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.
Comment 1: Once again asking what am I qualified to do with my bullshit degree? I can't pass board exams, can't get a residency, can't survive on my pissy MPA salary. Considering the military, or maybe welding school.
Response 2: https://cool.osd.mil/army/moc/index.html?moc=aoc_72a&tab=overview
Response 3: This MOS is where Army medical physicists go, and there are somewhat equivalent MOSs in the other branches as well (https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_MedicalandHealth.pdf first row 4th page), assuming you're serious about joining the military and not just taking the piss.
Comment 2: For those who have passed the degree stage (MS, PhD), would you mind explaining how difficult it was to get into residency and how difficult was it to find a job after residency? Would hospitals or companies reach out to you before you graduated residency for job positions? Also do you have any suggestions on how to increase my chances of getting into residency and landing a good job?
Response 1: I've been out of school 5+ years and no residency. It is very difficult. And if you don't get certified you're shit out of luck.
Response 2: The overall residency match rate is typically 50-60%. Generally clinical experience is a great way to land preliminary interviews. From then on, it’s mostly evaluations of character and “fit”. You do not necessarily need clinical experience beforehand (I didn’t have any in ‘21), but the odds are significantly improved with even a little exposure. It also helps you get the most out of your first months of residency.
Response 3: Recruiting after residency is very active via email and LinkedIn. PDs frequently get calls from recruiters asking about their residents.
Response 4: I would always encourage residents to go to AAPM and drop your resume at the career services section between your first and second year. Any graduate of a CAMPEP-accredited residency is going to be a solid candidate for most positions, so putting your name out there will make you more accessible to recruiters. The AAPM job boards are always active and have positions open to graduating residents, so you will have your pick of opportunities.
Comment 3: Thanks a lot for all the information and your help, I was going crazing thinking I would job hunt solo and that it would be difficult to find a job.
Response 1: I have a question about the course requirements for the program. I graduated with a degree in radiology science instead of physics or engineering. How can I find out the specific courses I need to fulfill? And if I don't meet the course requirements, are there other options available?
Response 2: The CAMPEP website might have your answer about specifics (I'm assuming you're in the US here), but in general, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure it depends on the program but where I graduated there were several people without physics or engineering, and they just took those classes in addition to the medical physics requirements.
Comment 4: If I wanted to become a board certified medical dosimetrist, do any and all of the programs that go through have to be through JRCERT? Whether I choose to just go straight into a school for radiation therapy or medical imaging, if not both. Is there another entity that would work for credentials in order to fit being able to become board certified? Truckee Meadows Community College is partnered with College of Southern Nevada who is accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)… would this accreditation still allow to apply or no because it’s not JRCERT?
Response 1: Currently MDCB says that US candidates need a bachelor’s degree and graduation from a JRCERT program in order to become a certified dosimetrist. So the other accreditation is not enough for dosimetry.
Response 2: ARRT has its own list of approved programs for its certifications.
Comment 5: Hello! I am considering a career change to medical physics. I have a BS and MS in physics (concentration in experimental nuclear/particle physics). I did research during my grad school years - helped build particle detectors, was our experiment’s radiation safety officer, and am an author on a couple of papers about the quark structure of the proton.
Response 1: I also know a couple physicists who completed their PhDs during or after residency. It’s uncommon and requires that you basically land a position at a clinical/academic site, but it is doable too.
Response 2: You could consider working in industry, i.e. non-clinical. Could possibly start work and then work on your PhD.
Response 3: It also depends on the country you’re in - in some you don’t even need a residency.
Response 4: It depends what you want to do in medical physics. If you want to work in the clinic and become board certified you’ll need to complete a CAMPEP accredited certificate or graduate program, graduate from a CAMPEP accredited residency.
Original URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/14qc401/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/