medical physics phd programs usa

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Medical Physics Graduate Program (CAMPEP Accredited)

School of Health Sciences

Medical physics is an applied branch of physics that applies physical energy to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Professional medical physicists are involved in clinical service, consultation, research and teaching.

At Purdue, the medical physics graduate program provides a strong foundation in radiological and applied physics training within the medical physics profession — but also offers advanced coursework, clinical laboratories, internships and opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research. The medical physics program is closely aligned with biophysics, bioengineering, medical schools and health physics (radiation protection and control).

Our goal is to provide courses and experience with clinical systems to enhance problem-solving skills and individual thought to further advance the field of medical physics.

The Purdue medical physics program is CAMPEP -accredited.

Program Highlights

Meet and learn from your peers by joining the Medical Physics Club of Purdue or the Purdue Association for Magnetic Resonance .

Program Statistics

• 2023 to 2027 (PDF)
• 2018 to 2022 (PDF)
• 2012 to 2017 (PDF)

A program must publicly describe the program and the achievements of its graduates and students, preferably through a publicly accessible web site. This information must be updated no less often than annually and must include, for each degree program (MS and/or PhD), the number of: applicants to the program, students offered admission, students matriculated, and graduates. Where possible, information on the destinations of graduates must also be provided, i.e., residencies, industry positions, etc.

Student Papers and Presentations

Semester Meeting

• Presentation

• You will be integrated into faculty laboratories and clinical facilities to work with faculty on a variety of research projects to advance disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Clinical laboratories and internships are available in therapeutic and diagnostic physics at the Purdue Life Science MRI facility, in radiology at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine and at Memorial Medical Hospital and in radiation oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine Hospital.
• Advanced coursework is offered in oncology, MRI theory and acquisition, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, PET/SPECT imaging and more.

Potential Careers

• Scientist in industries associated with radiological and radiation therapy equipment and support
• Scientist within state and federal government agencies
• Therapeutic medical physicist
• Diagnostic medical physicist
• Medical health physicist

Concentrations

You will work through the core medical physics courses and then follow one of two specialized tracks: therapeutic radiological physics or diagnostic (imaging) radiological physics

Program Quick Facts

Degree Type: Certificate, Master’s, Doctoral

Program Length : Certificate: 9 months (only students with prior PhD are eligible) Master’s: 2

PhD: 4-5 years entering with BS, 2-3 years entering with MS

Location : West Lafayette, IN

Department/School : School of Health Sciences

You will have the opportunity to work directly with medical physics faculty on interdisciplinary projects to advance understanding of image-guided and biology-based therapy; diagnostic imaging of cancer, neurological function and disease; and new uses of particle beams in detection and treatment.

• Ulrike Dydak
• Oluwaseyi (Seyi) Oderinde
• Matthew Scarpelli
• Aaron Specht
• Keith Stantz

Research Opportunities

• MRI and MRS in diagnosis of neurotoxicity and radiation response
• Neutron and X-ray technologies for human body composition, disease diagnoses, and radiotherapy
• Imaging and tracer development in PET and SPECT
• Dynamic contrast enhanced imaging (CT, PCT) and thermoacoustic in image-guided therapy
• IMRT and normal tissue response to radiation therapy

Research Areas

• Health physics (radiation protection)
• Imaging sciences
• Medical physics
• Occupational and environmental health sciences (industrial hygiene, ergonomics)

Research Facilities

• Life Science MRI facility
• The Birck Nanotechnology Center
• The Bindley Bioscience Center
• The Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering
• Purdue’s Center for the Environment

Admissions/Requirements

Applications submitted prior to January 10, 2023 will be considered for fellowships and awards .

Applicants to the MP program are expected to have an undergraduate degree in physics, engineering or comparable academic training, such as Purdue’s B.S. degree in Pre-Medical Physics. Minimum undergraduate coursework typically include:

• Analytic Geometry and Calculus (2 semester sequence), Multivariate Calculus and Differential Equations (1 semester)
• General Chemistry (2 semester sequence)
• Fundamentals of Biology (2 semester sequence)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology (2 semester sequence)
• Modern Mechanics, Electricity and Optics, Electricity and Optics Laboratory, Modern Physics, Modern Physics Lab, Intermediate Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics
• Elementary Statistical Methods

Students that have not completed prior coursework in anatomy and physiology upon entry into the program are required to take a 2-semester sequence of anatomy and physiology (BIOL 301/302 or BIOL 203/204). Alternate plans of study are available for students that do not have the equivalent of a B.S. or minor in physics. Students with other deficiencies in their undergraduate curriculum may be accepted or conditionally accepted into the program at the discretion of Head of the School. Students accepted on a conditional basis may be required to take additional 100, 200, 300 or 400 level classes to address coursework deficiencies. A grade of B or better in all 100, 200, 300 or 400 level classes and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better at Purdue University is required for students accepted on a conditional basis. Upon completing the identified deficiencies, the Head of the School, in consultation with the RHS Program Director and GC Chair, re-evaluate the admission status of conditionally accepted students and either accept or deny admission into the MP graduate program. Conditionally accepted students that are ultimately denied admission into the MP program are counseled on possibly alternate degree paths at Purdue as well as alternative career paths.

Ulrike Dydak | Program Director

For questions regarding the medical physics graduate program, please contact our graduate coordinator, Karen Walker, at [email protected] .

Wayne State University

School of medicine, medical physics medical physics, ph.d. in medical physics.

GENERAL INFO

Jay Burmeister, PhD, DABR, FAAPM Director, Medical Physics Graduate Program Wayne State University School of Medicine

The curriculum consists of 60 post baccalaureate graduate course credits, including the required courses, with at least 30 credits at the 7000 level and above.  Students must successfully complete the Qualifying Examination and an Oral Exam.  After qualifying, 30 research and dissertation credits must be taken, including oral dissertation defense. Thus, the entire program consists of 90 graduate credits.  It is essential that the PhD Dissertation represent original research work which must be presented at a Public Defense lecture.  Also, all students will be encouraged to complete a (non-credit) Clinical Internship.

The PhD program in Medical Physics is designed to train graduate students with a background in Physics, Engineering, or related science to become medical physicists practicing in research and clinical service in Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging, and/or Nuclear Medicine.  Our objectives are to remain one of the top medical physics educational programs in North America, to produce leaders and innovators in the advancement of the technical aspects of medical care, and to place our graduates in high quality research and clinical positions in the academic and health care professions.  In doing so, our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of health care in Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging, and/or Nuclear Medicine.

PREREQUISITES

In addition to the prerequisites for the Master's program :

• Graduate Record Examination: Subject Test in Physics (recommended).

REQUIRED COURSEWORK

All the required M.S. courses , (with the exception of ROC 7999) plus:

plus additional didactic coursework to meet requirements (some electives listed below):

SAMPLE ELECTIVE COURSES

PH.D. QUALIFYING EXAM

The PhD Qualifying Examination is usually taken by students after completion of all the required courses and is one of the requirements which must be successfully completed before being admitted to candidacy for the degree. The examination is in two parts, both written. Before taking the exam the student must have filed a Plan of Work with the Graduate School. The written exam consists of a four-hour (Part I) Radiological Physics Exam based on the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (Board) Exam, followed by a four-hour (Part II) exam on problem solving in Medical Physics based upon the required ROC courses within the program.  The passing requirements are the same for both the Part I and Part II exams.  The examinee must achieve an average score of 70% for each exam, and must score at least 50% on all questions.

