Title: [Training Tuesday] - Weekly thread for questions about grad school, residency, and general career topics 08/23/2022

Post Content: This is the place to ask questions about graduate school, training programs, or general basic career topics. If the user is just learning about the field and wants to know if it is something they should explore, this thread is probably the correct place for those first few questions on their mind.

Examples:

1. "I majored in Surf Science and Technology in undergrad, is Medical Physics right for me?"
2. "The user can't decide between Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics..."
3. "Do Medical Physicists get free CT scans for life?"
4. "Masters vs. PhD"
5. "How does the user prepare for Residency interviews?"

Comments:

Comment 1:
How to find a job for medical imaging industries (Siemens, GE, etc.)?

The user is about to complete their master's degree in physics, specializing in medical physics and imaging. How do they contact and enter these companies to do R&D?

Response 1:
There's a great AAPM Working Group for Non-Clinical Professionals (WGNC) that should be mentioned. They do seminars/discussions on jobs/careers in medical physics outside the clinic. The user can get in touch with them and see if they have any upcoming webinars or similar events that may be useful.

Response 2:
The more the user can do to find out what specific things those specific teams they are trying to join are working on, the better. They should try to be as specific as possible. For example, instead of saying "I know a lot about CT scanners," it would be better to say "I am really interested in the performance limits of the specific detector materials and electronics used in this specific system, and how we can make them more accurate/reliable/whatever." The engineers working on the R&D of systems typically spend years on a single system, so they are interested in candidates who can bring intelligence and productivity to a very narrow, highly defined problem space. It would also be beneficial to talk about specific problems the user dealt with or solved in any projects or research they may have done, both in the resume and in the interview.

Response 3:
If the user joins a giant conglomerate like Siemens or GE, it is unlikely they will work on a general class of things in their first role there. They will want to make themselves an attractive candidate to the actual team of 5-10 people they will be working with directly. If the user joins a smaller company, they may find themselves with a broader range of responsibilities earlier on. Getting the user's first industry job can be a bit of a hustle, but it is probably a little more straightforward than clinical job hunting. A 3-9 month internship is a really good way to learn a lot about the industry and can sometimes be converted into a full-time position.

Comment 2:
Is this group open also for students outside the US/offers ideas in Europe? The user hasn't specified it but they are graduating in Italy (but with courses and thesis in English).

Response 1:
Most AAPM groups are focused on the NA region, but they are welcoming. The user has to be an AAPM member to join. They should check for upcoming webinars or other resources that the group can direct them to. As for careers in medical physics/imaging in Europe, there are quite a few well-known radiotherapy companies in Germany, as well as the UK and Scandinavia.

Comment 3:
What pre-requisite biology courses should the user familiarize themselves with that are necessary for an MS/PhD in Medical Physics?

The user is an incoming second-year physics major and they took a course on the fundamentals of biology where they mostly studied morpho- and microanatomy of plant and animal organs. Unfortunately, it's an introductory biology course, so they didn't touch mechanisms of mutation, radiobiology, and tumorigenesis. Should they read up on cancer, biochemistry, and the like? How strong of a foundation should they establish?

Response 1:
In my experience, Anatomy and Physiology is the only non-physics course required by some programs, but most don't expect the user to have taken the course before graduate school. However, a background in the biology courses they mentioned wouldn't hurt and might be of interest for PhD programs that do research in that area.

Comment 4:
Astrophysics undergrad here, how important is research experience for CAMPEP grad school? There are so many students scrounging for experience like I am and I’m starting to panic I won’t get any. I assume it really hurts if you’re applying for PhD and probably hurts a bit less for masters? It’s tough getting internships as a physics undergrad rn man. Anyone have any advice?

Response 1:
In lieu of research experience, programs will look favorably at clinical experience. The user should try to find a clinic where they can volunteer, as they may even have a project for them to work on once they learn the basics. Otherwise, they can try for research positions outside of their department. Paid positions may be competitive, but professors are usually more than willing to let someone volunteer in the lab.

Response 2:
OP is correct in that usually PhD programs want to see research experience, even if it's volunteer and/or doesn't result in publication. At least a couple of semesters should be good.

Comment 5:
This is the exact right thread to post on, thank you for posting! What about medical physics is interesting to you? Is it the technology, the research, the potential for making an impact on patients using physics? Most redditors who are active in the field would probably recommend physics to you if you are the right kind of person for the field (i.e. methodical, pay attention to detail, good communicator). Just be aware the training is long and you have to learn a lot. If you want to narrow your choices somewhat, try to spend some time in a hospital environment, either by shadowing a physicist or doing some volunteer work in a clinic, and see if that is something you like.

Comment 6:
A radiology technologist (RT) is the person who acquires the images. Depending on the part of the world the user is in, they do no image interpretation, or some interpretation of a limited set of studies (such as in the UK where they're usually called radiographers). Radiologists are physicians who do the primary interpretation of the imaging and perform some types of radiographic procedures. Both are very different professions and have different training requirements, and are also very different from medical physics.

Comment 7:
Galactium, are you based in the US? There are some countries that have the radiologist reading stations in the control room, but I have never heard of the radiologist actually running the scanner before.

Comment 8:
The user is getting their bachelor's in medical physics (not in the USA), however, they plan to eventually immigrate. For example, if they get their residency, will it count for something or should they just apply for a master's in the US?

Response 1:
Residencies in the US will invariably require a graduate degree. The user's bachelor's may be helpful in getting into grad school, but they cannot go directly to residency with it.

Response 2:
Oh, the user meant if they get their residency in their country, something they can get with only their undergrad, and after that eventually immigrating.

Response 3:
EDIT: The user found something here: [https://www.theabr.org/medical-physics/initial-certification/international-medical-graduates](https://www.theabr.org/medical-physics/initial-certification/international-medical-graduates)

Comment 9:
Is there anyone here that can supply the user with a PDF of Bushberg's "The Essential physics of medical imaging" 4th edition?

Response 1:
Search on be-ok.cc. It has a lot of good books.

Response 2:
The user got the previous edition on thriftbooks for $5 - hardcover. They don't know if that's helpful, but they're just using it as a reference.

Response 3:
Is there a lot different from the 3rd edition? The user has a PDF of the 3rd edition and figured that is sufficient for most everything.

Comment 10:
The user has a physics degree, research experience, and is currently working in aerospace engineering as a simulation modeling engineer. They are also halfway through an MS in applied physics that they are doing part-time. Recently, they realized they want to get a doctorate in medical physics. They found a program that they think will work for them (CAMPEP certified, sort of designed for people who took the long way around), but they're not sure what, if anything, they can do to make sure their application is as strong as possible. They have about 2 years before graduating with their MS. They're concerned that they don't have any medical background and that they're coming from an aerospace career. Any advice?

Response 1:
[deleted]

Comment 11:
The user's undergrad GPA was less than ideal due to medical issues around sophomore year, but they did very well in their upper-level classes. They also don't have super relevant research experience, but they'll have some more relevant design projects under their belt with this MS. Some of it was quantum optics, which is sort of tangentially related. They're hoping that this will improve their chances somehow. Their current GPA for the master's is 4.0.

Comment 12:
How long does it usually take to hear back from journals like JACMP?

Response 1:
The user should give it about 3-4 weeks or so from when they submitted before starting to worry.

Original URL: [https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/wvlrxp/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/](https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/wvlrxp/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/)