DEGRO consensus framework for undergraduate radiation therapy teaching in Germany: a white paper with integrated guidance on artificial intelligence in medical education
Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, vol. 202, pp. 1016–1028
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Undergraduate medical education is increasingly competency-based, digital, and interprofessional in accordance with the National Competence-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin, NKLM). Against this background, a nationally relevant, consensus-based framework for undergraduate radiation therapy education in Germany was developed by an expert panel of faculty representatives, aligned with the competencies expected at the end of the practical year (PJ) and in the final state examination context (M3), and complemented by guidance on the responsible educational use of artificial intelligence (AI). METHODS: The framework was prepared by the German Society of Radiation Oncology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie, DEGRO) working group "Medical Education" (AG Lehre), including a consolidated master document and 16 teaching portfolios that informed 15 candidate competencies. In a second step, 25 formally delegated representatives from 22 of the 36 university radiation oncology departments in Germany participated in a structured expert consensus process incorporating individual prioritization, small-group refinement, plenary consolidation, predefined voting thresholds, and postworkshop editorial integration. RESULTS: The resulting framework comprised four components: (1) nine prioritized core competencies defining a national minimum standard at the PJ/M3 level; (2) implementation bandwidths (minimal, recommended, best practice) anchored in anonymized site-profile data; (3) a staged A/B/C assessment model aligned with the Miller pyramid; and (4) integrated AI guidance defining permitted use cases, nonnegotiable boundaries, AI literacy goals, and a practical educator-facing implementation logic. The tumor board was identified as a particularly suitable integrative teaching format. CONCLUSION: This white paper presents a nationally coordinated, competency-oriented framework for undergraduate radiation therapy education that combines a stable core with scalable local implementation options. By linking essential competencies, teaching bandwidths, staged assessment, and responsible AI guidance, greater consistency, coherence, and practical implementation of radiation therapy teaching across heterogeneous faculties is facilitated.
Authors 24
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cyberknife and Radiation Therapy, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener St 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany. philipp.linde@uk-koeln.de
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Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Klinik für Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Stenglinstr. 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany
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Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus · Technische Universität Dresden
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TUD Dresden Technical University, Dresden, Germany
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University of Freiburg · University Medical Center Freiburg
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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University of Freiburg · University Medical Center Freiburg
Affiliation as printed
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
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Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen · Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen-Marburg University Hospital, Giessen, Germany
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Universitätsmedizin Göttingen · University of Göttingen
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
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University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Leipzig, Stephanstraße 9a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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TUM Klinikum · Technical University of Munich
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
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University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Rostock University Medical Center, 18059, Rostock, Germany
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University of Würzburg · Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Würzburg, Julius-Maximilians-University, Würzburg, Germany
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University of Münster · University Hospital Münster
Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Radiation Oncology, Cyberknife and Radiation Therapy, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener St 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
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