All questions for the Part I exam are selected from a bank of about 100 questions assembled into six topic groups. The exam consists of six questions, one question from each group being selected randomly for each exam. Candidates must answer four of the six questions. Copies of the Question Booklet are provided to all Ph.D. students by the Program Director. For the Part II Exam, questions are divided into three sections: (1) Diagnostic Imaging & Nuclear Medicine, (2) Radiation Oncology Physics, and (3) Radiological Physics, Radiation Dosimetry, Radiation Safety, and Radiobiology.  The examinee will receive two questions in each section. Candidates must answer four of the six questions, with at least one question selected from each of the three sections.

Students register for the Qualifying Exam with the Program Director at least two months before the Part I exam.

For the Oral Examination, the student is expected to review a potential research program and is required to demonstrate an adequate command of knowledge of the field of study, with the ability to organize and apply that knowledge toward completion of the proposed research. The Oral Exam will normally be administered after the candidate has successfully completed the Qualifying Exam, but no more than one year after, and is just beginning to work on a potential dissertation research project.  It will consist of a public seminar followed by a closed dissertation committee meeting.  All PhD students will meet with their respective committees, at a minimum, once per year.  Additional meetings will be scheduled as needed.

CLINICAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The purpose of the clinical internship is to provide practical experience so that graduates will be immediately useful upon employment. Interns will gain clinical experience under the direction of program faculty at the Karmanos Cancer Center, along with potentially other area facilities.  An internship covering IMRT quality assurance will also be offered through Karmanos Cancer Center.  Arrangements will be made during the fall term.  Additional clinical opportunities may be secured by the individual students through faculty mentors.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT

Up to 30 credits may be transferred in from another accredited university to meet the didactic requirements of the PhD degree.

Division of Radiation Oncology

4201 St. Antoine Boulevard, 1D-UHC Detroit, MI 48201

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Medical Physics PhD

Jacobs school of medicine and biomedical sciences, program description.

The medical physics graduate program leads to an MS and/or PhD degree, through the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in association with the Department of Radiology. The program's goal is to provide a sound academic foundation and practical experience for those planning to pursue a career in research, teaching or clinical medical physics, in either of the sub-specialty areas of medical imaging physics, therapeutic radiation physics, or nuclear medicine physics. Graduates are prepared for careers in these subspecialties or the continuation of their education in a postgraduate or residency program.

Christopher Root 955 Main St., Room 6136 Buffalo, NY 14203 Email: [email protected] Phone: 716-829-6942

Instruction Method

• In Person   (100 percent of courses offered in person)

Full/Part Time Options

Credits required, time-to-degree.

• 4 to 5 Years

Application Fee

Admission tests**.

This program is officially registered with the New York State Education Department (SED).

Online programs/courses may require students to come to campus on occasion. Time-to-degree and number of credit hours may vary based on full/part time status, degree, track and/or certification option chosen. Time-to-degree is based on calendar year(s). Contact the department for details.

** At least one of the admissions tests are required for admission. Test and score requirements/exceptions vary by program. Contact the department for details.

• Diversity and Inclusion
• PhD Requirements
• Course Sequence
• Course Descriptions
• Policy Handbook
• Careers in Medical Physics
• Graduate Program Statistics

A strong foundation in physics is essential for graduate study in medical physics. Students applying to the Graduate Program in Medical Physics are expected to have completed an undergraduate degree in physics or a degree in another physical science or engineering discipline with coursework equivalent to that required for a minor in physics.

Admission to the Ph.D. program in Medical Physics is coordinated through the Division of Biological Sciences. Click here to learn more.

• Medical Physics Program >
• Programs and Curriculum >

PhD Program

The Medical Physics Program to a PhD degree with training in medical imaging, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine physics for careers in research, teaching or hospital practice.

The goal of the PhD Program in Medical Physics is to provide a sound academic foundation and practical experience for those planning to pursue a career in research, teaching or clinical medical physics in either of the subspecialty areas of medical imaging physics, therapeutic radiation physics or nuclear medicine physics.

Graduates are prepared for careers in these subspecialties or the continuation of their education in a postgraduate or residency program. The program comprises both academic and practical training components with the practical training taking place in affiliated hospitals.

The Medical Physics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs, CAMPEP .

The Medical Physics group comprises faculty in multiple UB and  Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center  departments, postdoctoral staff, graduate student assistants and undergraduate students, with additional contributions from bioengineering and clinical and allied faculty as well as technical and administrative staff. The Medical Physics program faculty conduct research, teach and practice clinical medical physics in affiliated hospitals.

Program Objectives

The PhD Program is interdisciplinary in outlook, and strives to draw together medical physics interests from throughout the academic community.

Accordingly, collaborative relationships are maintained with a number of laboratories outside the department. Notable among these associations are the Radiation Oncology and Biophysics departments at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

On campus, long-standing links exist with the departments of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Neurosurgery, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. A number of faculty members in these departments hold joint appointments in the Department of Radiology.

Consequently, a broad spectrum of medical physics expertise and research opportunities are available to students in the Medical Physics program.

Structure of the Program

The instruction and research in the Medical Physics Program can be broadly categorized into three subspecialty areas: diagnostic and interventional imaging, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine physics. Additionally, experiences in clinical medical physics are offered. Current imaging research programs involve new detector development for rapid sequence, high resolution radiography, fluoroscopy and angiography, region of interest and micro computed tomography, system characterization and optimization, single photon counting and dosimetry.

Research into the development of high resolution systems for image guided interventions and the development of interventional devices such as specialized stents for blood flow modification and treatment of cerebral aneurysms as well as 3D printed vascular and other models are also actively being pursued.

Two modern angiography suites dedicated to imaging physics and pre-clinical research are available in the new UB Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Image analysis and image processing involving guidance and interventional neuro and cardio vascular procedures and 3D imaging are other active projects. Magnetic resonance imaging projects using clinical and experimental high field dedicated animal systems are available at the CTRC and Roswell Park.

A full range of external beam and brachytherapy projects are actively being pursued at Roswell Park where four linear accelerators and a Gamma-knife facility are available.

Nuclear medicine physics faculty members are active in emission tomography imaging technology research. State-of-the-art emission tomographic imaging systems are available for research and teaching, including several clinical positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/CT systems, a dedicated small animal PET (microPET), clinical SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) systems, and radiopharmaceutical laboratories.

Multi-modality research projects are also encouraged and may be fostered by the complementary interests of participating faculty. The program combines faculty and resources from both UB and Roswell Park.

Individual student programs are tailored to the student’s needs and interest, and to ensure broad experience in the major areas of the medical physics. A graduate student in the Medical Physics Program enjoys considerable freedom in the development of dissertation research and in the choice of his/her major professor.

PhD Program Requirements

Credit hours.

A total of at least 72 credit hours are required for the PhD degree. Of this total, at least 30 credit hours must be earned in formal didactic coursework (including letter-graded Independent Study), as well as including 4 credit hours in Seminar plus at least 2 credit hours Medical Physics Practicum (at least 1 in each of imaging and therapy physics); excluded are Research, Thesis Guidance, Supervised Teaching, and (unless receiving a priori approval under special circumstances) pass/fail Independent Study courses. Where appropriate, didactic course credits may be transferred from other graduate programs.

Course Requirements and Sample Schedule

The following courses, where graded, must be successfully completed with the achievement of a grade of B or better.

