Medical Physics Residency Program

Program Director: Ning J. Yue, Ph.D.

Program Goal and Objectives

The Radiation Oncology Medical Physics Residency Program at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is designed for CAMPEP accredited medical physics graduates or individuals with an M.S. or Ph.D. (D.Sc.) degree in Physics or Physics related scientific disciplines (e.g., engineering) who seek training in clinical radiation oncology physics in preparation for a clinically-oriented career.

The Program's objective is to provide clinical training in radiation oncology physics that will prepare the graduate for the American Board of Radiology certification and a professional career in radiation oncology.

This Residency Program training involves full participation of the physics resident in the clinical routine, under the supervision of experienced radiation oncology physicists. Comprehensive training and experience is provided in the areas of dosimetry, treatment planning, treatment aid design and fabrication, brachytherapy, radiation safety, radiation machine calibration, imaging, special procedures, and quality assurance.

Successful completion of this Program will prepare the graduate for certification in the specialty of Therapeutic Radiological Physics by the American Board of Radiology. Graduates of the Program will have received sufficient clinical training that should prepare them for work as a radiation oncology physicist.

Clinical Rotations and Didactic Courses

The program consists of 8 clinical rotations:

Basic External Beam Therapy Treatment Simulation, Planning and Delivery.
External Beam Therapy Equipment Operation, Dosimeters, Detectors, and Quality Assurance.
Basic Brachytherapy Treatment Simulation, Planning and Delivery; Source Handling, Equipment Operation and Quality Assurance.
Radiation Room Design, Shielding Calculation, Radiation Safety, Imaging Devices and Diagnostic Imaging Modalities, Record and Verification Computer Systems, and Patient Specific Dose Measurement.
Advanced External Beam and Brachytherapy Treatment Simulation, Planning, Implementation and Quality Assurance (e.g., IMRT).
Principles and Procedures of Machine Installation, Acceptance Test, Data Collection and Treatment Planning System Commissioning and Testing.
Special Clinical Procedures and The Program Setups.
Designated or Elective Rotation.

Didactic Courses include:

Basic Radiation Physics.
Radition Therapy Physics.
Radiation Biology.
Radiation Oncology lectures, grand round, chart round, new patient conference, etc.

Position and Application

There are two positions in the program. Both positions are currently filled.

The normal starting day for a new medical physics resident is July 1. The application process for the enrollment in the program normally starts after Jan 1. The deadline is normally April 31.

The Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Program candidates must have completed their Ph.D. or M.S. degree in physics, medical physics, or a closely related discipline before acceptance into the program. The applicant's undergraduate and graduate education should demonstrate knowledge acquired in fundamental physics, advanced mathematics, advanced atomic and nuclear physics, electronics, computers, and engineering.

Candidates will be selected for an on-campus interview after their CVs and credentials are carefully reviewed by the program director. Selected candidates are invited for interview at their own expense.

The application form can be accessed from Medical Physics Residency Application Form.

Requirements for successful program completion

In principle, the Medical Physics Residency Program is 24 months in length, and is clinically oriented. Research activities and academic remediation for non-CAMPEP graduates can be conducted under the prerequisites that the normal clinical training is not compromised. If the required clinical training cannot be completed within 24 months due to special circumstances, the training can be extended until the required training is complete. However, the total program time cannot exceed 36 months.

More Information About Medical Physicist

More information about “The Medical Physicist” and “The Roles, Responsibilities, and Status of the Clinical Medical Physicist” is available at http://www.aapm.org/publicgeneral/default.asp

Essentials and Guidelines for Medical Physics Residency Training Programs, published by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, is available here.