Medical Physics Residency

Overview

• 2-year clinical education program in therapy physics
• Minimum 4000 hours of clinical training
• 12 rotations, 1-4 months long
• CAMPEP accredited
• One-on-one mentorship
• 2 residents per year

Residency Goals

To deliver the necessary clinical experience, education and training in radiation oncology physics to ensure
• Broad knowledge of clinical medical physics
• Mastery of clinical skill set that allow our graduates to function competently, independently and safely

Residency Objectives

To deliver the necessary clinical experience in order to graduate residents who are
• Eligible and prepared to achieve ABR certification
• Knowledgeable in the ethics, legal responsibilities, published standards of practice
• Competent in clinical duties
• Confident in communicating, presenting, and teaching medical physics knowledge to peer colleagues, students, other clinical staff, administrators, patients and lay persons.
• Confident problem solvers, able to learn new skills, apply knowledge in new/innovative ways

Unique Features

• The only residency offering clinical experience with Photons, Electrons, Neutrons, and Protons
• Pediatric radiation oncology included; International Rotation to India
• Strong collaborations with Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Medical Bioinformatics Depts.
• Collaborative educational and research interactions with physicians and MD residents
• 19 Physics faculty mentors, 22 Physician faculty
• Support to attend annual conference; personal reference library; full health benefits

2-Year Rotation Schedule

Below is a sample 2-year rotation schedule that a resident may experience. Residents are one-on-one with a mentor in each rotation, so each resident has a different rotation schedule.

Other Clinical Duties

• TBI planning
• Patient-specific measurement QA
• Physicist of the Day: learning the clinical role of the on-call physicist
• Linac: taking responsibility for a linac unit under faculty supervision

Benchmarks

The six benchmarks below are required to successfully complete the residency training program.
• Successfully complete all rotations
• Routinely participate in department resident didactics, seminars, conferences
• Demonstrate teaching and training skills development
• Complete at least 1 clinical development project
• Successfully pass annual oral exam/performance review

Rotation Format

Every rotation includes
• Description, objectives, competencies
• Didactics, discussions, readings, written assignments, problem set assignments, clinical exercises, practicum, observations
• Daily logbook
• Related project
• End of rotation presentation
• Evaluation/self evaluation/mentor evaluation

Clinical Development and Research

Residents work with faculty on a major development project with the expectation that the work minimally is submitted as an abstract to a professional meeting and may be published.
• Work extends over two-year period of the residency
• Two months are dedicated, protected research time
• Residents are encouraged and supported to present research at regional and national professional meetings

Synopses of Physics Faculty Research

• Video by Stephen Bowen, PhD, DABR Associate Professor
• Video by Ning Cao, PhD, DABR Assistant Professor
• Video by Eric Ford, PhD, DABR, FAAPM Professor, Director, and Vice-Chair – Medical Physics
• Video by Kristi Hendrickson, PhD, DABR, FAAPM Associate Professor
• Video by Minsun Kim, PhD, DABR Associate Professor
• Video by Juergen Meyer, PhD Professor
• Video by Mark Phillips, PhD Professor
• Video by George Sandison, PhD, FCCPM, FAAPM Professor

Benefits

Link to benefits pdf

Special notes

The introductory videos mentioned housestaff and their union. Physics residents are not members of the housestaff union.

CAMPEP Required Disclosures