Required of all students in the Medical Physics Program:

• MDY 605 Medical Physics Seminar, 1 credit
• MDY 606 Medical Physics Seminar, 1 credit
• MDY 607 Medical Physics Practicum, 1-6 credits
• MDY 608 Medical Physics Practicum, 1-6 credits
• NMD 527 Radiation Biology, 2 credits
• MDY 508 Medical Imaging Anatomy and Physiology, 3 credits
• MDY 504 Physics of Medical Imaging 1, 3 credits
• MDY 506 Physics of Medical Imaging 2, 3 credits
• MDY 566 Medical Physics Imaging Problems, 3 credits
• MDY 547 Radtherapy Medphysics 1, 3 credits
• MDY 571 Nuclear Medicine Imaging, 3 credits
• MDY 610 Professionalism and Ethics in Medical Physics, 1 credit

Substitution of a more advanced course(s) is only upon approval by the adviser and program director.

An additional 3-credit elective in the students chosen specialty area is required for PhD students and may be chosen for example from one of the following:

Medical Imaging Physics

• RPG 572 In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance, 3 credits
• BE 562 Computed Tomography, 3 credits
• MDY 575 Advanced Diagnostic Medical Imaging Physics, 3 credits
• MDY 522 Image Formation and Processing, 3 credits
• MDY 523 Image Processing 2, 3 credits

Therapeutic Radiation Physics

• MDY 550 Radtherapy Medphysics 2, 3 credits
• MDY 560 Advanced Radiation Therapy Physics, 3 credits

Nuclear Medicine Physics

• DY 572 Advanced Nuclear Medicine Emission Imaging, 3 credits

Other Electives

The following courses may be used as elective upon approval by the adviser:

• MDY 600 Independent Study, 1-3 credits
• MDY 682 Research, 1-19 credits
• MAE 578 Cardiovascular Biomechanics, 3 credits

You may take other courses in radiation biology, biomedical engineering, computer science, physics, electrical engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, neuroscience, bio-surface science, biostatistics with permission of your adviser.

Qualified students may petition for a waiver of the requirement for any specific course upon the basis of the completion of an equivalent course with a grade of B or higher.

Students may be subject to a comprehensive examination once completing all core medical physics courses.

Sample Course Schedule

Doctoral Requirements: 72 total credits plus thesis

72 Credits: 21 didactic + 3 additional didactic in specialty + 4 (min) MP Seminar + 2 (min) MP Practicum

+ Additional credits can include Research and Thesis Preparation

Semester 1: Fall (12 credits)

• MDY 607 Medical Physics Practicum, 3 credits

Semester 2: Spring (12 credits)

• MDY 608 Medical Physics Practicum (Radiation Therapy), 3 credits
• MDY 600 Independent Study, 1 credit

Spring Electives (choose 1+credit)

• RPG 542 MRI (alt. years), 3 credits
• MDY 600 Independent Study (var. credits)
• MDY 682 Research (var. credits)
• MDY 550 Physics of Brachytherapy, 3 credits

Semester 3: Fall

Fall electives (choose 2+ cr.), semester 4: spring.

• MDY 682 Research (various credits)

Electives (by permission of advisor and program director)

• MDY 600 Independent Study (var. cr.)
• MDY 572 Advanced Nuclear Medicine Emission Imaging, 3 credits
• MDY 575 Advanced Imaging Physics, 3 credits
• RPG 542 MRI
• MDY 550 Physics of Brachytherapy
• MAE 578 Cardiovascular Biomechanics

Doctoral students are required to register for credit in Seminar for at least 4 semesters. In addition, attendance at the Medical Physics Program seminar series is expected of all students throughout the duration of their graduate programs. During this period, each student is expected to present at least one seminar.

Advancement to candidacy for the PhD degree requires the completion of all programmatic course requirements, and satisfaction of the preliminary examination requirements.

Preliminary Examination

The preliminary examination for the PhD consists of the preparation of an independently written report and an oral defense.

The written report may be prepared in the form of either (a) a summary of research work performed by the student, which work resulted in an original paper authored by the student and accepted for publication in a professional journal or conference proceeding and/or accepted for presentation as a talk or poster at a national or regional scientific conference or (b) a research grant application.

a) Summary report option: the report should summarize the contents of the original paper(s) and/or presentation and should contain a background review of the subject area as well as a section outlining relevant areas of future work that could be investigated. The section on future work should demonstrate the student’s ability to critically assess the feasibility of performing new and important investigations.

b) Research-grant-application option: the report should be in the format of a grant application to a national funding agency such as the NIH or NSF. It should provide background information and a description of the research plan, presenting compelling evidence of the scientific soundness and feasibility of the proposed work. Budgetary and personnel sections of the application are not required.

All reports should contain a listing with full citation of all published papers, proceedings and professional meeting presentations authored or coauthored by the student while in this Medical Physics Program. Copies of related abstracts, manuscripts and posters should be provided as an appendix.

The acceptability of the written report and oral defense will be determined by an examination committee consisting of at least three faculty members of the Medical Physics Program, one of whom will serve as chair. The committee members and chair will be selected by the Medical Physics Program Director in consultation with the student’s research advisor. The report topic is chosen by the student but must be approved beforehand by the examination committee chair; it may address a research topic that overlaps with the student’s proposed PhD thesis project. The report and its oral defense should be completed by the beginning of the student's fifth semester in residence. The written report is to be first submitted to the examination committee chair. If found to be appropriate with respect to topic, format and composition, it will then be submitted to the exam committee for scientific evaluation. If the exam committee finds the written document to be unacceptable, it will be returned to the student with comments for revision. Following approval of the written document, an oral defense before the same committee will be scheduled; the oral presentation is open only to faculty. Questions posed by the committee during the defense will be directed primarily toward the presentation, but will also explore the student's mastery of basic concepts of medical physics and assess the student’s ability to conduct independent research and successfully complete a PhD dissertation.

If the oral presentation is judged to be unacceptable, the committee will inform the student of the areas of weakness. A second defense will be scheduled after a period of time appropriate for correcting the deficit(s). Failure of the second defense or failure to successfully prepare and defend a report within the guidelines and timeline presented here is grounds for dismissal from the graduate program. The student may challenge the decision of the examination committee by written appeal to the Program Director. Should a satisfactory resolution not be reached after appeal to the Program Director, further appeal may be made to the JSMBS Dean.

Dissertation Research, Preparation, and Review

The dissertation research is conducted by the graduate student under the tutelage of the Dissertation Committee consisting of the major professor and at least three additional university faculty, two of whom are members of the program’s graduate faculty; all committee members should hold the rank of assistant professor or above and should be members of the UB Graduate School. The Dissertation Committee critically monitors and supervises preparation of the dissertation and will meet with the student every six months following successful completion of the Preliminary Examination. At these meetings the student will present a progress report to the committee and the Dissertation Committee Report Form must be completed and a signed copy provided to the Program Coordinator.  A concise written progress report indicating how recommendations from the previous meeting were addressed and specifying future research plans should be prepared by the student and given to the committee at least one week prior to this meeting.  The report should include a listing of presentations and publications since the last meeting and a copy of the report should be attached to the Dissertation Committee Report Form

Dissertation Defense

At least six (6) months before the anticipated dissertation defense date, the candidate shall have the essential components of data collection and analysis finalized and shall provide the Dissertation Committee with substantial evidence of such in their final progress report. The sufficiency of data collection and analysis and of the final progress report must be approved by the Dissertation Committee on the Report Form six (6) months before the anticipated oral dissertation defense. Exception to this timeline may be obtained by appeal to and unanimous approval of the Committee.  Entrance into the residency match program, visits to prospective residency programs or the start date for a job will generally not be the basis for such an exception.

