Navigating New Practice Environments: Contract, Culture and Career Success

Entering a new radiation oncology practice—whether in an academic, private practice, or other care setting—is a critical transition that shapes career trajectory, professional identity, and the culture of care delivered to patients. This webinar will provide practical, experience-based guidance for navigating new practice environments, with emphasis on contract considerations, professional communication, workplace culture, mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship. The planning group agreed that the session should be discussion-based and interactive, using minimal slides and real-world scenarios or vignettes to make the content relatable and responsive to participant needs.

The session will be designed for ASTRO members across career stages, with particular relevance for trainees, earlycareer physicians, and professionals considering career transitions or navigating new institutional cultures. Content will be organized around three core themes: job transition and contract negotiation; communication and professional behaviors; and building mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship networks.

Live Webinar: November 13, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time

This activity is available from November 13, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on November 12, 2028.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for ASTRO members at multiple career stages, including trainees, early-career radiation oncologists, and physicians considering or navigating transitions into new academic, private practice, or other professional environments.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to do the following:

  • Compare key differences between academic, private practice, and other practice environments and identify factors that should inform job selection, contract review, and early expectation-setting.
  • Apply practical strategies for negotiating employment contracts, clarifying expectations with leaders, and navigating career transitions with greater confidence.
  • Demonstrate professional communication behaviors that support respectful collaboration with colleagues, staff, multidisciplinary teams, and practice leaders.
  • Formulate an action plan to build mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship networks that support career development, inclusive workplace culture, and equitable patient care.

Course summary

Course opens: 
09/01/2026
Course expires: 
11/11/2028
Cost:
$0.00

Moderator:

  • Laura Hathout, MD

Speakers:

  • Nicholas Zaorsky, MD, MS - Presenting on job transition and contract negotiation
  • Mary Feng, MD - Presenting on communication and professional behaviors
  • Salma Jabbour, MD - Presenting on mentorship, sponsorship and allyship networks

 

Price

Cost:
$0.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Policies:
No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for those participants who, for any reason, have not completed the activity by the expiration date.

Participants using ASTRO Academy activities to satisfy the requirement of a Continuing Certification (MOC) program should verify the credit number and type and availability dates of any activity before making a purchase. No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for participants who have purchased activities that do not align with their MOC requirement.

The activity and its materials will only be available on the ASTRO website until November 12, 2028, regardless of purchase date. At the expiration of the activity, participants will no longer have access to the activity or its materials. ASTRO reserves the right to remove an activity before its expiration date.

 

 

Required Hardware/software

One of the two latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.