The Holman Research Pathway in radiation oncology.

A decade ago, the American Board of Radiology established a research pathway for residency training designed for individuals to simultaneously train in diagnostic radiology or radiation oncology and in basic science, clinical, or transitional investigation. This new pathway was called the ABR Holman Research Pathway, named for B. Leonard Holman, M.D., who first proposed this initiative to foster a cadre of research-oriented academicians. We graduated with the first two classes of Holman Research Pathway (HRP) Fellows in 2004 and 2005. Here, we review the HRP for radiation oncology trainees, and we consider the status of the program and current challenges facing physician scientists in radiation oncology. The HRP presents an alternative residency structure for physicians seeking careers as physician scientists. The traditional residency pathway requires 48 total months in radiation oncology with a minimum of 36 months in clinical radiation oncology. In the HRP, residents can become eligible for board certification after 27 months of clinical training. The remaining 21 months of residency training must be devoted to research. The goal of the HRP is to train residents with a documented history of research, such as those with M.D./Ph.D. degrees, who demonstrate such strong clinical skills that clinical competence can be achieved in an abbreviated period of time. Therefore, HRP residents not only have the opportunity to receive clinical training in radiation oncology but also undertake a significant postdoctoral research project during their residency. This opportunity can be used not only to gain key research skills but also to develop a portable research project, which can be used to help the resident successfully transition into a career as an independent physician scientist. The HRP has been evolving over the past decade with growing support in the field of radiation oncology (1). In