Certificate Program in Medical Physics - Advice for a Bioengineer

[paulroyal]

Hey guys

I am an engineer with a doctorate in bioengineering.
I studied and worked with some medical physicists and became interested in the field.

But I have a problem, I don't have a degree accredited by CAMPEP.
I believe the best path would be to attend a certificate program accredited by CAMPEP.
These programs usually last one year and 18 credits must be completed.

An important piece of information is that I will need to work during the certificate program.
I would like you to give me advice on this topic.

Has anyone already taken the certificate program or do they know the workload and dedication time required?
Do you think it is possible to work and study the certificate program?
Another point, based on the above, can anyone recommend an accredited program?

Thanks a lot

 

[Choppy]

A certificate program could be an option for you. Note that there is minimum level of physics courses that applicants generally need to satisfy, and BME can vary in program content, so make sure you read the fine print to make sure you have the necessary coursework background before applying. They are incredibly competitive to get into, but at the end of an academic year, they put you in a position where you're competitive for residencies.

Certificate courses do come with a full-time course load. On top of that you should also expect to participate in a journal club, radiation oncology and/or medical physics rounds, and many certificate students will get involved in some kind of short term research project.

Many programs have paid QA positions available for certificate students. So the student will perform regular linac QA, make patient-specific fluence verification measurements, help with commissioning new equipment or procedures, that kind of thing.

The other option is an MSc. It's longer, typically taking 2 years, but the funding support is stronger, with a guarantee of a minimum level (in Canadian medical physics programs. MSc-level financial support varies in the US). And you have the advantage of coming out the other end with a thesis project that usually results in a medical physics-specific publication. Though also competitive, they are likely to be less competitive than the certificate programs.

 

[paulroyal]

A certificate program could be an option for you. Note that there is minimum level of physics courses that applicants generally need to satisfy, and BME can vary in program content, so make sure you read the fine print to make sure you have the necessary coursework background before applying. They are incredibly competitive to get into, but at the end of an academic year, they put you in a position where you're competitive for residencies.

Certificate courses do come with a full-time course load. On top of that you should also expect to participate in a journal club, radiation oncology and/or medical physics rounds, and many certificate students will get involved in some kind of short term research project.

Many programs have paid QA positions available for certificate students. So the student will perform regular linac QA, make patient-specific fluence verification measurements, help with commissioning new equipment or procedures, that kind of thing.

The other option is an MSc. It's longer, typically taking 2 years, but the funding support is stronger, with a guarantee of a minimum level (in Canadian medical physics programs. MSc-level financial support varies in the US). And you have the advantage of coming out the other end with a thesis project that usually results in a medical physics-specific publication. Though also competitive, they are likely to be less competitive than the certificate programs.

Dear Choppy,

Apologies for the delay. Thank you very much for answering my questions but I still have some.

So classes in the certificate program are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm?
Or are there days for classes and the student must complete the rest of the course load studying the content?

Maybe it will be hard for me. Let me figure it out.

Thanks again

 

[Choppy]

So classes in the certificate program are from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm?
Or are there days for classes and the student must complete the rest of the course load studying the content?

In my experience most classes are taught during clinical hours on weekdays, although labs and QA work need to be done outside of clinical hours because the machines are busy treating patients during the day. So I would anticipate some late nights. A program may also have a clinical rotation cycle, which would likely be during the department's clinical hours for the most part, but not necessarily. A lot can depend on the availability of the faculty members as well. In most programs the majority of instructors are adjunct professors, meaning that they have full time clinical responsibilities and academics are worked in around those.