Physics internship for summer 2011

[missmary14]

Hi,

I am about to begin my second year at university studying a four year course in Medical Physics MSci at a good University in London.
I am looking for a summer internship for next year and am finding it difficult to find suitable placements. I only managed to get a 2:2 in my first year and know I will do a lot better then this in future years, it just took me a while to get into the studying mindset. But it doesn't look good on paper and don't want to wait until next years results come out before I start looking for an internship.

Experience in the field is very important because getting a degree is sadly rarely good enough to get a good job after graduation but I don't know where to begin looking. Are there any websites that advertise medical physics or straight physics internships?

I would prefer not to have a placement at my University or any other Univeristies as I would like to see what it is like to work in a different setting such as a hospital or a major research lab. I don't mind where in the world it is based but I know that England will be the easiest option as internships in the USA and other countries are usually aimed at citizens.

I am not too fussed about whether it is paid or not as I think that the experience that I could potentially gain from it will be invaluable in the long term.

Any advice at all to do with physics internships or suggestions of companies that you know take on interns would be gratefully recieved.

Thank you,

Mary

 

[Choppy]

I'm not sure I understand the UK educational system very well. In north america, graduate students in medical physics don't generally do internships, which might be a part of the reason why you're having difficulty finding anything.

In general, for a north american student working on a master's degree, I would suggest focusing on your thesis-project and if the opportunity exists, getting some experience doing QA work at the hospital your program is associated with.

That being said, your best bet is likely to start contacting medical physics departments in areas accessible to you - and ask if they have student internships or would be willing to take on a student in such a context. You may want to start by talking to other students in your program who have had successful internships. If possible, attend any seminars they give outlining their projects. Another option for networking is conferences - ESTRO is being held in Barcelona in a few weeks, not sure how accessible that might be for you.

 

[cristo]

In general, for a north american student working on a master's degree, I would suggest focusing on your thesis-project...

Just to clear things up: an MSci in the UK is an undergraduate degree. It is four years long as opposed to a BSc which is three years, and so has an extra "masters" year tagged onto the end (which is likely when the dissertation takes place). The MSc is the straight masters degree which takes one year.

 

[Ryker]

I'm not sure I understand the UK educational system very well. In north america, graduate students in medical physics don't generally do internships, which might be a part of the reason why you're having difficulty finding anything.

In general, for a north american student working on a master's degree, I would suggest focusing on your thesis-project and if the opportunity exists, getting some experience doing QA work at the hospital your program is associated with.

I don't think missmary14 is a graduate student, though, because the MSci is an undergraduate degree. It's basically (and usually) four years of (undergraduate) study instead of three, which are needed to get the BSc degree.

edit: Damn, I had the reply window open for too long, it seems

 

[missmary14]

Hi
Yes, sorry for the confusion. I am doing an undergraduate masters degree. It is a four year course and I have just completed the first year of it.

Thank you for the advice so far it is really helpful!

x

 

[Carola]

MissMary, if you're still looking, see http://www2.westminster-mo.edu/breakout/CrouseExperience.asp - someone's report on a Med Phys internship he enjoyed.

 

[missmary14]

Carola,
Thank you for that link, it was really interesting. It is exactly the sort of work experience I would like to do. From the research I have done, it seems that Medical Physics internships in hospitals are much more easy to come across in the USA. I have struggled to find any hospital (private or NHS) willing to even consider me for an internship in the UK. Most say that they don't offer them due to health and safety/patient anonymity/paper work.
I have even looked into applying for summer internships in America but all of them seem to be open to only American citizens.

 

[DavidARoffman]

Hello all,
I'm a senior majoring in space physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. I have been a speaker at the Mars Society Convention in 2010, I've done original research on problems associated with measuring atmospheric pressure on Mars (see http://davidaroffman.com/catalog_1.html) and my resume is at http://davidaroffman.com/rich_text_8.html. Alas, it seems like in this dismal market, my many applications for an internship this summer have gone nowhere. However, if anyone out there needs some serious help this summer for significant research, please contact me. I'm off until August 29th.

David A Roffman