What is Health physics: Definition and 22 Discussions

Health physics, also referred to as the science of radiation protection, is the profession devoted to protecting people and their environment from potential radiation hazards, while making it possible to enjoy the beneficial uses of radiation. Health physicists normally require a four-year bachelor’s degree and qualifying experience that demonstrates a professional knowledge of the theory and application of radiation protection principles and closely related sciences. Health physicists principally work at facilities where radionuclides or other sources of ionizing radiation (such as X-ray generators) are used or produced; these include research, industry, education, medical facilities, nuclear power, military, environmental protection, enforcement of government regulations, and decontamination and decommissioning—the combination of education and experience for health physicists depends on the specific field in which the health physicist is engaged.

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  1. Zeynaz

    The safety of radioactivity in Medicine

    The question also considered 99m-Tc which has a 6h of half-life. And 99Tc has about 2.2E5 years. My argue was, “the half life of 99Tc is greater than the lifespan of a person. So ionization energy that is released has minimal effect to the person compared to Tc-99m which decays (and releases...
  2. J

    Accelerator radiation protection program

    Hi everyone, I have this question attached from the ABHP exam in part B you are asked to list and justify 4 major elements for accelerator radiation protection program for this specific facility, I have written some answers which are : 1) ALARA which includes : time distance shielding source...
  3. A

    Physics Comparing masters degree options for an aspiring RSO

    Hey everyone, At present, I'm trying to determine whether I should pursue a masters degree in health physics vs medical physics in pursuit of a career in radiation safety. From what I've seen in RSO job postings, requirements can vary rather widely depending on the institution, state...
  4. S

    Admissions Am I competitive enough for medical physics acceptance?

    I am heading into my senior year at the University of Michigan studying nuclear engineering with a focus on health physics. I would like to go to grad school to pursue a master in medical physics at a CAMPEP accredited school. My GPA is a tad low, so I am afraid that I won't even have a shot at...
  5. DatsRadBro

    Physics Health Physicist - Need just a B.Sc in Health Phys?

    Hi everyone, I am looking to work in a powerplant as a health physicist. I have been looking at requirements and they seem to be typically just a B.Sc in Health Phys + experience. Does anyone know if this is often what is needed? I am doing a dual hons in biology and physics and I want to...
  6. Utilite

    Health Physics Course: Freshmen Welcome!

    Should i take a health physics course as a freshmen? There are no prerequisites. Course Content Atomic and nuclear structure, radioactivity, interaction of radiation with matter, radiation detection and measurement, radiation dosimetry, biological effects of ionizing radiation, radiation...
  7. P

    What are Pritom Roy's research interests in Physics?

    Hey fellow members, This is Pritom Roy. I'm currently a B.Sc in Physics student in Khulna University Bangladesh. I've research interest in Renewable Energy and Health Physics. Thanks
  8. A

    Is the Online Masters in Radiation Health Physics at Oregon State University Worth It?

    I am thinking about enrolling in the online Radiation Health Physics Masters program at Oregon State University. Does anyone know of this program and whether it's credible or not?
  9. denjay

    Job Prospects for a fresh M.S. in Health Physics

    I've been looking at graduate programs for Health Physics because I realized that I might not want a PhD but also want to be employable with a Physics degree. Usually people want a Certified Health Physicist but to be able to take the exam for certification, you need at least 6 years experience...
  10. C

    Medical and Health Physics Graduate Programs

    I graduated in May with a BS in Physics and I am interested in going into either Medical or Health Physics. I'm still trying to decide which I'd rather go to school for, but I will probably apply to both types of programs in the meantime. Does anyone have advice about what the best graduate...
  11. F

    Medical Physics or Health Physics (professional)

    Hi everybody, am new to this forum. I recently graduated with a Bsc in Nuclear Medicine but with the job market being poor right now I am thinking about getting my masters in either medical or health physics. First is it a worth it to get your masters in either field? Second which one will be a...
  12. T

    Engineering Thinking of a degree in nuclear engineering or health physics

    what does health physics entail? I am interested in either nuclear engineering or Health physics but would like to get more detail on what it is that they actually do? Anybody know and want to help out?
  13. D

    What is Health Physics and How Does it Differ from Medical Physics?

    Hey All, I noticed that Mcmasters has a one year M.Sc in Health Physics. Has anyone had experience with this program? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this one-yea program compared to a regular 2-year MSc in medical physics. Thanks for your replies DM
  14. L

    Physics Masters in Health Physics and Job Prospects

    I'm an undergraduate biomedical physics major going into my senior year. I've been really interested in going the medical physics route, but was only interested in doing that for two years to get my master's rather than Ph.D. Now with all the CAMPEP accreditation and residency stuff, I've...
  15. O

    What Should I Know Before Majoring in Radiation Health Physics?

    Last shot at the college dream. I am considering changing my major to Radiation Health Physics. I was wondering if anyone had any information on this major such as difficulty level (so I can gauge how much of a time commitment I will need to put in, yeah I know kind of novice, but regardless I...
  16. M

    Physics Health physics or medical physics

    I'm looking into a career change to health physics or medical physics from analytical chemistry (in the pharmaceutical industry). For medical physics, I think I'm going to run into CAMPEP drama due to timing, so am leaning more towards health physics. For health physics, will I be limited to...
  17. A

    Health Physics: Reactor Poll

    Hello, I'm working on a final paper for a HP class (ugrad/grad) and could use some suggestions. The problem I'm working on is determining the depth of water in a spent fuel pool, above a full core offload, required to reduce the exposure leve to X mGy/hr from fission products and principal...
  18. X

    Medical Problem from Intro to Health Physics by Cember and Johnson

    Hello guys, can you please help me figure out how to solve this problem. Many thanks! A scanning He–Ne laser that scans at a rate of 10 s−1 emits 5 mW through an aperture of 0.7 cm. If the beam divergence is 5 milliradian, then, for an intrabeamviewing distance of 200 cm, calculate (a) the...
  19. U

    Health Physics Programs and Career

    Hey, I currently a rising senior in nuclear engineering at Georgia Tech, but I've recently been thinking about going more into a career in health physics. What are some good programs in health physics? Would grad school in nuclear be a better option than getting an HP degree? Any thoughts...
  20. E

    A2 Health Physics Eye question

    Hello everyone, Really struggling to answer a practice exam question on the eye, and was wandering if anyone could help, here's the question: "The unaided eye of a student has a power of 59.0D when viewing an object at infinity. When using her spectacle lens, the near point is 25cm from her...
  21. M

    Finding Health Physics Resources

    If anyone can help me with health physics resources(journals,books..),that would be great.
  22. L

    Health Physics: Seeking Personal Insight & Info

    Does anyone who read these forums work in the Health Physics fields? I got the urge recently to possibly pursue it and am looking for more information. I've done some rudimentary web searches and would appreciate some personal thoughts, whether they be from people directly in the profession or...
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