What is Health Physics and How Does it Differ from Medical Physics?

[doublemint]

Hey All,

I noticed that Mcmasters has a one year M.Sc in Health Physics. Has anyone had experience with this program? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this one-yea program compared to a regular 2-year MSc in medical physics.

Thanks for your replies
DM

 

[Choppy]

Do you mean McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario?

It offers an MSc program in health and radiation physics, but I've never heard that it's a one-year program. This makes me suspicious either of your source or of the program, since in Canada, MSc programs are typically at least two years long (1 year of courses + ~ 1 year research project).

Although I did my undergraduate degree there, I know very little about the graduate program. I personally knew several people who went through the undergraduate medical physics program (I was in the astrophysics program) who are now practicing medical physicists - but we went through in the mid-90s when that program was still a part of the physics department - I'm not sure that it still is.

If you're interested in working in clinical medical physics, as far as I know, this is not an accredited program and that may cause you some grief later on down the road. I could be mistaken but graduates from McMaster's program tend to head into health physics fields, rather than medical physics ones professionally.

I did my undergrad at McMaster and

 

[doublemint]

Do you mean McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario?

This makes me suspicious either of your source or of the program, since in Canada, MSc programs are typically at least two years long (1 year of courses + ~ 1 year research project).

I did my undergrad at McMaster and

Yes, I am referring to the one in Ontario.

I actually found out about this program on the university's website: http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/medphys/prospective-students/upper-year-and-post-graduate-students.html"

Anyways, I asked this question because it was a one-year program and found that curious. Thats why I wanted to ask if anyone has gone through the pgrm. And now I just check the CAMPEP site and McMasters isn't accredited. Well I suppose I'll be looking else where now.

I could be mistaken but graduates from McMaster's program tend to head into health physics fields, rather than medical physics ones professionally.

What is health physics? Is that like radiation safety officer type jobs?

I did my undergrad at McMaster and

Where did you do your medical physics degree at?

 

[Choppy]

What is health physics? Is that like radiation safety officer type jobs?

For the most part, yes. Health physics is generally comprised of radiation protection work.

I don't want to give off the impression that's ALL they do. I'm not personally familiar with the program, but I know that McMaster has some affiliation with the Juravinski Cancer Centre, so there must be some radiation therapy work that goes on there.

At McMaster one of their strengths was in the development of techniques for measuring the uptake of various trace elements in human tissues.

Where did you do your medical physics degree at?

I'll PM you.

 

[daveb]

What is health physics? Is that like radiation safety officer type jobs?

As Choppy pointed out, yes, though they can get into R&D work (that's what I do as part of my RSO duties). I've also done shielding calculations, LLRW management, US DOT work, and effluent release analysis as a health physicist. I'd recommend going to the http://hps.org/" to learn more about becoming a health physicist.