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<title>[Training Tuesday] - Weekly thread for questions about grad school, residency, and general career topics 12/27/2022</title>
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<h1>[Training Tuesday] - Weekly thread for questions about grad school, residency, and general career topics 12/27/2022</h1>
<p><strong>Post Content:</strong> 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>
<p><strong>Examples:</strong></p>
<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>
<h3>Comment 1:</h3>
<p>Hello Community:</p>
<p>I would like to have an opinion and suggestion:</p>
<p>I recently completed my Ph.D. in Physics from a non-CAMPEP University in the United States. After graduation, I got a job in the semiconductor industry as an engineer and am currently working there. I am thinking of changing my career to a medical physicist, I researched and came to know about the CAMPEP certification program, and taking this certification with the Ph.D. in Physics degree makes me eligible to apply for the medical physics residency. I have a few questions about this path, which I would like to ask within the community.</p>
<ol>
<li>How difficult is it to get into residency after completing the certification course? Is there an evaluation/comparison between the candidate who directly came with Ph.D./Master in medical physics and with the one with certification plus Ph.D. in Physics?</li>
<li>How difficult is it to get a job after the completion of residency? (I would like to work in the hospitals as of my first choice)</li>
<li>Has anyone gone through this path (Ph.D. Physics+ CAMPEP certification)-> residency-> job?</li>
</ol>
<p>I am new to reddit and came to know about this subreddit. I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions about my plan.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<h4>Response 1:</h4>
<p>This entirely depends on the residency programs and what they value. For example, programs at university-affiliated clinics would value a PhD more. Some don't even accept Masters. With a PhD + certificate, it can make you stand out in a good way, and you will likely have a different perspective you can bring to a clinic.</p>
<h4>Response 2:</h4>
<p>From my perspective, this entirely depends on connections and/or the strength of the program, and of course, yourself. For general stats, see CAMPEP website. Accredited Residency programs have to release their placement stats, I believe.</p>
<h4>Response 3:</h4>
<p>I personally have not, but to the best of my knowledge, a few of my colleagues have gone that route. Each of them is outstanding.</p>
<p>I highly recommend AAPM task group 298, "Recommendations on certificate program/alternative pathway candidate education and training", <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36125203/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36125203/</a></p>
<h5>Response 3.1:</h5>
<p>Thank you for your valuable and insightful comment and the link to the article. I wondered if there is any way to get connected to some of your friends who choose this path and are doing great. I am happy that the community members are taking time to provide helpful thoughts. Thank you once again.</p>
<p>See private message</p>
<h3>Comment 2:</h3>
<p>Hello, welcome to our sub. I don't know any certificate physicists personally, but the data from CAMPEP re: residency chances seems favorable: <a href="https://www.campep.org/documents/2020%20Certificate%20Program%20Disclosure%20Data.pdf">https://www.campep.org/documents/2020%20Certificate%20Program%20Disclosure%20Data.pdf</a>.</p>
<p>Thank you for the information, this is very helpful.</p>
<h3>Comment 3:</h3>
<p>Medical Dosimetry Master's vs Bachelor's</p>
<p>Hello, I'm looking to become a dosimetrist. Some online programs are listed as Master's programs. If I already have a bachelor's in biochemistry, will I be eligible to attend this program? Also, is there a benefit to getting a Master's compared to a Bachelor's? Does it drastically improve my compensation?</p>
<p>[deleted]</p>
<p>It most certainly won't help if you don't go straight into residency from grad school, but there are some options that might be okay for in the meantime. If there are local physics assistant positions you can apply for, definitely do that.</p>
<p>See if you can get a remote job with one of the companies that deals with radiation oncology. I don't know if there are a lot of opportunities, but look at the big names career pages and start applying.</p>
<p>Would you be willing to do a residency if it were local? If so, that would be the best option.</p>
<p>As for residency next year, it will be a bit tougher, but good grades and good references will help get you an interview, and as long as you can explain what you did in your year off and it won't be a hindrance to your residency, then you should be fine.</p>
<h3>Comment 4:</h3>
<p>Currently an undergraduate at a US university and I go to a small liberal arts college. I'm interested in doing an REU and I'm interested in hearing someone else's experience. Do you think it could help with grad school admissions and preparing me for grad school? Thanks.</p>
<p>Yes, if you have the chance to get some research experience before grad school, then you should take it. Grad school is generally very research-focused, so undergrad experience will set you up with skills, and it will help you test if you enjoy the field/doing research. Additionally, research experience is very valuable when applying for graduate school as it is one of the key features that potential supervisors will look at.</p>
<h4>Response 4.1:</h4>
<p>Grad school is generally very research-focused.</p>
