July 7, 2022
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 2021 Recap
The 2021 KASTRO annual meeting was a great success, after a year apart due to the pandemic. Held on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood and Steaks restaurant in Chicago, IL, we had great attendance and participation led by Drs. Sara Kim and Isabelle Choi. We had impressive presentations by the Resident Travel Award winners for 2021.
Congratulations to the 2021 Robert Y. Kim MD travel grant award winner Dr. Joseph Lee (PGY2 at William Beaumont Hospital). His abstract was titled, “Long-term quality of life and audiometric outcomes following Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery for acoustic neuromas.”
Congratulations to 2021 KOSRO travel grant award winner Dr. Seung Won Seol (PGY5 at Northwestern University). Her abstract was titled, “A comparison of outcomes in early stage breast cancer after external beam radiotherapy, intraoperative radiotherapy, or observation: a retrospective cohort study across a large health system.”
Congratulations to 2021 KOSRO travel grant award winner Dr. Jae Sik Kim (fellow at Yonsei University). His abstract was titled, “New brain metastases after local treatment of initial brain metastases in breast cancer patients: the significance of molecular subtypes (KROG 16-12)”, and his presentation can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGfRji5i_kU
We concluded with closing remarks by Dr. John Suh on behalf of the KASTRO Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
Call for Abstract Submissions for Travel Grant Awards
I would like to invite submissions of abstracts for KASTRO’s 2022 Robert Y. Kim MD annual U.S. resident/fellow travel grant award to ASTRO/KASTRO 2022. The 2022 Robert Y. Kim MD travel grant award to the ASTRO/KASTRO 2022 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 25, 2022, at 6pm in San Antonio, Texas (location of dinner meeting to be announced at later date).
Eligibility for KASTRO’s 2022 Robert Y. Kim MD annual U.S. resident/fellow travel award to ASTRO/KASTRO 2022: 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 6/30/22 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 award to Seoul, Korea for the 2022 Korean Society for Radiation Oncology (KOSRO) meeting on October 13- 14, 2022, at the Lotte Hotel Seoul. KOSRO's website is http://www.kosro.or.kr/. Even if the winner is unable to travel to Seoul for the virtual KOSRO meeting, the winner will be awarded $2,000.
Eligibility for KOSRO 2022 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 6/30/2019 and completed the work as a faculty member are also eligible.
Please email your abstract submission by Wednesday, August 3, 2022, to Dr. Ellen Kim, including your name, degrees, year of training, institution, and whether you are able to attend our award presentations and dinner on Tuesday during ASTRO. The award recipients will be notified by August 20, 2022.
KASTRO 2022 Annual Meeting
The upcoming KASTRO annual meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at 6 pm in San Antonio, TX, with location and more information forthcoming. 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 2022 dues of $125. We have not increased these rates for many years.
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 could also bring a check for the annual dues to the KASTRO dinner. If you need to mail a check, need a receipt for tax purposes, or have any other questions regarding dues payments, please email Dr. Daniel Kim.
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 submit an update using the Registration form here: https://www.koreanastro.org/membership 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 Drs. Anna Lee, John Byun, and 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 2021
(redacted)
KASTRO Leadership 2022
President: Isabelle Choi, MD
Secretary: Sara Kim, MD
Treasurer: Daniel Kim, MD
Membership Director: Ellen Kim, MD, MPH, MBI
Much gratitude to our Board of Directors and Executive Committee for your service to KASTRO!
Board of Directors
Chung-Taik Chung
Seung Shin Hahn
Robert Y. Kim
Chul S. Ha
Hak Choy
Joseph Song
Young Chan Ahn (ex-officio member)
Executive Committee
John Suh
Sung Kim
Sara Kim
Song Chu Arthur Ko
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
President, KASTRO