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2022-02-01_12-00-19_shtbpk_cg.html
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<html>
<head>
<title>[Training Tuesday] - Weekly thread for questions about grad school, residency, and general career topics 02/01/2022</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>[Training Tuesday] - Weekly thread for questions about grad school, residency, and general career topics 02/01/2022</h1>
<p>This is the place to ask questions about graduate school, training programs, or general basic career topics. If you are just learning about the field and want to know if it is something you should explore, this thread is probably the correct place for those first few questions on your mind.</p>
<h2>Examples:</h2>
<ul>
<li>"I majored in Surf Science and Technology in undergrad, is Medical Physics right for me?"</li>
<li>"I can't decide between Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics..."</li>
<li>"Do Medical Physicists get free CT scans for life?"</li>
<li>"Masters vs. PhD"</li>
<li>"How do I prepare for Residency interviews?"</li>
</ul>
<h2>Comments:</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p>Comment 1: My question is why would anyone want to get into med phys nowadays? You pretty much need to get a PhD, 'cuz ya need that to get into most residencies, and ya need a residency in order to get ABR. So, what are we looking at? 4 years undergrad, another 4-5+ for a PhD, and then a 3 yr residency? Why?? Why not be a doctor or lawyer or whatever? I know med school would be more $$$, but you'll also make a lot more. I'm genuinely curious why the new folks are entering this field. Heck, if you love rad onc that much, just become a rad onc doc.</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: Easier to get into? Personally, I think the work environment it better with my personality, and I am good at physics and math. despite all years of undergrad and PhD</li>
<li>Response 2: That makes sense. I know it must be appealing to some, but I would suggest that they *really* like the sorts of things medical physicists do. The things we *really* do, not the stuff you'd read in a brochure.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 2: I’m a first year master student, can anyone share information about the opportunities for MSc student get residency in the state, please? I want to be a clinical medical physicist, but my research is not medical physics related. I’m doing video signal analyzing instead of imaging.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 3: Hi, I was just accepted to VCU’s MSc program in medical physics. Can anyone shed some light on their experience in this program, along with their search for a residency position after graduation?</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: I was also recently accepted to VCU. Were you ever able to find information from someone with personal experience at the school?</li>
<li>Response 2: Congratulations! Unfortunately I was not able to. Have you?</li>
<li>Response 3: Nope, please keep me updated if you do and I will do the same!</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 4: I got accepted into both biomedical engineering and Medical Physics graduate programs, and now I'm unsure what to take. If anyone here made that choice, what was your reasoning?</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: I would do engineering. I honestly would not recommend medical physics to anyone nowadays. I went on and on about it in another thread, but I don't think it's "real" physics work. Not that it's bad work, but if you want to do physics, this ain't it. I can only assume most people are getting into it for the fat paychecks. Medphysicists make a LOT more than your typical "regular" physicist or physics professor.</li>
<li>Response 2: Can you link the thread here? I'd like to read what you posted</li>
<li>Response 3: Sure, here it is: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/skifk1/most_medical_physicists_are_glorified_technicians/">https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/skifk1/most_medical_physicists_are_glorified_technicians/</a></li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 5: I apologize in advance because I let some of my personal biases get into the discussion. I think I actually have two main issues. One is the feeling that most of the clinical work we do is repetitive, technician-like tasks. People have pointed out that there are other things to do, like implement new gadgets, streamline processes, etc, but to me, this is still not physics. The other is that I've become fed up with my current employers. So, feel free to take it all with a grain of salt; it's just my 2 cents.</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: Definitely an interesting read because I did have the same worry - about clinical working turning into a mundane routine.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 6: Would you happen to know if this holds for clinical engineering via biomedical engineering?</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: No prob! I don't know much about those two fields, so hard to say. To be fair, I'm sure a lot of jobs can turn routine and mundane, especially after doing them for a while. It's just that, I'd like to think I'm a fairly smart dude, and also creative, and it just feels like I'm wasting that sometimes. However, then I take a cruise through Indeed.com looking at job listings that I think would interesting, and it's a sobering experience, to say the least. The pay is just pathetic, yet the demands for experience and qualifications are high.</li>
<li>Response 2: The research domain for both can overlap as much as you’d want it to, so I don’t see that as a deciding factor. In my mind, you should decide based on your desire for clinical duties. If you want to do clinical work: medical physics. If you’d rather work in industry: biomedical engineering.</li>
<li>Response 3: Would it be possible to elaborate more on the clinical duties that a medical physicist would work on? Also, I've heard that clinical engineering is a possible career path for Biomedical Engineers (?)</li>
<li>Response 4: Sure, I can address the medical physics clinical duties, but I don’t feel qualified to touch upon clinical engineering. Apologies.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 7: Anyways, there are two main career paths for medical physicists: radiation therapy and imaging. Those who specialize in radiation therapy (the majority of physicists) work in radiation oncology centers conducting quality assurance, treatment planning, administering unsealed sources, acting as a project manager for new hardware installation, conducting research and partaking in some clinical procedures (brachytherapy, inter-operative radiotherapy). At some centers the clinical medical physicist also has direct patient consults during the work-up to their treatment delivery. Imaging physicists are concerned with the quality assurance of imaging systems (mri, CT, nuclear medicine, etc.). They also have some overlap in responsibilities as a therapy physicist: new hardware oversight, handling of radioactive sources, ensuring regulations are met, etc.</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: Thank you for your answer, Radiation therapy sounds really interesting. Though, I want to become an imaging physicist in the near future.</li>
