BCIT's Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training Centre
A dozen local students are the first to test drive a new piece of technology that is revolutionizing how they train for a career in radiation therapy.
Thanks to a $20,000 donation from the Envision Financial Community Endowment administrated by the First West Foundation, BCIT’s Radiation Therapy department has purchased VERT (Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training), a virtual simulator that enables students to see 3D views and life-size visualizations of the human body.
According to Radiation Therapy program head Lorraine Clarke Roe, VERT is a valuable bridge between practice and theory. “Instructors can accurately show students internal anatomy and dose distributions while also demonstrating the consequences of errors. Students can then practice their skills in simulated conditions without causing harm to their patient. That kind of hands-on experience is critical to improving a student’s confidence as they move into a clinical setting.”
Clarke Roe adds that VERT technology will also help students become more proficient with new equipment being purchased for hospitals and cancer centres throughout British Columbia. That means VERT will not only benefit BCIT’s radiation therapy students, but also the 179,000 patients across the province who undergo radiation treatment each year.
“Rates of cancer diagnosis are expected to rise 2.5 per cent annually, making projects like VERT that much more significant,” explains Seline Kutan, executive director of the First West Foundation. “We’re proud to lend our support to BCIT’s Radiation Therapy program and help students benefit from VERT’s cutting-edge technology.”