The oral defense of the dissertation can be scheduled only with the approval of the candidate’s Dissertation Committee and the Program Director after review of the written dissertation and after any requested amendments have been satisfactorily made. The research represented by the dissertation is to be presented in an open seminar prior to the formal oral defense.

Financial Assistance

Doctoral students, admitted to candidacy after passing the preliminary examination, normally receive financial support from their advisor in the form of a graduate/research assistantship or part-time job.

Highly qualified underrepresented minority candidates may be eligible for assistance through the Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship .

Federal grants and loans are available by filing the FAFSA application .

How to Apply

Admission requirements & procedure.

The candidate for graduate work in the Medical Physics Program should have demonstrated above-average academic performance, especially in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Entry into the program is contingent upon award of the baccalaureate degree.

Applicants generally enter the program directly into the Medical Physics Program.

Applicants are required to submit the following:

• College transcripts
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Subject Test is optional.)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from professional references, and
• A statement of interest in the program including the applicant’s goals and experience.

International applicants must also present:

• Financial data
• The results of TOEFL — (Test of English as a Foreign Language) if English is not a native language. A TOEFL score of 575 is considered the minimum acceptable for admissions consideration.

Requirements for the PhD

University/Institutional Graduate School Requirements:

• A minimum of three years (72 credit hours) of graduate study
• A minimum residence of one year (24 credit hours)
• Continuous registration for a minimum of one semester hour each fall and spring term until all requirements for the degree are completed.
• A PhD dissertation which is an original contribution, normally written in English.

Applying to the Medical Physics PhD Program

You can apply to the PhD program online using the button below.

Under Select Degree Program select “Medical Physics (PhD)” in the dropdown list.

Submit Your Official Credentials

After you have applied online, you must submit these official credentials:

• Official transcript(s) from every institution you have previously attended
• Three letters of recommendation
• A personal letter stating career objectives and research experience.
• Official GRE score report(s)

GRE score reporting codes:

• Institution code: R2925
• Department Code: 0222

The application fee is $85.

Your application fee must be paid online. This can be done via your Graduate School Application Manager account.

English Proficiency

International applicants must also present your official TOEFL score. It is university policy that TOEFL score reports be no older than two years when students enter a program. A TOEFL (PBT) score of 550 or TOEFL (IBT) score of 79 is considered the minimum acceptable for admissions consideration.

• Institution code: R2925 (SUNY-University at Buffalo)
• Department code: 36

Eligibility

The Medical Physics Accreditation Commission, CAMPEP, requires that entering students have either an undergraduate physics major or a strong physics minor with at least three upper-level advanced physics courses as required of physics majors.

Admission is based on:

• A grade point average of B (3.0) or better
• Examination scores (Superior quantitative and above-average analytic GRE scores are expected.)
• Letters of recommendation (3)
• Academic performance
• Research experience

Recommended undergraduate courses include: physics and mathematics, including calculus and statistics, biomedical and/or electrical engineering, chemistry, biology, and physiology.

Your application should be completed and official documentation filed no later than March 15 for matriculation in the fall semester. However, the program has a rolling admission and you should contact the program director if you desire to file after this deadline. The admissions committee of the program will review your completed application and you will be contacted directly by the program regarding admission.

Medical Physics PhD Program

Ph.d. in applied physics with concentration in medical physics.

This CAMPEP-accredited degree program is a cooperative effort between the University of South Florida’s Department of Physics and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute’s Departments of Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology and Machine Learning.

The program's main objective is to train future applied physics scientists with fundamental knowledge and research experience in the field of Medical Physics, and thus it is designed as a Ph.D. program. Moreover, the graduates will be fully prepared for entry into a Medical Physics residency if they so choose. For students to successfully complete the program they must:

• Fulfill the curriculum requirements for a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from USF
• Fulfill the CAMPEP course requirements for Medical Physics
• Perform Medical Physics research leading to a dissertation and a minimum of two papers submitted to peer-reviewed journals before graduation 

As designed, the program will impart knowledge and skills to students per CAMPEP standards for graduate programs, specifically:

• Fundamental knowledge in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• A rigorous understanding of scientific research and how it leads to the creation of new knowledge, reassessment of existing knowledge, and the overall advancement of science
• Competence in the application of the scientific method to solve specific problems
• Comprehensive knowledge of current research and scholarship in Medical Physics
• Communication skills to succeed in the current collaborative and competitive world
• Commitment to life-long learning, discovery and dissemination of knowledge
• An understanding of the role of patient safety and a culture of safety in clinical practice
• Professional and ethical standards pertaining to Medical Physicists

Upon successful completion as stated above, in addition to the Ph.D. degree/diploma in Applied Physics, postgraduates will also receive a letter of attestation from the program director certifying that they have fulfilled the CAMPEP-accredited medical physics curriculum.

Therapeutic Medical Physics at Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC)

Medical Physics is a medical specialty that applies physics principles to ensure that diagnostic and therapeutic procedures prescribed by physicians are delivered accurately and safely. To practice clinically, Medical Physicists are required to pass a rigorous set of examinations administered by the  American Board of Radiology  after completing a two-year clinical residency. Radiation Oncology, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine are highly technologically advanced medical fields and thus require a highly skilled professional and technical team to ensure optimal patient care. The Medical Physics Team provides clinical physics and dosimetry services at the Moffitt Cancer Center clinics. It currently consists of 19 physicists (nine faculty), 18 dosimetrists, and two medical physics residents. Program faculty from MCC also includes non-physicists from various clinical and research departments.

A comprehensive set of state-of-the-art technologies are supported including three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), tumor motion management (4D imaging, planning and delivery; respiratory gating), magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy (MRIgRT with a MRI-Linac), total-body/marrow irradiation (TBI & TMI), total skin electron therapy (TSET), high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, intraoperative  radiotherapy for breast cancer, and radiopharmaceutical therapies. MCC also offers a comprehensive set of medical imaging technologies (CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, etc.) as well as pre-clinical technologies (microCT, microPET, microMR, various molecular imaging, irradiators, etc.). In addition to clinical services, medical physicists are engaged in research and teaching.

Helpful links:

Summary of students in and out of the program:  USF-MCC Medical Physics Ph.D. Program Disclosure Statement

Degree requirements: 2023-24 Graduate Catalog

General description of what Medical Physicists do:  aapm.org

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Ph.D. in Medical Physics

General info.

• Faculty working with students: 59
• Students: 51
• Students receiving Financial Aid: 100% of PhD students
• Part time study available: No
• Application terms: Fall
• Application deadlines: November 30

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://medicalphysics.duke.edu

Program Description

The Medical Physics Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program sponsored by five departments: radiology, radiation oncology, physics, biomedical engineering, and occupational and environmental safety (health physics). Four academic tracks are offered: diagnostic imaging physics, radiation oncology physics, nuclear medicine physics, and health physics. There are currently 51 faculty members associated with the program, and many of these are internationally recognized experts in their fields of study.

The program has available one of the best medical centers in the United States, with outstanding facilities in radiology and radiation oncology for the clinical training elements of the programs. The program has 5,000 square feet of dedicated educational space in the Hock Plaza Building and access to state-of-the-art imaging and radiation therapy equipment in the clinical departments.