<p>In the past, that was true, but now I would argue that's heavily dependent on the program. Some definitely are, but others have a strong clinical focus. Some M.S. I've seen resumes for don't have a thesis at all.</p>
<h3>Comment 5:</h3>
<p>I'm curious if anyone has made or has heard of alternative career choices that still make use of medical physics education. I'm in a PhD program now and plan to finish, but I just don't see myself continuing to do research in academia/industry or doing the residency/clinical path anymore; I went straight from physics undergrad to med phys grad and probably wasn't the most aware of what was ahead and if it was for me.</p>
<p>What are some of the most surprising careers out there where people started out in medical physics? I'm looking to widen my perspective and consider all opportunities!</p>
<p>I went to summer school this year and met a lot of non-clinical people who worked for Varian, Sun Nuclear, etc., designing products and the next new detector.</p>
<p>Where did you go to summer school?</p>
<p>Dallas, Texas…for the small dosi workshop</p>
<h3>Comment 6:</h3>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>Long text ahead-</p>
<p>Didn't know if this should be here or in Gradadmissions, I am a medical physicist graduated from a developing (Latin American if it tells something) country. I have recently applied to do a Ph.D. in Medical physics at a University in Europe where I did my Msc thesis as an Internship. I recently had an online interview and they sent me an invitation to a campus visit/personal Interview with all costs covered at the end of January.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I also applied to many other jobs, clinical and regulatory. As unexpected as it sounds, one of the jobs contacted me to begin in January, the same month I should be getting an answer from this graduate program in Europe.</p>
<p>My first option is the Ph.D., as it would maybe have more impact regarding my career. Should I refuse this first contract and leave it to the chances of being accepted to the Ph.D. or try to delay the job in order to make a more informed decision? Have anyone here also been invited to a campus visit before being accepted? What would be my chances?</p>
<p>Thank you for reading me, hope you have great holidays.</p>
<h4>Response 6.1:</h4>
<p>Fellow Latin American here. If they are covering your costs to go over to Europe for an interview, and they know you…I think they are pretty serious about you.</p>
<p>I think in most Latin America, work culture dictates you better be grateful for being employed and you feel you could get fired for any minor thing. At least, this is how I felt. While it is true that opportunities like these are not common, there is a good chance that they are understanding of this situation and will give you time to think about it. After all, it is a big move.</p>
<p>I think it is reasonable if you ask for a couple of weeks from the job while you hear back from the PhD program. You can choose not to explain your current situation and just say that you need that time to make your decision.</p>
<p>As for your PhD, is it a scholarship? Or do you finance it yourself? Anyways, I think going through the PhD will bring better and great opportunities in the future. Or you can work and do PhD later. Up to you, but make sure you give yourself enough chances to know about each option. It is true that if you quit, you will be replaced. But jobs don't care about you that much, and you are the one responsible for your career and fulfillment in life.</p>
<h4>Response 6.2:</h4>
<p>I'm not sure what the employment culture is like in your home country, but is there any reason why you cannot accept the job offer, and then if you get accepted into the PhD program, leave your position to pursue the PhD?</p>
<p>Based on the timeline, even if you hear back from the PhD program at the end of January, it is not clear when you might start. If you start a month or two later, say in March or April, accepting the job would still allow you to work and make some money (buy food, pay rent...) before starting your PhD. Do you know when the program start date would be?</p>
<p>Alternatively, asking your potential employer to delay the start date by 2 weeks is also not unreasonable (again, based on where I live and work - work cultures vary, so I am not sure if this would be appropriate to your location).</p>
<p>I think people take different views on that sort of thing, but I have definitely accepted a job, moved across the country, and then about 1 month into my new job, gotten an internship offer in Europe to start 5 months later, which I accepted; so I wound up moving across the country for a job and then quitting 6 months after I started.</p>
<p>The program start date is not that clear, definitely within February. And yes, that is probably the best course of action. I think we are all replaceable for companies, and quitting my job in my first two months will probably have fewer negative effects for them than for me not having this option if I wouldn't be accepted into the PhD.</p>
<p>There is nothing that can deny a person to cancel a contract (maybe a penalty fee), being my first job I was concerned more on the ethical point of view.</p>
<h3>Comment 7:</h3>
<p>If it's not a secret, where in Europe have you applied?</p>
<p>Germany</p>
<p><strong>Original URL:</strong> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/zwe2jz/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/">https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/zwe2jz/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/</a></p>
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