Schools Medical Physics at University Of Rhode Island

[Hassan]

Does anyone has some information about Graduate Medical Physics at University of Rhode Island?

 

[Vanadium 50]

http://web.uri.edu/physics/medical-physics/

 

[Choppy]

I don't have any personal experience with them.

As a medical physicist I can give you some good questions to ask though in helping you to come to your own conclusion. Some might be answered by digging deeper on the web-page. Some you might have to look a little more deeply into.

• What research are graduate students doing?
  I strongly feel that MSc programs in medical physics should have a strong research component to them in addition to the CAMPEP didactic coursework. The technology in this field changes rapidly and a big part of a what a medical physicist does is systematically bringing new technologies into the clinic - including initial assessment, commissioning, program integration and procedure development. And sometimes if the technology for the specific problem we need to solve doesn't exist, we have to build it. Developing strong research skills allow us to tackle the "unknowns" make us valuable as professionals. So look at kind of projects are the graduate students working on. Look for their publications and conference abstracts.
• Are there opportunities for grad students to perform QA work? It's not unreasonable for expect a part-time QA position that offsets a big chunk of your program costs and/or living expenses. These are rarely "guaranteed" though because the employers are often different from the academic institutions running the program.
• Where are their graduates ending up?
  Statistics on Rhode Island's recent graduates are posted here. Of the 6 MSc graduates since 2015, it looks like 1 has gone on to a residency, 3 went into other PhD programs, 1 went to medical school and 1 has gone on to "other." It's hard to really draw any solid conclusions about the program quality with such small numbers, but that's not unreasonable for a smaller MSc program. According to CAMPEP statistics on accredited programs in general, about a quarter of MSc grads seem to be getting residencies and another quarter are starting in junior physicist positions.
• How much time do the instructors have for students?
  Often graduate programs are taught by medical physicists who are also responsible for keeping a clinic running. While this gives students the advantage of being taught by people who are working in the field, it can sometimes generate conflicts on the professors' time.
• What do current students and recent graduates have to say about the program?

 

[Hassan]

Thanks Choppy
I have checked up the Curriculum of university of Rhode Island and I found that they have 2 research courses and 2 clinical practuim for both Image Physics and Radiation Oncology Physics. Do you think that mean the Program will be perfect

 

[Choppy]

You have to decide whether it's a perfect (or at least sufficient) fit for you. There's no such thing as a perfect program for everyone. The fact that it's CAMPEP accredited means that an independent body has assessed the program and determine that it covers sufficient material for students wanting to get into the profession. If you're really serious about applying to their program, talk to them and find out details.