Existing equipment and facilities include:

• radiation oncology equipment for 3-D treatment planning, image guided therapy, and intensity modulated radiation therapy;
• radiation protection lab equipment (whole body counter, high resolution germanium gamma detector, liquid scintillation counter);
• dedicated equipment for radiation dosimetry;
• nuclear medicine cameras and scanners in PET and SPECT;
• digital imaging laboratories with dedicated equipment for physics and clinical research in digital radiography and CT;
• the Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories;
• the Center for In Vivo Microscopy;
• laboratories for monoclonal antibody imaging and therapy;
• excellent resources for MRI imaging (including a research MR scanner, the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, and the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Development); and
• ultrasound laboratories in biomedical engineering.

The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP).

• Medical Physics: PhD Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
• Medical Physics: PhD Completion Rate Statistics
• Medical Physics: PhD Time to Degree Statistics
• Medical Physics: PhD Career Outcomes Statistics

Application Information

Application Terms Available:  Fall

Application Deadlines:  November 30

Graduate School Application Requirements See the Application Instructions page for important details about each Graduate School requirement.

• Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts required with application submission; official transcripts required upon admission
• Letters of Recommendation: 3 Required
• Statement of Purpose: Required (See department guidance below)
• Résumé: Required
• GRE Scores: GRE General (Optional)
• English Language Exam: TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test required* for applicants whose first language is not English *test waiver may apply for some applicants
• GPA: Undergraduate GPA calculated on 4.0 scale required

Writing Sample None required

Additional Components To help us learn more about you, please plan a video response to the following question:

How would a Duke PhD training experience help you achieve your academic and professional goals? (max video length 2 minutes). When you are ready, please use the Video Essay tab in the application to record your video.

We strongly encourage you to review additional department-specific application guidance from the program to which you are applying:  Departmental Application Guidance

List of Graduate School Programs and Degrees

100 Best colleges for Medical Physics in the United States

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the United States ranked based on their research performance in Medical Physics. A graph of 3.33M citations received by 122K academic papers made by 211 universities in the United States was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Harvard University

For Medical Physics

2. Stanford University

3. Johns Hopkins University

4. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

5. University of California - San Francisco

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7. University of Washington - Seattle

8. University of Pennsylvania

9. University of California - Los Angeles

10. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

11. University of Wisconsin - Madison

12. University of Chicago

13. Yale University

14. Emory University

15. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

16. Cornell University

17. Washington University in St Louis

18. Columbia University

19. University of Pittsburgh

20. University of Alabama at Birmingham

21. University of Southern California

22. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

23. University of Florida

24. University of Maryland, Baltimore

25. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

26. New York University

27. University of Iowa

28. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

29. Northwestern University

30. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

31. Oregon Health & Science University

32. Duke University

33. University of California-San Diego

34. Vanderbilt University

35. Georgetown University

36. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

37. University of Virginia

38. University of Utah

39. Case Western Reserve University

40. University of California - Davis

41. Baylor College of Medicine

42. Medical College of Wisconsin

43. University of Illinois at Chicago

44. Medical University of South Carolina

45. Boston University

46. University of Arizona

47. Ohio State University

48. Wake Forest University

49. University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

50. Thomas Jefferson University

51. Wayne State University

52. University of Miami

53. Brown University

54. University of Cincinnati

55. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

56. Providence College

57. Florida College

58. University of California - Irvine

59. University of Kentucky

60. Tufts University

61. Virginia Commonwealth University

62. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester

63. University of Rochester

64. Pennsylvania State University

65. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

66. University of New Mexico

67. Dartmouth College

68. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

69. University at Buffalo

70. University of Baltimore

71. Seattle University

72. University of South Florida

73. University of Tennessee Health Science Center

74. University of Louisville

75. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

76. George Washington University

77. University of Nebraska Medical Center

78. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

79. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

80. University of Missouri - Columbia

81. Pennsylvania State University - College of Medicine

82. University of Texas Medical Branch

83. Loma Linda University

84. Drexel University

85. Upstate Medical University

86. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

87. Michigan State University

88. University of Vermont

89. Saint Louis University

90. Georgia Institute of Technology

91. Augusta University

92. University of California - Berkeley

93. Tulane University of Louisiana

94. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

95. rensselaer polytechnic institute.

96. Temple University

97. University of Texas at Austin

98. Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel

99. Texas A&M University - College Station

100. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

The best cities to study Medical Physics in the United States based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cambridge , Stanford , Baltimore , and Houston .

Physics subfields in the United States

Curriculum Medical Physics Graduate Program

Master’s Curriculum for Terminal MS Students

Master’s Curriculum for Students Continuing to PhD

PhD Curriculum

Minimum Course Requirements

Course requirements for doctoral degrees vary from field to field and from student to student. In ALL fields, the PhD degree requires at least 90 credits BEYOND the bachelor’s degree. All master’s degree credits counted toward the minimum must be earned in the last seven (7) years.

Transfer of Credits

No more than 30 credits of a master’s degree from another institution may be transferred to a doctoral program. If a student holds a master’s degree in a discipline different from the doctoral program, the master’s work will NOT be counted in the program unless the academic unit petitions the Dean of the Graduate School.

• GMS 7979 Advanced Research (Pre-PhD Candidacy)
• GMS 7980 Doctoral Research (Post-PhD Candidacy)
• Other Graduate Courses (as recommended by a student’s PhD Advisor and or PhD Supervisory Committee)

Course syllabi is available for all of our courses.

• Accredited Degree Programs
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Graduate Programs

CAMPEP offers accreditation of graduate educational programs in medical physics. The goal is to ensure that a graduate program provides rigorous and thorough education such that program graduates are equipped with the appropriate skills to pursue a career in medical physics.

The Process of CAMPEP accreditation of graduate programs requires that the program submit a self assessment report using the template available giving evidence of consistency with a set of clearly stated standards . After review of this report, a survey team will conduct a program site visit to validate the assessment. If successful, accreditation is granted for a period of 3 years. Re-accreditation requires an updated self assessment report. The Graduate Education Program Review Committee (GEPRC) is responsible for managing the accreditation of graduate programs and appointing a Survey Team from within the GEPRC for each application. The survey team consists of senior medical physicists with experience in both clinical practice and educational programs. All members of the GEPRC and the program survey teams act for CAMPEP on a volunteer basis. A fee is charged for each application and re-application to cover the incidental costs of the accreditation process, including travel expenses related to the site visit.

Full instructions are provided on the application template , available from the link on the left hand panel. A right mouse click on the link will enable a copy of the template to be saved to your local disc. The initial application submitted via an online submission process must include an official request for accreditation in the form of a letter from a principal administrative officer of the institution inviting CAMPEP to conduct an evaluation of the medical physics graduate education program. An institution's request for its program to be evaluated by CAMPEP is totally voluntary and, as such, the institution agrees to abide by the decision of the CAMPEP Board of Directors.

The application fee for accreditation or reaccreditation of graduate programs in the U.S. and Canada is US $5,000.

*For programs outside the U.S. or Canada considering application for CAMPEP accreditation, the program director must contact the chair of the appropriate review committee for instructions. This fee is due at the time the application is submitted. Credit card payments may be made via the Online Self Study Submission System. Contact Jacqueline Ogburn for assistance.

