Course duration: 6 week mixed online seminar and homework with live course in Sydney on 22-23 November 2024.

Course Directors: Matthew Seel (radiation oncologist, NZ) and Sandra Turner (radiation oncologist, Aus)

Convenors: Lucinda Burke (radiation oncologist, Aus) and Jenna Dean (radiation therapist, Aus)

Teaching Faculty: Barbara-Anne Millar (radiation oncologist, Canada), Michelle Leech (radiation therapist, Ireland), Steven Petit (medical phycicist, The Netherlands), Lucinda Morris (radiation oncologist, Aus), Matthew Seel (radiation oncologist, NZ), Sandra Turner (radiation oncologist, Aus)

This course introduces foundation principles of effective leadership as they apply to senior trainees and junior practitioners in the radiation oncology professions. It aims to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and attributes viewed as the building blocks for effective leadership. The course is directed at professionals interested in developing expertise in leading teams for better patient care, a healthier workforce, innovation, advocacy and quality improvement in radiation oncology and in all situations where they might positively influence the future of our discipline – locally, nationally and internationally. The course is grounded in the Leader domain (CanMEDS2015), and specifically to a radiation-oncology specific competency set defined through Delphi consensus.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of the course, successful learners will (amongst other skills) be able to:

• Examine and reflect on their own behaviour, reactions and interactions with team members
• Describe basic leadership theory and styles as they might apply to practical situations
• Demonstrate skills in enacting effective change, and managing conflict productively
• Explore strategies to establish and lead effective teams
• Apply basic quality improvement tools to approach an improvement process

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The target group consists of senior trainees (medical or physics) or earlier career practitioners (approximately first 10 years after completing training) in the radiation oncology professions, including radiation or clinical oncologists, radiation physicists, radiation therapists/technologists, nurses and scientists.

CONTENT
This course consists of a blended learning program of 6 weeks duration including on-line and face to face components. The program will be highly interactive and will highlight the practical relevance of learning to the radiation oncology workplace.
The on-line components will start in October 2024 and consist of an introductory 75-minute tutorial with the participants and teachers followed by on-line exercises and compulsory electronic learning modules to be completed prior to the live course in Sydney. The live course will run over two days, Friday 22 – Saturday 23 November 2024.

On-line and live course topics include:

• An Introduction to leadership – what it means and why it’s our responsibility
• Basics of leadership theory and styles - how to apply these
• Self-awareness and relational intelligence – optimising relationships for better performance
• Leading and managing Change
• Tools and strategies for leading Quality Improvement projects
• Team building and effectiveness – including approaches to handling conflict
• Creating and communicating your vision for change