Dear KASTRO Members:
As we start to return to a new normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, KASTRO is looking ahead to a great year. We hope to continue our trend of growth with the guidance of our longtime leadership.
KASTRO 2019 Recap
The 2019 KASTRO annual meeting was a great success. Held on September 17, 2019, at 14 Parish in Chicago, Illinois, we had great attendance and participation led by Dr Isabelle Choi. We had impressive presentations by the Resident Travel Award winners for 2019. KASTRO travel grant award winner Dr Jiheon Song from The Ottawa Hospital presented “Dose-sparing effect of deep inspiration breath hold technique (DIBH) on coronary artery segments.” KOSRO travel grant award winner Dr Jeffrey Peacock from Moffitt Cancer center presented “Radiation therapy cytotoxicity score predicts optimal dose and fractionation for individual patients.” KOSRO/KASTRO travel grant award winner Dr Nalee Kim from Yonsei University College of Medicine presented “Identification of novel gene expression signature in uterine cervical cancer patients.” We concluded with closing remarks by Dr Chul Soo Ha on behalf of the KASTRO Board of Director sand Executive Commmittee.
Call for Abstract Submissions for Travel Grant Awards
I would like to invite submissions of abstracts for KASTRO’s 2021 Robert Y. Kim MD annual U.S. resident/fellow travel grant award to ASTRO/KASTRO 2021. The 2021 Robert Y. Kim MD travel grant award to the ASTRO/KASTRO 2021 meeting will be $1,000 towards travel expenses and a certificate. The recipient will present the chosen abstract at the KASTRO dinner meeting on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 6pm in Chicago, Illinois (location of dinner meeting to be announced at a later date).
Eligibility for KASTRO’s 2021 Robert Y. Kim MD annual U.S. resident/fellow travel award to ASTRO/KASTRO 2021: A resident physician (M.D. or D. O.) or fellow (M.D. or D.O.) of Korean ancestry currently in a radiation oncology training program in the United States. Those physicians who completed radiation oncology residency training in the United States before 6/30/21 are still eligible, if the work was completed during residency or fellowship training. The abstract should have been accepted for presentation (oral or poster) at this year’s ASTRO or RSNA meeting, and the applicant should be the first author.
I would also like to invite submissions of abstracts for KASTRO's annual US resident/fellow/junior faculty travel grant award to Seoul, Korea for the Korean Society for Radiation Oncology (KOSRO) meeting on Saturday, October 9, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KOSRO meeting will have a virtual on-line format. Therefore, the winner of this award will present his/her abstract online via a pre-recorded file that will be emailed to KOSRO. KOSRO's website is http://www.kosro.or.kr/ Even though the winner will be unable to travel to Seoul for the virtual KOSRO meeting, the winner will be awarded $2,000.
Eligibility for KOSRO 2021 travel grant award: Same as the travel award to ASTRO/KASTRO except that junior faculty members in radiation oncology (M.D. or D.O.) who completed radiation oncology residency in the United States after 6/30/2018 and completed the work as a faculty member are also eligible.
Please email your abstract submission by Wednesday August 4, 2021 to Dr Sara Kim. The award recipients will be notified by Friday, August 20, 2021.
KASTRO 2021 Annual Meeting
The upcoming KASTRO annual meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 6pm at a location to be announced in Chicago, Illinois. Many thanks to our Executive Leadership on their hard work procuring event space and sponsorship to help make this event a success. At the meeting, we will again announce the winners of our annual abstract competition and allow them the opportunity to present the novel research being performed by our young members. We will also provide updates on new initiatives being undertaken and other new developments. An electronic invitation will be sent out in the coming weeks so please make sure that your Registration is up to date. We hope to see all of you there!
Call for Annual Membership Dues
I would like to invite you to pay your annual KASTRO membership 2021 dues of $125.
Your membership dues will not only be used to pay for the KASTRO dinner program but will also be used to sponsor one resident physician to attend the KASTRO dinner program. We can all fondly remember our days as radiation oncology residents, and this is an important way for each of us to continue to foster our relationship with the next generation. KASTRO does not charge radiation oncology residents a membership fee due to the generosity of its members.
Over the years, KASTRO has been an excellent organization in providing scholarships to deserving U.S. and Korean residents, mentorship of residents and young attending physicians, and fostering fellowship among the Korean radiation oncology community. It is a unique organization that has served its members well. We look forward to making this organization grow and continuing to meet the needs of its members.
You can pay your dues online at https://www.koreanastro.org/membership. You will also have the option to pay your annual dues at the KASTRO dinner as well. Alternatively, please mail a check made payable to KASTRO for $125 to Dr Daniel Kim at the address in our emailed newsletter (please contact us if you need the address). If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please provide a return mailing address. Please email Dr. Daniel Kim with any questions regarding dues payments.
Membership Dues
Resident: Free
Member: $125
Board Member and Executive Committee Members: $200
Membership
Please continue to tell your peers and colleagues about KASTRO and our upcoming Annual Meeting! If you have graduated or moved to a new job, please update your Registration with your new information.
Job Opportunities
One of the primary missions of KASTRO is to provide a network of support for our resident and young faculty members as they begin their career journeys. To this end, if you are aware of any available job positions, please email Dr Isabelle Choi for distribution to the appropriate list.
ASTRO Mentorship Program
2018 saw the inaugural year of the KASTRO Mentorship Program, an effort spearheaded by members Dr. Anna Lee, Dr. John Byun, and Dr. Sara Kim. If you are interested in leading this program, or being matched with a mentor or mentee, please email Dr Ellen Kim with your basic information (name, contact information, institution/practice, training year or year in practice) and interest. Our next call for mentorship program participants will be announced in the future if there is sufficient interest.
KASTRO Budget 2019-2020
(redacted for public post)
KASTRO Leadership 2021
President: Isabelle Choi, MD
Secretary: Sara Kim, MD
Treasurer: Daniel Kim, MD
Membership Director: Ellen Kim, MD, MPH
Much gratitude to all of our Board of Director and Executive Committee members for your service to KASTRO!
B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S
Chuck Chul Young Cho
Noah Choi
Chung-Taik Chung
Seung Shin Hahn
Robert Y. Kim
Chul S. Ha
Hak Choy
Joseph Song
Young Chan Ahn (ex-officio member)
E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E
John Suh
Sung Kim
Sara Kim
Julia Oh
Song Kang (nominating committee chair)
Hak Choy
Joseph Song
Song Chu Arthur Ko
Thank you to all of you for making KASTRO possible through your continued participation and support! I look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s Annual Meeting. Please do reach out to me at any time with questions or concerns.
With regards,
Isabelle Choi, MD