Steps Involved

• The preparation and submission to CAMPEP of a self-study evaluation by the institution applying for accreditation. All self-study documentation must be in English or must have an accompanying English translation. The purpose of the self-study is to describe the scope and performance of the program. This information is the primary vehicle for CAMPEP’s evaluation of a program applying for accreditation. Secondarily, the self-study provides a body of information that permits a critical self-evaluation and the development of goals for self-improvement. The official request and institutional accreditation documentation shall be contained in an appendix of the self-study. The fee for accreditation is due at the time the application is submitted. The review of the self-study document by the CAMPEP GEPRC shall commence after receipt of the application fee. 
• The preliminary review of the self-study by the CAMPEP GEPRC.
• The resolution of any questions or concerns identified during the preliminary review. A satisfactory response from the program director to these questions is required before proceeding to the next step. If the preliminary review raises no concerns, this step is not required.
• The site visit by representative members of the GEPRC. Site visits are always scheduled for first time applicant institutions but may not be deemed necessary for institutions being re-accredited. In all cases, institutions applying for reaccreditation will be visited, at the least, on every other occasion on which they apply for reaccreditation, i.e., at least once every ten years.
• The preparation of a program evaluation report by the site visit team. This report shall include any appropriate recommendations and must be approved by the GEPRC prior to submission to the CAMPEP Board of Directors.
• Consideration of the GEPRC recommendations by the CAMPEP Board of Directors.
• Communication of the resulting recommendation of the CAMPEP Board of Directors to the applicant institution.

On Site Program Review

Purpose and Structure

The site visit requires 1.5 days and is scheduled at a time that will permit the members of the site visit team to meet with one or more of the principal administrative officials of the institution, the faculty and the students, and shall, therefore, be during a time when classes are in session.

The purpose of the site visit is to examine selected areas of the program identified in the self-study review where questions may exist; to meet and talk personally with faculty members, students, and administrative officials; to observe the adequacy of facilities; to assess the aptitude and commitment of students and faculty; to observe the general educational and scientific environment at the institution; and to obtain any additional data required for evaluation.

The site visit team shall be provided with records generated by the medical physics programs including, but not limited to, minutes of faculty meetings and governing committee meetings, course evaluations, lecture materials, and student admission records. Any records to which the site-visit team has legal access shall be available for review at their request. Also available for review to the site-visit team shall be theses and dissertations produced by program graduates, and the course exams and qualifying exams for the current and preceding academic year.

Site Visit Team Composition

The site visit team (generally two or three members of the GEPRC) is composed of experienced educators and scientists thoroughly familiar with CAMPEP’s criteria and knowledgeable about both administrative and technical aspects of successful programs. In the selection of members of the site visit team for a particular on-site evaluation visit, every effort is made to eliminate any conflict of interest or bias. For instance, a graduate of the institution under evaluation, or a person having a close and continuing relationship with the institution, would not be chosen to assist in the visit and evaluation. Neither would one be selected who is a faculty member at an institution in the same immediate geographical area nor from one having any substantial number of its graduates on the faculty at the institution being evaluated.

Accreditation Status Initial Accreditation : If a new educational program has already enrolled trainees (Note:  A non-accredited residency program may not accept residents), then, following a Site Visit, Initial Accreditation may be granted by the Board for three years.  If the program has yet to admit a student/resident, Initial Accreditation may be granted for a period until the first full-time student/resident has completed the first year of study and not to exceed two years, at which time a Site Visit will take place.  Following the Site Visit, Initial Accreditation may be extended by the Board so that the total Initial Accreditation period after the initial Board action is three years.   In either case, if the program submits acceptable annual reports during these three years of Initial Accreditation, it may be extended an additional two years on the recommendation of the appropriate Review Committee(s) and granted by the President upon recommendation by the Review Committee Chair.

Reaccreditation:  Educational programs applying for Reaccreditation may be granted accreditation for a period of up to five years.

Provisional Accreditation : Provisional Accreditation for a period of up to three years may be granted at the discretion of the CAMPEP Board if circumstances preclude awarding of accreditation. The terms for ending the Provisional Accreditation shall be specified by the Board.

Accreditation Denied : This action is taken when a program is found not to comply with CAMPEP standards for accreditation and it appears that the changes that the program would have to make to qualify for accreditation could not be achieved within a reasonable period of time. After this decision, should accreditation be further pursued by the program, a new application shall be required, including the appropriate fee.

When a graduate program is accredited, CAMPEP will provide a certificate of accreditation to the institution and a copy of the final GEPRC report listing any required and recommended changes.  The program director must provide updated information on any required and/or recommended changes at the time of each subsequent annual report.

The name of the institution and program will appear on the CAMPEP website on the list of medical institutions whose programs have been accredited by CAMPEP.

CAMPEP's Privacy Policy Use of the site constitutes your acceptance to its terms and conditions .

CAMPEP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of medical physics. The information provided in this website is offered for the benefit of its members, trainees and the general public. CAMPEP does not independently verify or substantiate the information provided on other websites that may be linked to this site.

University of South Florida

Department of Physics

College of Arts and Sciences

Main Navigation

Medical-physics curriculum, ph.d. in applied physics with concentration in medical physics.

For degree requirements please check the Graduate Catalog .

This CAMPEP-accredited degree program is a cooperative effort between the University of South Florida’s Department of Physics and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute’s Departments of Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, and Machine Learning.

The program's main objective is to train future applied physics scientists with a fundamental knowledge and research experience in the field of Medical Physics, and thus it is designed as a Ph.D. program.  Moreover, the graduates will be fully prepared for entry into a Medical Physics residency program if they so choose.  For students to successfully complete the program they must:

• Fulfill the curriculum requirements for a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from USF
• Fulfill the CAMPEP course requirements for Medical Physics
• Perform Medical Physics research leading to a dissertation and a minimum of two papers submitted to peer-reviewed journals before graduation submitted to peer-reviewed journals before graduation 

As designed the program will impart knowledge and skills to students per CAMPEP standards for graduate programs, specifically:

• Fundamental knowledge in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• A rigorous understanding of scientific research and how it leads to the creation of new knowledge, reassessment of existing knowledge, and the overall advancement of science
• Competence in the application of the scientific method to solve specific problems
• Comprehensive knowledge of current research and scholarship in Medical Physics
• Communication skills to succeed in the current collaborative and competitive world
• Commitment to life-long learning, discovery and dissemination of knowledge
• An understanding of the role of patient safety and a culture of safety in clinical practice
• Professional and ethical standards pertaining to Medical Physicists

Upon successful completion as stated above, in addition to the Ph.D. degree/diploma in Applied Physics, postgraduates will also receive a letter of attestation from the program director certifying that they have fulfilled the CAMPEP-accredited medical physics curriculum.

Therapeutic Medical Physics at the Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC)

Medical Physics is a medical specialty that applies physics principles to ensure that diagnostic and therapeutic procedures prescribed by physicians are delivered accurately and safely. To practice clinically, Medical Physicists are required to pass a rigorous set of examinations administered by the American Board of Radiology after completing a two-year clinical residency. Radiation Oncology, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine are highly technologically advanced medical fields and thus require a highly skilled professional and technical team to ensure optimal patient care.  The Medical Physics Team provides clinical physics and dosimetry services at the Moffitt Cancer Center clinics.  It currently consists of 19 physicists (9 faculty), 18 dosimetrists, and 2 medical physics residencies.  Program faculty from MCC also includes non-physicists from various clinical and research departments. 

A comprehensive set of state-of-the-art technologies are supported including three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), tumor motion management (4D imaging, planning and delivery; respiratory gating), magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy (MRIgRT with a MRI-Linac), total-body/marrow irradiation (TBI & TMI), total skin electron therapy (TSET), high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, intraoperative  radiotherapy for breast cancer (ITORT) and radiopharmaceutical therapies. MCC also offers a comprehensive set of medical imaging technologies (CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, etc.) as well as pre-clinical imaging technologies (microCT, microPET, microMR, various molecular imaging, etc.). In addition to clinical services, medical physicists are engaged in research and teaching.

