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Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Residency and Fellowship (Minnesota)

Program description

Medical physicists collaborate with radiation oncologists to treat and cure cancer through clinical activities, research and education.

As stated by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), "The essential responsibility of the Qualified Medical Physicist's clinical practice is to assure the safe and effective delivery of radiation to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic result as prescribed in patient care. The medical physicist performs or supervises the pertinent procedures necessary to achieve this objective." Read more...

Among other things Radiation Oncology Physics (Therapeutic Radiologic Physics) includes:

  • The therapeutic applications of x-rays, gamma rays, electron and charged particle beams, neutrons and radiations from sealed radionuclide sources
  • The equipment associated with their production, use, measurement and evaluation
  • The quality of images resulting from their production and use
  • Medical health physics associated with this subfield

The AAPM regards board certification in the appropriate medical subfield as the appropriate qualification for the designation of Qualified Medical Physicist. The certifying body for medical physicists in this discipline is the American Board of Radiology (ABR).

Beginning in 2014, any individual who wishes to sit for board certification in any medical physics sub-field must have graduated from a clinical training program (residency) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP).

The three-year Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Residency and Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester is designed for candidates with doctoral degrees (usually in medical physics, physics or a related physical science) who are interested in careers in Radiation Oncology medical physics. Our program is one of the first clinical residency programs to be accredited by CAMPEP (2003).

This program focuses on the medical application of physics in the clinical treatment of patients with radiation through:

  • Clinical education in all aspects of medical physics practice
  • Any necessary didactic medical physics education required
  • Research training in projects related to clinical medical physics

Key benefits and highlights

All training is provided under the close supervision of experienced radiation oncology physicists. Your training will:

  • Follow Mayo Clinic's CAMPEP-accredited Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Training program (Our program subscribes to and covers all material in AAPM report 90: Essentials and Guidelines for Hospital-Based Medical Physics Residency Training Programs),
  • Occur in a large, state-of-the-art radiation oncology center,
  • Provide hands-on and evaluated experience in all clinical aspects of radiation oncology physics,
  • Ensure you are able to practice independently by the time you complete the program,
  • Offer research training and experience through mentored projects that culminate in the development of clinical protocols, conference presentations and peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Employment opportunities

Nationwide, there continues to be a strong need for medical physicists. Individuals graduating from this program have successfully found employment opportunities, often in junior faculty and/or clinical positions at prominent institutions around the country.

Certification

You will be eligible to enter the board certification process upon matriculating into our fellowship and you will be qualified to sit for the complete examination series offered by the American Board of Radiology upon completion of the fellowship.

Accreditation

This training program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).

Program history

The Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Fellowship began in 1997. The program has grown in size over the years, and currently 3-4 fellows are enrolled in this program annually.

Also see:

  • Sep 20, 2012
  • ART467097