- #1
Nawksi
- 2
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Medical Physicist "resident" from Australia
Hi everybody,
I'm looking for advice with regards to moving to North America, particularly Canada, and becoming a medical physicist. I am Canadian, born and raised. I earned my B.Sc. in Canada (McMaster's non-CAMPEP radiation physics program), but earned an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Australia in medical physics. Obviously, neither my M.Sc. or Ph.D. were earned from CAMPEP approved programs.
In Australia, the clinical residency (or "registrar" in Australian-ese) program is around 4-5 years. This sounds like a long time, but I'm always surprised when I hear that the Canadian and American program for radiation oncology physicists is only 2 years! I've been a resident for ~4 years, and am ~12 months from completing my residency.
I was hoping to move back home to Canada, and may return before I finish my clinical training in Australia. After all, if the Aussie qualification is non-transferrable between countries, there's little benefit of being qualified in Australia. My contract ends soon anyway, which is my way out.
My primary concern with my "Canada plan" is my education. I'm afraid of being asked to repeat my M.Sc. or/and Ph.D. because my program isn't CAMPEP approved. Personally, I think it would be silly to immediately exclude or discredit a degree earned outside of North America, or that it means that you cannot fulfil the role of a medical physicist. I strongly believe that the education I received in Australia was excellent, and that my 4 years of clinical experience would make me an immediate asset and contributor to any clinic that requires a physicist. Unfortunately, I don't know how my education and work experience will be "viewed", or valued, by Canadian or US centres.
Can anybody give me their opinion on this, or perhaps some personal insight if you're a clinical physicist? I have looked at the COMP, CCPM, and AAPM websites, but it's not the same as hearing it from a real person. ;) I would hate to discover that due to my curious and adventurous side, I'm going to be professionally and personally handcuffed, barred from working in my country. :(Cheers,
Nawksi
Hi everybody,
I'm looking for advice with regards to moving to North America, particularly Canada, and becoming a medical physicist. I am Canadian, born and raised. I earned my B.Sc. in Canada (McMaster's non-CAMPEP radiation physics program), but earned an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Australia in medical physics. Obviously, neither my M.Sc. or Ph.D. were earned from CAMPEP approved programs.
In Australia, the clinical residency (or "registrar" in Australian-ese) program is around 4-5 years. This sounds like a long time, but I'm always surprised when I hear that the Canadian and American program for radiation oncology physicists is only 2 years! I've been a resident for ~4 years, and am ~12 months from completing my residency.
I was hoping to move back home to Canada, and may return before I finish my clinical training in Australia. After all, if the Aussie qualification is non-transferrable between countries, there's little benefit of being qualified in Australia. My contract ends soon anyway, which is my way out.
My primary concern with my "Canada plan" is my education. I'm afraid of being asked to repeat my M.Sc. or/and Ph.D. because my program isn't CAMPEP approved. Personally, I think it would be silly to immediately exclude or discredit a degree earned outside of North America, or that it means that you cannot fulfil the role of a medical physicist. I strongly believe that the education I received in Australia was excellent, and that my 4 years of clinical experience would make me an immediate asset and contributor to any clinic that requires a physicist. Unfortunately, I don't know how my education and work experience will be "viewed", or valued, by Canadian or US centres.
Can anybody give me their opinion on this, or perhaps some personal insight if you're a clinical physicist? I have looked at the COMP, CCPM, and AAPM websites, but it's not the same as hearing it from a real person. ;) I would hate to discover that due to my curious and adventurous side, I'm going to be professionally and personally handcuffed, barred from working in my country. :(Cheers,
Nawksi
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