<li>Response 2: So, interaction with the patients is probably limited to only the radiologists and oncologists? Just so that I've understood this correctly, We'd be clinical scientists that assist with the operations?</li>
<li>Response 3: [deleted]</li>
<li>Response 4: Thank you so much for your response, You've explained it really well. It makes it easier for me to decide which medical physics track I should consider.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 8: Was just accepted to VCU. How is their masters program? My goal is to get a residency afterwards. Anyone have a personal experience with the school?</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: I was also recently accepted to VCU. Were you ever able to find information from someone with personal experience at the school?</li>
<li>Response 2: Congratulations! Unfortunately I was not able to. Have you?</li>
<li>Response 3: Nope, please keep me updated if you do and I will do the same!</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 9: I often see a set of acronyms following medical physicists' names on websites, usually a mixture of FCCPM, MCCPM, DABMP, DABR, FAAPM, FCOMP. I assume that they are related to completing certifying exams by ABR and CCPM. What are the others, and what is the difference between two such as FCCPM and MCCPM?</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: The more letters, the more BS =)</li>
<li>Response 2: CCPM Canadian college if physicists in medicine. Fxxxx is Fellow of the organization, it is like an honorable title that he received for some substantial achievement. MCCPM probably Member of CCPM. DABR - diplomate (certified) of American board of radiology. DABMP - diplomate of American Board of medical physics (kinda older type of certification, not available for new therapy physicists, still giving some exams for diagnostic types, but not sure). ABR exams in US, CCPM in Canada. Acknowledged reciprocally by both countries.</li>
<li>Response 3: I've devoted my career to collecting as many letters after my name as possible. More letters = better physics</li>
<li>Response 4: In all seriousness, I don't typically put anything after my name. My colleagues will add all their DABR, MS or PhD etc. but it just feels weird to me unless I'm signing something regarding our HDR or accrediting documentation where those credentials are required.</li>
<li>Response 5: Same. I don't have many letters, just PhD and DABR. Almost never use them and not insist to call me Dr. unless in some accreditation documents.</li>
<li>Response 6: Thank you!</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<p>Comment 10: GPA: 3.3 TOEFL: 110 BSc 3 Years Physics from Calcutta University QS 800-1000 Graduated 2021 BSc Data Science from IIT Madras QS 255 Just completed first sem. Projects: 3D Brain MRI image segmentation, XRay classification. Extra: Founded a Company Applied: Duke, Purdue, Georgetown, Hofstra Please can someone tell me where else can I apply?</p>
<ol>
<li>Response 1: Do you have all the physics pre-req courses to get accepted? Also, have you taken the GRE? a lot of schools have that as a requirement as well. Here's a list of all CAMPEP accredited Grad Schools you can apply to, if they are accepting. <a href="http://campep.org/campeplstgrad.asp">http://campep.org/campeplstgrad.asp</a></li>
<li>Response 2: Not the person you were responding to, but could you give me a list of the required pre-reqs? I can’t find anything on the campep website. Hopefully I’m on track to take just about all of them already, I’m currently in my undergrad as a physics/astrophysics major</li>
<li>Response 3: A short run down will be Mathematical Methods, QM, Particle, Classical Mechanics, EMT</li>
<li>Response 4: Hi, that goes from program to program, you'd have to go on their website and look at the requirements. But mostly, GRE and higher level physics courses (you should be fine) are all required. Some places require Chem, some don't, some ask for higher GPAs and some lower, really have to go into programs you want to apply and see it</li>
<li>Response 5: I see, thanks so much!</li>
<li>Response 6: I haven’t written GRE yet. However, my course was very theoretical so, I have pre req in all the programs but minor was Electronics & Computer Science. So no Biology/Chemistry courses unfortunately.</li>
<li>Response 7: Ok, yeah you need GRE for American universities, won't be able to get into one without taken that exam. Maybe there's a few that don't require, but I'm not sure. If you have all the physics courses that's ok, chemistry and biology are recommended but not required. But you might wanna have those as they are very important.</li>
<li>Response 8: I looked at Purdue as an example and they require GRE, so without it you are just wasting your money. Make sure to take it ASAP. EDIT: Purdue also requires 1 year of Chemistry courses, so I wouldn't think that they will consider you for their program. Really look through the admission requirements for each school</li>
<li>Response 9: GRE is waived at most unis except some state unis. In Purdue’s case Program Director Dr. Stantz waived it for me. I asked him last year around June. He remembered somehow. Coming back to the Course requirements all of the programs were flexible to me stating that I’ve taken enough physics courses to apply. By far the biggest roadblock for me has been the 4 year undergrad requirement. I am mostly inclined to Non thesis plan of study in Imaging/Clinical.</li>
<li>Response 10: That's good news then! There are some programs that are non-theses (mine is one), so look up the list and see the ones you like.</li>
<li>Response 11: I’m so stressed. Haven’t received any admit yet, though applied pretty late. Jan 13. I’ve tried attending some of the open houses. Let’s see. Hoping for the best.</li>
<li>Response 12: Is your question what places are still taking applications, or what are good schools in general? Most application deadlines have passed for this cycle I believe.</li>
<li>Response 13: Kinda union of both honestly.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Original URL: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/shtbpk/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/">https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/shtbpk/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/</a></p>
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