Medical Physics

What is Medical Physics?

Medical physics is a branch of physics concerned with applying physics to medicine, commonly in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Areas of focus include the following:

  • treating cancer using ionizing radiation;
  • medical imaging with x-rays, ultrasound, nuclear magnetic resonance or radionuclides;
  • and health physics, including overseeing radiation hazards and radiation protection.

Being a Medical Physicist

Pursuit of medical physics at the graduate level, combined with practical training, can lead you to a dynamic and versatile career. Medical physicists can work in various areas, including clinical service, education, research and development, and administration.

Clinical service in medical physics involves developing and implementing new therapeutic or diagnostic techniques, assurance of accuracy and quality of procedures, management and treatment planning, equipment specification and commissioning, and calibration of devices or radioactive sources.

In education, medical physicists teach undergraduate and graduate students, medical residents, and radiation therapists. Research and development in medical physics is diverse, ranging from investigation of the basic science underlying imaging or treatment delivery, to highly applied development of novel technologies.

In academic health-care facilities, research is often motivated by the limitations of current approaches; it can be focused on improving diagnosis or treatment. An administrative role may be served in health-care facilities or in industry.

Graduate and Certificate programs in Medical Physics

The MSc program in Medical Physics is two years in duration.  All core coursework is completed in the first year and thesis work is completed during the second year. 

The PhD program requires one year of core courses and typically three years of thesis research.

The Certificate program is designed for those who hold a PhD in physics and would like to qualify for admission to medical physics residency training programs and consists of one year of core coursework.

Recommended Courses

 

Medical Physics is the study of the diagnosis and treatment of human disease using fundamental physical principles.  This stream helps to prepare students for our CAMPEP accredited postgraduate medical physics program.  Medical physicists work in a clinical setting applying physics to the practice of medicine.  They find work in areas of radiation oncology, medical imaging, nuclear medicine and radiation protection.

Recommended Courses Prerequisites
PHYC 2250: Physics of Medical and Biological Tech  
PHYC 3900: Soft Matter  
PHYC 4180: Nuclear Physics  
Plus three of the following:  
PHYC 3250: Computational Methods  
PHYC 4250: Topics in Numerial Computing  
PHYC 3540: Optics  
BIOE 4391: Polymeric Biomaterials None
ECED 4760: Biomedical Engineering None
BMNG 3000: Technology in Medicine CHEM 1011, CHEM 1012
Physics Majors would be expected to also complete the following courses:
PHYC 3640: Quantum I  

 


For more information, please go to the Medical Physics program page or contact the Program Director: Dr. Alasdair Syme