Question about Medical Physics in Canada

[hamsterpower7]

Hello, I was reading through some threads and found out about medical physics
Even though I researched on google I got confused because the process of becoming one is bit different from states and Canada ( I want to know for Canada)

So here are some questions
1) Do we call the profession Medical Physicists?

2) Is it same as radiation oncologists?

3)Is CAMRT certification related to this job? or is it for other college programs?

4)Can you get a job right after PhD?

Also I wanted to make sure about this too; to become one you go through undergrad on physics or related degree then you apply for your MSc/PhD right?

 

[Choppy]

1) Do we call the profession Medical Physicists?

The profession is "medical physics" and the professionals and "medical physicists."

2) Is it same as radiation oncologists?

A radiation oncologist is a medical doctor, who assesses cancer patients and prescribes radiation treatments. After they complete medical school they go through a ~ 5 year residency program to learn how to treat cancer with radiation. Many will also complete a fellowship after this before establishing a full-time, permanent practice.

3)Is CAMRT certification related to this job? or is it for other college programs?

CAMRT is the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. This is the professional organisation that credentials radiation therapists and other technologist-professionals such as MRI technologists in Canada. Medical physicists may assist this organisation in advisory or assisting roles, but professionally they have no official offiliation with CAMRT.

Canadian medical physicists are certified through membership with the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine. Certification with the American Board of Radiology is also generally accepted at par. The national professional body in Canada is the Canadian Organisation of Medical Physicists.

4)Can you get a job right after PhD?

After the PhD you generally do a residency for roughly 2 years. This is a paid position where you generally make more money than a typical post-doc, so yes you can get a 'job' but generally you would be considered a physics resident and not yet a medical physicist. After 2 years of clinical experience (and soon that will also include having gone through a CAMPEP-accredited program) you are eligible to write the exam for membership with the college.

Also I wanted to make sure about this too; to become one you go through undergrad on physics or related degree then you apply for your MSc/PhD right?

That's correct.

 

[Schr0d1ng3r]

Also I wanted to make sure about this too; to become one you go through undergrad on physics or related degree then you apply for your MSc/PhD right?

Off the top of my head, some other undergrad programs of interest would be MedRad, MedPhys, BiomedEng, EngPhys.