focus on "news and views", shorter episodes, and a new theme song generously donated by award winning musician Lucas Cantor Santiago! Check out his piece (and our theme song) "Pop With Toys" at the end of this teaser ep.

There's more. Today, Jason is launching his new podcast Out Of The Basement. It's an off-the-cuff educational podcast anchored in Radiation Medicine. It's taking RadMed out of the basement and into the underground. In a timely release, Matt and Jason have a wide-ranging discussion of #RadOnc contracts, work, and life in the first two episodes. Don't miss them!

Out Of The Basement will join The Accelerators Podcast in our new collaborative effort, Photon Media. Check out back at our shiny new website frequently for new episode releases and projects.

Here are some other things that were mentioned in the show:
-Lucas Cantor Santiago Music
-Lucas teams up with Huawei to complete Franz Schubert's unfinished Symphony No. 8
-Jason's website (becktamd.com)

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. Theme music "Pop With Toys" generously donated by Louis Cantor Santiago.

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In part 2 of our series on paternal leave,  Accelerator Dr. Simul Parikh hosts 3 of our favorite #RadOnc and #MedPhys experts who are also moms: Dr. Laura Dover, Dr. Kaleigh Doke, and Dr. Kelly Paradis. 

The episode begins with Kelly, Laura, and Kaleigh sharing their experiences with paternal leave, which can vary between institutions and clinics. They then discuss how practice and compensation structures may impact how and when parents-to-be take leave from work.

Then the group covers the importance of leave for non-birthing partners and how those in leadership positions can establish healthy departmental culture surrounding parental leave.  In fact, #RadOnc and #MedPhys may have a unique opportunity in medicine to leverage remote work and enact change for parents balancing work and life! 

They close the discussion with tips for moms (or moms-to-be) who are interviewing for job, and thoughts on sharing home responsibilities with their partners. 

The episode concludes with Laura, Kaleigh, and Kelly diving in to The Accelerators Lighting Round!

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham. 

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Fill your cup with this inspiring episode of The Accelerators Podcast!

Dr. Matt Spraker is joined by Dr. Julianne Pollard-Larkin, medical physicist, service chief of the thoracic physics group at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and chair of the EDI Committee of the AAPM. We discuss topics and strategies for creating an inclusive workplace for all of #RadOnc, especially now when we need it the most. 

We begin with a discussion of how to be a great leader and it starts self-care. Star athletes don't do it alone, get yourself a coach! 

The discussion then moves to our personal experiences with COVID, the importance of leading with a physical presence, and how MD Anderson Radiation Oncology is screening for burnout. 

We close with a more traditional discussion of DEI and Julie's important work with AAPM creating affinity groups.

Some other things mentioned in the show:

• Black Men in White Coats 
• Dr. Kamran et al. analysis of diversity of US medical academic faculty over time and associated tweetorial

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Happy Father's Day! Dr. Simul Parikh, host of The Accelerators Podcast, rounds up an all-star team of #RadOnc dads for part 1 of our 2 part series on parental leave and achieving work-life balance as a parent. Drs. Mudit Chowdhary, Sean McBride, and Ben Willen share their experiences with leave and how zoom video calls and evolving supervision policies may (or may not) help #RadOnc dads be the best they can be.

Later, the guys give tips to soon-to-be dad Ben and cover a staple Accelerators topics, pizza and vacations. Congratulations Ben!

Podcast art generally donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham.

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The Accelerators Podcast hosts Dr. Simul Parikh and Dr. Matt Spraker invite Radiation Oncologist Dr. Mudit Chowdhary on the show to discuss the recently released, controversial study of Enzalutamide monotherapy versus active surveillance for low or intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer.

Our discussion of this study dovetails in to other related topics including conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical industry and hype for early phase studies.

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham.

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Welcome to The Last Crusade, part 3 of our 3 part series to honor to the newest class of ABR Diplomates!

In this episode, friend of the show Dr. Jason Beckta examines another host of The Accelerators Podcast, Dr. Matt Spraker, with the same mock gynecologic oncology section faced by Dr. Simul Parikh.

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham.

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In part 2 of our 3-part series on the oral boards, we flip the script! Friend-of-the-show Dr. Jason Beckta interviews Accelerator Dr. Matt Spraker in a fireside chat about standardized tests, #RadOnc oral boards, and life as an early career attending. 

Don't miss part 3, in which Matt struggles through Jason's gynecologic oncology oral boards section.

Here are some things we discussed in the show: 

• Emergency Medicine physicians call to Quarantine the Oral Boards
• Matt's tweets about the value of radiation oncology oral boards
• Dr. Ohri's paper on radiotherapy protocol deviations and survival

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham.

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It's that time of year again, welcome to the newest class of ABR Diplomates! To honor them, The Accelerators are releasing a 3 part series related to the oral boards!

In part 1, Dr. Jason Beckta, a busy generalist, examines Dr. Simul Parikh for the gynecologic oncology section. He hasn't treated a case in 6 years. Good luck Dr. Parikh!

Podcast art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham.

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Drs. Simul Parikh and Matt Spraker host health care quality experts radiation oncologist Dr. Marsha Haley and MROQC program manager Melissa Mietzel, MS for a discussion about everyone's favorite topic: patient satisfaction scores!

We begin with a discussion of Marsha's recent graduate work, a systemic review of whether patient satisfaction measures such as Press-Gainey and CAHPS are related to quality outcomes. You may be shocked to learn that the evidence is limited. Matt bravely shares his patient sat scores and then we discuss how games like "top box scoring" and low sample sizes make these instruments frustrating to use for continuous quality improvement. What's worse, Goodhart's law inevitability degrades the value of the surveys and some studies even suggest that they may impact practices such as pain management.

Yet, the future is bright! We move on to discuss patient reported outcomes as a better solution to measuring care quality. Melissa, who has helped implement robust collection of PROs across 26 radiation oncology clinics, teaches us the ways of implementation across MROQC.

We close the show with Simul putting Marsha and Melissa through a Pennsylvania and Michigan themed Accelerators Lightning Round!

Episode art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham.