Physics sophomore trying to transfer. medical physics in mind after graduation

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on a physics major considering transferring to one of four universities: University of Wisconsin - Madison, University of Illinois at Chicago, Indiana University Bloomington, and Purdue University, with a focus on pursuing a career in medical physics. Key considerations include the availability of undergraduate research opportunities and the presence of introductory courses in medical physics. Madison, Bloomington, and Purdue are noted for their strong undergraduate research programs and introductory courses, while Illinois, despite lacking an introductory course, is recognized for its affiliations with major medical schools and cancer centers. Purdue's medical physics graduate program is not CAMPEP-accredited, whereas Madison's is, which is a significant factor for future graduate studies. The discussion emphasizes the importance of a solid physics foundation and personal enjoyment of the program over merely aiming for graduate school admission. Ultimately, the consensus leans towards choosing between Madison and Purdue for their strong undergraduate offerings in medical physics.
Raioneru
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Hello,
I'm a physics Major, and I want to transfer to another school.

I have 4 choices:

University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of illinois at Chicago
Indiana University Bloomington
Purdue university

here is what I would consider:
I'm a physics student but what's more important to me, is Medical physics. I want to go graduate school and obtain that degree.

Madison, bloomington, and Purdue, offer great undergrad research (true?) and they also offer: Introduction in medical physics as a course.

Illinois doesn't offer Introduction to medical Physics but it's the biggest medical schools, and they have affiliation with cancer centers etc...
also Chicago is a big big city and beside the crimes(...) it has a lot to offer.

Purdue and Madison both have Medical physics graduate programs but purdue's is not Campep-accredited, Madison is.
also chicago is the home University of chicago which offers also the Msc in MedPhys

so as you can see there are so many variables that I really don't know what to think, so I'm asking for people advices on this
thanks in advance
 
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I would caution against mixing up graduate and undergraduate programs. Just because you complete an undergraduate degree at a particular school doesn't necessarily translate into any advantage to getting into that school's graduate program.

That being said, doing your undergrad at a school with a medical physics program naturally has some advantages in that you could get involved with a medical physics research-project, attend medical physics talks, and get to know professors in that field. The important things for undergraduate work are that you get a strong physics foundation, you do well in your classes, and that you enjoy the program (people who enjoy what they do tend to be a lot more successful than those just slogging through).
 
ok so if I put aside the graduate perspective, the best solutions would be to choose between Madison and Purdue then?
 

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