Medical physics is an applied science encompassing medical imaging and the application of radiation in the treatment of disease. Sibling fields of medical physics include bioengineering and health physics. Medical physics involves multiple modalities: diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and radiation therapy, a major sub-specialty of medical physics chiefly concerned with the treatment of disease.
The medical physics program strives to provide a rigorous, well rounded, and clinically based training that incorporates both Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology departments. The graduate program in the Department of Radiological Sciences offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in medical physics.
We are a CAMPEP accredited graduate Medical Physics program. Currently, partial financial support is provided to all full-time M.S. and Ph.D. students in good standing. This support may include stipend and qualifies students to pay the nominal in-state tuition while gaining valuable work experience under the supervision of board certified medical physicists.
Potential students are encouraged to correspond directly with faculty to obtain descriptive information on the profession of Medical Physics and the M.S. and Ph.D. programs.
After Graduation
Medical Physicists contribute in the subspecialty areas of Diagnostic Radiological Imaging, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine. Graduation from this program with the M.S. or Ph.D. degree qualifies the individual to join a Medical Physics Residency program or take up an entry level position in Medical Physics working with experienced individuals within medical facilities and with private medical physics groups across the United States. Currently, a significant number of openings exist nationally, with the majority of these being in the radiation oncology medical physics area. Position openings are advertised in a number of professional publications such as those of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) (www.aapm.org). The individual's marketability increases with experience and with professional certification. Professional Certification is offered through the American Board of Radiology (ABR) (www.theabr.org ), the same board providing professional certification of radiologists and radiation oncologists, and is recognized by the prestigious American Board of Medical Specialties (www.abms.org ).