For a summary of students in and out of the program, click on the following link: USF-MCC Medical Physics Ph.D. Program Disclosure Statement

For a general description of what Medical Physicists do, please go to:  aapm.org

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Doctorate of Medical Physics

The Doctorate of Medical Physics program is a graduate program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). The program aims to enhance and standardize clinical training for medical physicists that want to practice as clinician scientists.

About the Program

Prerequisites, student directory, important dates, tuition and fees.

• Tuition and Fees 2023-2024
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Class Profile

Graduation, student, faculty and institutional statistics for Doctorate of Medical Physics.

Program Statistics

Program Brochure

Career Paths & Marketable Skills

The best part of the DMP is that the clinical training is integrated with the didactic learning, similar to medical school training. James McCulloch, 2nd year student

Graduate Programs

Explore information.

The graduate program in Medical Physics at The University of Toledo is nationally accredited. Prospective students must have a B.S. degree in Physics or a minor in Physics. 

UToledo offers a master's in Medical Physics with concentrations in: 

• Radiation oncology physics  
• Diagnostic imaging 

The UToledo Medical Physics program is recognized throughout the U.S. for providing strong, hands-on clinical experience to our students and residents. These experiences allow our students to secure required residencies at rates far higher than the national average, and our residents to secure full-time positions. 100% of our students land residencies, compared to the national average of just 50%. 

UToledo also offers its own accredited residency program, giving us the ability to offer the full spectrum of training to our graduate students. Our graduates experience firsthand one of most progressive radiation oncology departments in the nation at The University of Toledo Medical Center.

The Medical Physics master's degree is administered through the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences on UToledo's Health Science Campus. The doctorate degree — a Ph.D. in Physics with a specialization in Medical Physics — is offered on UToledo's Main Campus through the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics' Department of Physics and Astronomy. 

Top Reasons to Study medical physics at UToledo

• Certification. Nearly all UToledo Medical Physics graduates pursue certification with the American Board of Radiology. Most students complete the first of the three-step certification process while in the program. 
• A two-semester clinical clerkship allows students to work directly with patients under the supervision of qualified medical physicists. This experience gives our students an advantage when applying for residencies. 
• UToledo's Medical Physics residency program emphasizes all areas of training needed by a radiation oncology medical physicist in a state-of-the-art treatment facility. 
• State-of-the-art facilities. Students work with the most up-to-date treatment and diagnostic equipment , including Varian TrueBeam and Varian Edge linear accelerators. 
• Learn from the best. UTMC's Department of Radiation Oncology is accredited by ASTRO APEx. It is the only public health-care facility in Ohio to receive the prestigious distinction. 
• Financial support. The M.S. program offers $1000 scholarships. 

UToledo's Medical Physics graduate program faculty  includes five ABR-certified physicians and four ABR-certified medical physicists, all heavily involved in providing clinical service, didactic teaching and research. 

Our faculty members have national and international reputations in the field and a variety of  research interests . 

What jobs can I get with a medical physics degree?

The vast majority of UToledo Medical Physics graduates work as clinical medical physicists, often as faculty at teaching hospitals. Some also land positions as researchers. 

Graduates of our program typically get 2- to 3-year residency positions. Salaries are in the mid to upper range, compared to typical physics post-doc positions. Entry-level salaries for medical physicists who complete residency are much higher than those of physics graduates, typically starting at more than $115,000 per year.  

This high salary comes with important responsibilities: 

• Caring for patients 
• Managing the medical physics aspects of a radiology or radiation oncology clinic 
• Ensuring radiation safety and radiation protection of staff and patients 
• Complying with state and federal regulations 

How to Apply to Graduate School

Find your next steps whether you are a new student, readmit student or guest student.

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Virtual information session.

Hear what makes our Medical Physics Graduate Programs stand out! Watch our recent Virtual Information Session to hear program highlights and more from our program director, current students, and alumni.

Watch Virtual Information Session video

View more information about our Program Statistics »

Apply Your Physics Background

A career in medical physics offers you the opportunity to use your physics background to provide people with life-changing options every day. Medical physicists play a critical role at the cutting-edge of patient healthcare, overseeing effective radiation treatment, ensuring that instruments are working safely, and researching, developing and implementing new therapeutic techniques.

Preparation for Professional Success

Our CAMPEP accredited programs  are grounded in providing the highest standard of patient care. Our students have numerous opportunities to gain hands-on experience at some of the most advanced medical imaging and therapy facilities in the world through paid clinical work; practicum experience (master's degree); clinical shadowing (certificate program); opportunities for research, publication, and presentation; and much more. It is for this reason that our degree and certificate programs enjoy a high residency placement rate for our students, year after year. Our medical physics faculty, staff, and residents are invested in making our students competitive for medical physics residency programs and help them to develop the competencies and skills needed for professional success. 

Program Objectives

• Provide students with comprehensive exposure to the science and art of the physics of radiation oncology, medical imaging, and radiation safety
• Prepare each student for a future career as a medical physicist in at least one subspecialty
• Provide students with information on pathways for non-clinical career opportunities
• Prepare students for a medical physics residency, PhD program in medical physics, or graduate studies in a related area, if so desired
• Prepare students, academically and clinically, for Part I of the certification examinations of the American Board of Radiology (ABR)

We welcome you to  contact us  to learn more about the possibilities that await you in the Medical Physics Graduate Programs at Penn.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Medical Physics Graduate Programs are strong proponents of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We support students from diverse backgrounds because we believe that fostering an inclusive, multicultural environment benefits our students, our programs, and the field of medical physics at large.

The Medical Physics Graduate Programs’ diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are supported by the University of Pennsylvania , Penn Medicine , the Department of Radiation Oncology , the Perelman School of Medicine , the Department of Bioengineering , and the Physics Department .

Selected students will have the opportunity to complete a funded, summer clinical practicum experience in Ghana through the innovative  Global Medical Physics Training and Development Program .  

Two (2) $25,000 scholarships are available per year to support students who enroll full-time in our Master of Science in Medical Physics degree program.

Check out the fourth edition of Radiation Communication , our Medical Physics Graduate Programs' newsletter.

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Internal Number: 89210

The Carnegie Institution for Science seeks applications for an experimental postdoctoral fellow working on the forefront of conventional superconductivity research. The project is focused on the synthesis and characterization of new light-element superconductors including hydrides, borides & carbides with the goal of producing conventional, high-T c  materials that remain stable without extreme pressures. The position will involve the synthesis of new materials using conventional, non-equilibrium and high-pressure methods, and subsequent structure/properties characterization. The successful candidate will work in a dynamic environment with an expert team comprised of experimental and computational physicists, chemists, and materials scientists. Please refer questions to  tstrobel"at"carnegiescience.edu .

Minimum qualifications:   A PhD in physics, chemistry, materials science or a related field is the requirement for this position.

Desired qualifications:   Expertise in solid-state synthesis, characterization of magnetic & electrical transport properties (e.g., PPMS), powder/single-crystal diffraction, Raman/infrared spectroscopies, and characterization/analysis of superconductor properties. Understanding of high-pressure techniques including laser-heated diamond anvil cells and/or large-volume press techniques is desirable. The successful candidate is expected to be able to work in both independent and collaborative group environments.

The initial appointment is for one year with the possibility for an additional year pending progress and availability of funds. The position is available starting summer 2024 and will remain open until filled. Interested parties should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae (including publications), statement of research interests, and contact information for a minimum of three references.

