Medical Physics Undergraduate Pipeline
What is the medical physics undergraduate pipeline?
The physics department has partnered with the college of medicine and life science to create a pathway towards a career as a clinical medical physicist. The pipeline allows students to learn more about a career in medical physics by allowing physics students to take graduate level medical physics classes. Up to 9 credit hours can count towards both undergraduate and graduate degrees. The earlier you come to talk to us, the more you can get from the pipeline. Typically, physics students take 2 graduate level physics classes during their senior year. A degree option called Physics with a concentration in medical physics has been created for the pipeline to allow you to show that you have taken medical physics classes.
Who should join this pipeline?
Physics majors, or physics minors from a science or engineering major, who are interested in becoming clinical medical physicists should reach out for more information. Being in the pipeline does not mean that you must go to graduate school for medical physics but it gives you the option to explore medical physics as a career before you decide. Should you decide to become a medical physicist, the pipeline gives you direct access to everything you need to start a career. The pipeline is run by Dr. Aniruddha Ray in the physics department and Dr. David Pearson in medical physics.
What is the pathway to becoming a medical physicist?
Clinical medical physicists, those that work in a hospital radiation therapy or radiology department, need to go through a structured graduate training program and take board exams. The first step is to be accepted into a CAMPEP-accredited graduate medical physics program like the one at UToledo in the college of medicine and life science. The graduate program consists of a 5-semester MSBS degree with hands-on clinical training. We also offer a CAMPEP-accredited PhD in Physics, through the college of natural science and mathematics. With either of these graduate degrees you can then apply to a CAMPEP-accredited residency training program, which UToledo also has. After residency it’s time to find a job. Our residency program has been around for more than a decade, and every resident has had a job lined up before they graduate. Right now, starting salaries for Midwest clinical medical physics jobs after residency are around $200,000.
How do I join the pipeline and take graduate medical physics classes?
First, you should reach out to us. If you are not currently a UToledo undergrad then you can reach out to undergrad admissions and tell them you’d like to be a physics major. Or you can reach out to us directly. The undergraduate advisor for the degree concentration is Dr. Aniruddha Ray. The medical physics graduate contact for the pipeline is Dr. David Pearson. In order to take graduate level classes you must be accepted into the graduate medical physics program. If you want to take classes with us in your senior year then you must apply in your junior year. The graduate school application cycle opens Aug. 1st and closes the following July, so you have plenty of time to apply but don’t leave it to the last minute as we need to make sure there is room in the class for you. Talk to us before you apply so we can identify you as a UToledo medical physics pipeline student.
Acceptance into the graduate medical physics program is not guaranteed and all applications are reviewed by a committee of medical physics faculty, chaired by the program director for graduate medical physics. You do not need to have any prior experience in medical physics, but you should show strong academic performance in your undergraduate physics courses. Once accepted, your pathway into the medical physics graduate program is conditional on your successful completion of the medical physics classes and the successful graduation with a degree in physics. Additionally, although you are conditionally accepted you are not committing to the graduate program – if you find medical physics is not right for you then you can take one or more graduate medical physics courses and then complete your undergrad physics degree and choose an alternative career path.
You can learn more about medical physics by watching these, and other videos on our YouTube channel. Also, check out our website to learn more about the Medical Physics education programs.