Physics

Medical Physics Program

The goal of CAMPEP accredited clinical medical physics residency program at the University of California, Irvine is to prepare medical physics graduates to practice independently as a certified medical physicist and contribute immediately to the high level of quality of medical care received by the radiation oncology patients. Upon completion of the twenty-four months intensive clinical training, the graduates should have the adequate clinical experience in all aspects of radiation oncology physics practice and in-depth knowledge on maintaining and implementing clinical procedures, as well as establishing novel treatment modalities.

• Major Objectives of the Residency Program
  • To prepare the medical physics resident for certification in the field of radiation oncology physics by an appropriate certification board such as American Board of Radiology (ABR).
  • To provide in-depth training in all aspects of radiation oncology physics practice that will allow the graduates to immediately contribute to the high level of quality of medical care to the radiation oncology patients, including improving the efficiency of clinical flow, implementing a novel treatment modality and as initiating new treatment protocols in the clinic.
  • The clinical residency training will be provided under the close supervision of experienced radiation oncology physicists at UCI. The residents will demonstrate competency in a broad range of topics through clinical performance in each rotation. The residents will have the opportunity to participate in special clinical projects consisting of implementing new treatment procedures or integrating a novel technology in the state-of-the-art radiation oncology center.
  • In addition, the wide variety of clinical resources, equipment, and special treatment procedures performed here at the UCI Chao Cancer Center assure that the medical physics residents receive well-rounded and hands-on clinical training in the radiation oncology physics. Medical physics residents are also encouraged to complete research projects related to clinical medical physics and submit abstracts for the national meeting such as AAPM or ASTRO for presentation. The University of Irvine Chao Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and widely recognized leader in cancer treatment and research in the United States and the state of California.
• Training Rotations
  • The medical physics residents are expected to successfully complete their rotations in the following clinical topics:
    • CT Simulation and Imaging
    • 3D External beam treatment planning
    • IMRT treatment planning
    • High-Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment planning, delivery and quality assurance
    • Radiation Safety and Shielding
    • Machine Commissioning and Acceptance Testing
    • Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
    • Total Body Irradiation (TBI)
    • Weekly and initial physics chart check
    • Machine quality assurance-Linear accelerator, CT simulator, IGRT
    • Ethics and Professionalism
• Structure of the Program
  • The practical component consists of eight clinical rotations. Each rotation has its own learning objectives and is of three months duration. During these rotations, the resident is required to participate in all aspects of clinical activities of the Division of Medical Physics. The resident’s performance is evaluated at the conclusion of each rotation and (s)he is expected to be successful in order to proceed to the next rotation.
  • Residents work closely with the four faculty physicists, who supervise and oversee all of the clinical work. Residents are expected to discuss their hands-on clinical progress with their rotation specific mentor(s) on weekly or bi-weekly basis. Residents will also meet with the program director and discuss about their progress and clinical responsibility on monthly basis. Residents are expected to keep a log-book documenting all of their clinical and didactic activities, attendance at conferences and tumor boards, which is then reviewed during their meetings with the program director.
  • Residents will be expected to attend weekly treatment planning conferences, weekly tumor boards, and actively participate in weekly physics and physician's journal clubs and other educational opportunities. Residents also have the opportunity to partake in the clinical didactics put on for the clinician residents. Rotation specific recommended reading of medical physics guidelines detailed in AAPM TG reports, RTOG protocols, relevant journal articles or medical physics books chapters are assigned by the mentor faculty physicists.
• Application Process
  • Applicants must have an MS or Ph.D. degree in medical physics from a CAMPEP-accredited graduate program. UCI offers one medical physics resident position each year. Application should be submitted through AAPM's Common Application Program (CAP).

Medical Dosimetry Program

The Department of Radiation Oncology at UC Irvine School of Medicine offers a one-year training program in Medical Dosimetry to qualify candidates.

Candidates must have:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Radiation Therapy or Equivalent.
• At least 3-years of full time working experience as a radiation therapist in a radiation oncology clinic (no exceptions will be made).

At the present time, an 8-year accreditation of the UC Irvine Medical Dosimetry Program has been awarded by Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) effective October 2018.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Medical Dosimetry Program is to provide the necessary knowledge base and clinical skills such that upon successful completion the graduating student is able to function safely and competently as an independent Medical Dosimetrist and contribute to the profession and health care of the public. Furthermore, the graduating student should be fully prepared to take, and pass, the medical dosimetry certification board (MDCB) examination.

Medical Dosimetry Program Goals

Goal 1

A graduating student should be able to function safely, competent and with minimum supervision as an entry-level medical dosimetrist.

Outcomes:

1. The student will have knowledge of treatment planning using basic as well as advanced treatment techniques.
2. The student will have knowledge, understanding and implementation of treatment protocol parameters.
3. The student will have knowledge, understanding and implementation of simple hand calculations pertaining to emergency simulation-and-treatment cases.
4. The student will have knowledge, understanding and handling of record-and-verify systems.

Goal 2

A graduating student will possess the necessary knowledge for critical thinking and problem-solving skills to situations that may be encounter in the clinic.

Outcomes:

1. The student will have the knowledge to recommend/advise the physician on whether a specific treatment technique may be more suitable for a patient identifying pros and cons of the recommended technique.
2. The student will have the knowledge and confidence to work with therapists and physicists on the most efficient patient setup for a special treatment procedure.

Goal 3

A graduating student will possess the skills to communicate effectively with any member of the radiation oncology team regarding any circumstance that involves a patient treatment.

Outcomes:

1. Oral presentations and written reports on self-study projects given during training should prepare the student for this task.
2. One-on-one presentation of a plan to a physician and justifying the process used to generate that plan, all part of the dosimetry training, should help with the student’s communication skills.

Goal 4

A graduating student will possess the understanding, appreciation and need for continuing education and patient confidentiality.

Outcomes:

1. Continuing education and patient confidentiality through HIPPAA and other training are the core fundamentals not only of the medical dosimetry program but the UCI Radiation Oncology Department as a whole.

Upon successful completion of the program the Medical Dosimetry student would have met all eligibility requirements for the certification examination offered by the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board.

Organization

The Medical Dosimetry Program is administered by the Division of Medical Physics within the Department of Radiation Oncology. The program is designed to offer the student a rigorous didactic as well as practical training as shown in the program’s curricula. The Medical Dosimetry Program accepts one student per year. Refer to the Medical Dosimetry Handbook for tuition and other related information.

The practical training includes 3D-CRT, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT, SRS, SBRT and simple linac-based external beam planning; high-dose-rate brachytherapy planning for gynecological treatments (e.g. tandem and ovoids, CAPRI applicator, interstitial) and accelerated partial breast irradiation treatments (e.g. SAVI, Mammosite).