Only complete applications submitted via the following website will be considered:

https://jobs.carnegiescience.edu/jobs/apply/89210/

Prospective researchers will work at the Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC. The Carnegie Institution is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.

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GSBS Medical Physics Program

The Medical Physics Graduate Program

Medical physics is a   profession   that combines principles of physics and engineering with those of biology and medicine to effect better diagnosis and treatment of human disease while ensuring the safety of the public, our patients and those caring for them.

The Medical Physics Graduate Program offers the Specialized Master of Science degree and the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees through the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Two UT components, UTHealth Houston and   MD Anderson, jointly support the program, with the majority of faculty and students, as well as the program administration, working at MD Anderson.

The S.M.S. degree is a professional master's degree that prepares the student for clinical practice as a medical physicist. The Ph.D. degree is intended for the student who is preparing for a career that includes a strong research component. The two degree tracks have similar didactic curricula, but the S.M.S. research project is typically more clinically focused and shorter in duration than the research work for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

In addition to the SMS and PhD degree programs in Medical Physics, the GSBS offers a Graduate Certificate in Medical Physics. The certificate program is intended for those who already have a PhD in physics or a related discipline and are interested in obtaining the didactic education in medical physics that is required by residency programs and by the American Board of Radiology. Some of the requirements for admission to this program are a PhD in physics or else a PhD in a related discipline plus at least a minor in physics and medical physics research experience at The University of Texas MD Anderson or UTHealth Houston.

Photo (Right):  Functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography for presurgical evaluation of brain tumor resection (image courtesy of Anthony Liu, PhD)

Medical Physics Program Resources

How to apply.

Students who wish to study medical physics should apply online through the  GSBS website

When your application is complete (including all of the required documentation such as transcripts and letters of reference), the GSBS will forward it to the program admission committee for consideration. Strict adherence to the deadlines is advised.

If you are applying to the Specialized Master of Science Program ("SMS"), which is our professionally oriented terminal master’s degree, select "M.S." as the Degree Plan. If you are applying to the M.S./Ph.D. program, select "Ph.D." as the Degree Plan, even if you expect to earn the M.S. degree on the way to the Ph.D. Most of our Ph.D. students take advantage of the opportunities that the Graduate School offers to by-pass the master’s degree en route to the Ph.D.

Under Areas of Research Interest, you need not select secondary areas of study if your only interest in the MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is our Medical Physics program.

Review Process

The program admission committee reviews applications on a rolling basis. Applicants who are especially promising will be invited to visit the GSBS and the program for an interview. Typically, more applicants are interviewed than can be offered admission.

Over the course of the reviewing season, the program admission committee will recommend to the Dean of the GSBS that offers be extended to the highest ranking applicants. All of those offers will be honored through April 15. However, because our program has a maximum number of funded positions in the incoming class each year, applicants who accept another offer are asked to decline ours promptly so that another meritorious applicant may be extended an offer.

We attempt to have interviewed every applicant to whom we make an offer. In extraordinary circumstances, this has been by telephone or over the Internet, but normally interviews are conducted in person in Houston. Ideally these would be during GSBS visitation events.

The interview visit is a time for the program and the applicant to get to know each other even better than the application documents allow. Interviewees have a student host to guide them around and to talk about what the program is really like and what Houston is really like.

The applicant typically will talk to half a dozen faculty members and at least as many students. The content of the interviews varies with the interests and attitudes of the interviewer, so the best advice that we can give for preparation is to know your facts (e.g., the title of your senior thesis project, if you are doing one) and to be yourself.

The Profession of Medical Physics

Medical physics is a field of study and practice that applies the facts and principles of physics and engineering to medical practice. It is distinct from biomedical engineering, biophysics and health physics in its focus on patient care. Medical physics is a profession because its practitioners work independently, albeit often as members of a health care team, and we take personal responsibility for the quality of our work.

There are two main specialties within medical physics, therapy and imaging. Therapy is the delivery of ionizing radiation with palliative or curative intent and imaging uses ionizing and nonionizing radiation for diagnostic purposes. some medical physicists practice all aspects of medical physics, but specialization as a therapeutic radiological physicist, diagnostic radiological physicist, medical nuclear physicist or medical health physicist is becoming more typical.

Medical physics requires a solid undergraduate preparation in physics or another technical discipline (for example, nuclear engineering) and graduate study. While many current medical physicists studied pure physics or related engineering subjects at the graduate level, increasingly graduate study in medical physics   per se   is now the predominant route of entry into the profession. Graduate programs in medical physics and residency programs in medical physics may be certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). Not only does CAMPEP accreditation betoken a high quality program, but graduation from a CAMPEP - accredited graduate program and a CAMPEP - accredited residency program are prerequisites to certification by the largest certifying board.

Medical physicists demonstrate their preparation and professional competence by achieving certification. The predominant certifying board in the U.S. is the American Board of Radiology, which, along with the American Board of Health Physics and the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine, administers certification examinations. These examinations typically consist of a written section covering basic medical physics, a second written section focusing on a particular specialty (e.g., therapeutic radiological physics, diagnostic radiological physics, medical nuclear physics, medical health physics, magnetic resonance imaging physics, or molecular imaging), and an oral examination. One may not take the examinations until one has earned appropriate educational credentials and has accumulated satisfactory practical experience through residency.

A number of states in the U.S., of which the first was Texas, license medical physics as a profession. They do this as a means of protecting the public safety and welfare. In Texas, one may not practice medical physics without a license. Texas issues temporary licenses to medical physicists who are preparing for their certification examinations by gaining practical experience, either as on-the-job training or in a clinical physics residency program. Temporary licensees must practice under the direct supervision of a fully licensed medical physicist. Medical physicists with full licenses may practice their licensed specialty independently, their preparation for which is demonstrated by education, by experience and by board certification.

Medical physicists in the U.S. have one primary professional organization, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Many medical societies also welcome medical physicists and have strong and active membership among medical physicists.

Medical physicists might practice privately — often consulting for several institutions — or work on a hospital staff or in an academic healthcare institution. We work closely with radiation oncologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, dosimetrists, nurses, a variety of medical technology specialists and hospital administrators. Our work requires strong scientific and technical abilities, clear communication, good people skills and the capability to work carefully, accurately, thoroughly and promptly. People's well-being depends upon the quality of our work.

To learn more about the profession of medical physics, visit

• The American Association of Physicists in Medicine
• The American Board of Radiology
• The American Board of Medical Physics
• The American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine
• The Commission for the Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs
• The Texas Medical Board

Among the journals that publish the research work of medical physicists are

• Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics
• International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
• Academic Radiology
• Journal of Nuclear Medicine

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Robert j. shalek fellowship.

In the period between 1950 and 1984, Robert J. Shalek, for whom this fellowship is named, worked at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. During that time the institution grew from small beginnings in temporary buildings to a leading cancer center with a large physical plant and over 6,000 employees.

During the same period medical physics, which had started in the United States around 1915, but had languished as a profession, took guidance from the well-developed British example and grew into a confident and respected profession. Dr. Shalek was shaped by and contributed to these events.

Following Drs. Leonard Grimmett and Warren Sinclair, both very experienced medical physicists from England, he served as head, or chairman, of the Physics Department from 1960 to 1984. Under his direction, the department became recognized as a major research and teaching center in medical physics.

Click here to learn more about Robert J. Shalek Fellowship

Medical Physics Information

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2022 Fall Student Handbook

Photo (Left):  The IROC-Houston IMRT head & neck phantom about to be scanned in a CT simulator during the COVID-19 pandemic (photo courtesy of Sharbacha Edward)