Post Content: This is the place to ask questions about graduate school, training programs, or general basic career topics. If you are just learning about the field and want to know if it is something you should explore, this thread is probably the correct place for those first few questions on your mind.
Examples:
Comment 1: Hello all, I have been wondering about other options for medical physics masters students who graduate from a CAMPEP accredited program and don’t immediately land a residency or realize they don’t want to do clinical work as a career. What other options and jobs are available for graduates in these situations? Thank you!
Response 1: Industry is a common alternative path.
Response 2: As per instruction of the moderator, I hope to move my post into this thread.
Comment 2: Hello all.
I am a Master student in one of CAMPEP programs in Canada, who seeks Ph.D. studies in the US after successfully completion of my Master studies.
Having experiened the academic life in Canada, the user felt that the time for their research is not enough to make some meaningful contribution in their field. They mentioned that there are too many things to take up their time, such as TA and RA responsibilities, which is different from US programs. They are considering not following the CAMPEP track to secure more time for research. They seek advice on whether not following the CAMPEP track would be a better option for their future Ph.D. applications to specific US programs.
Response 1: No CAMPEP grad program means no CAMPEP residency which means no ABR eligibility which probably means no clinical career in the US. You really only need a CAMPEP program and residency if you want to sit for the ABR exams. See flow chart in http://www.sdampp.org/documents/SDAMPPStudentGuideToAMedicalPhysicsCareer.pdf
Response 2: They said they are already in a CAMPEP masters.
Response 3: Interesting situation. Can you get a CAMPEP masters, then get a non-CAMPEP PhD, and get into a CAMPEP residency? I would think so.
Response 4: Most of all, thank you all for your valuable comments and question. Yes! At least to my understanding, a key of the board eligibility is getting a CAMPEP degree. So, the degree does not need to be a Ph.D. degree.; This is why I am also considering non-CAMPEP Ph.D. programs too. Of course, my top priority is the two CAMPEP programs above though.
Comment 3: Are you looking for a clinical career or an academic one? It sounds like you really want to publish in prestigious journals, which is fine, but it is not necessary to have a productive clinical career. For an academic career, it would be extremely important, however it would only be one step along an extremely long road.
Response 1: That being said, your post says that you are already going to be completing a CAMPEP master's, so I don't feel like you have to go out of your way to seek out a CAMPEP PhD track, but I think that it is likely that any PhD program that gives you the most access to the top medical physics investigators are likely already CAMPEP track. PhD grads from CAMPEP programs match at like >95% each year for what it's worth (link to CAMPEP data).
Response 2: It sounds like you are very worried about being given enough time to focus on research and not TA'ing, which is a very valid point. I would go to the websites of the programs you are interested in and look very closely at their descriptions of their funding. Some places like Duke give a guaranteed stipend to their grad students that (to my knowledge, double check this) is not contingent on TA'ing any classes. Ideally, you should attend a program that gives you a centrally funded stipend that isn't dependent on any professor's grants or being a TA, so you can focus full time on your research (which sounds like what you want). Applying for grants on your own is of course a perfectly good thing to do, but it's best if it's a bonus rather than have your continued existence depend on grant success.
Response 3: What gives you the sense that the two programs do not consider research fit? Research fit is pretty important, personal fit with the PI is waaaay more important. Different schools will have somewhat different admissions procedures but I highly suggest reading this excellent post from r/gradadmissions. Hope this helps.
Comment 4: Hello everyone, I'm studying a Bachelor's degree in Medical Physics and Bioengineering in Dublin, Ireland, and I'm starting a work placement at a major private hospital in the city come January 2022, in a Diagnostic Radiology department. As such the hospital has requested a dress code of "smart business attire". I find this description very vague and was wondering the sorts of expected dress codes at your places of work.
Response 1: Dress shirt, tie, slacks, belt, dress shoes is what I do for my workplace which calls for "business casual". Also my colors are fairly neutral (the loudest thing I have is a pale pink shirt). Although this probably depends on the department's culture, mine is fairly conservative. If anything else, wear a full suit to the first day (you might take a badge picture then) and gauge the attire of others then adjust accordingly for subsequent days.
Response 2: I know 2 other languages (from family and studying), it's something I put on my CV and get asked on sometimes, but nothing I really used at all in my undergrad. It might be useful to maybe know Spanish in some places in the US, or even some French in Canada, but not by far required, as interaction with patient is a bit limited for the field (shouldn't be)
Response 3: Are you asking if your foreign language skills will be used in day to day practice in the US? If so, the answer is almost certainly no.
Comment 5: Hello, I am a graduate student and I will be glad if I could get any suggestions of areas I might find useful in my thesis proposal especially in the fields of nuclear medicine and external beam radiotherapy. Thank you very much.
Response 1: I would suggest asking your faculty advisor about this as they would be much better equipped to give advice about your specific thesis proposal than random redditors.
Response 2: Agreed, and also it's good to see if any of their ideas peaks your interest. Them you'd be working on something they enjoy and will help you as well.
Response 3: Thanks very much for this.
Comment 6: I’m a long time from having to apply to graduate school, but I’m supposed to transfer to UCSC for astrophysics bachelor program soon (finishing my prereqs at a community college first). So what happens if I simply don’t get into a grad school?
Response 1: See https://www.aapm.org/students/prospective.asp
Response 2: If your plan is to become a clinical physicist, then yes you will have to get into a grad program sooner or later. If you don't get in on the first try you can always try to work in something related like being a physics assistant, but those positions are very limited in number.
Response 3: I see, thank you! And yes, I would want to go into radiation oncology or something, as I’ve recently learned the field of astrophysics, especially academia, is completely miserable.
Response 4: I wouldn't worry about not getting in on your first try, as long as your GPA and LORs are good. Although when you said "or something" that makes it sound like you don't have a very solid idea of what medical physics is like day to day. Shadowing a physicist (if you can) for a day or two should help you a lot with that.
Response 5: Im trying my best to look around for someone to shadow, but It seems opportunities are more slim since covid.
Response 6: What is a strong undergrad gpa if Im applying to grad school, may I ask? I have a 3.6 atm and I’m about halfway through my undergrad
Response 7: That should be fine, just try to keep it there.
Response 8: I’m doing my best haha, thank you for the responses!
Comment 7: It seems like grad schools received more (about double) the number of applications for 2022: https://www.reddit.com/r/gradadmissions/comments/rkkadq/grad_schools_receiving_double_the_applications/
Response 1: The post that you mentioned that says they received double the number of apps is not in MP, so I am not sure that it's reasonable to infer that MPs grad programs (let alone residencies) received more apps than usual as well. I applied to many PhD programs and received an email from one of them (general email to all applicants) detailing some steps about the review process and they mentioned that they received much more applicants this cycle than last year. I really don't think it's a good idea tho to focus too much on how many other applicants are there. Just do your best in the apps and chill :D. I know it's easier said than done, but we can always try!
Comment 8: In general, how long do most masters programs get back to you after you send out your application?? Sending mine out in a few days
Response 1: It depends. Some seem to have formal application processes - wait until the deadline, then have the admissions team review all applications, etc, etc. Others may review applications as they come in even before the deadline. One program I applied to had a video interview invite within a couple of days of my application and an admissions offer the day after the interview even though they were still taking applications. I had been in contact with that program, had submitted my transcripts and letters of recommendation and visited them, so they already kinda knew me before I finally clicked submit and paid the fee, so that might have factored in the quick turn around.
The program I ended up attending had a more formal process of application review, interview invites a few weeks after that and then decisions a few weeks after that.
Original URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/rqe9xq/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/
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