Physics Residency Program Overview Current Residents & Alumni How to Apply Contact Us Program Overview Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Radiation Oncology: Home Radiation Oncology: Education & Training Radiation Oncology: Education > Physics Residency Radiation Oncology: Education > Physics Residency > Program Overview In-depth Training in Radiation Oncology Physics The UCI School of Medicine Medical Physics Residency program provides in-depth training in all aspects of radiation oncology physics so that graduates will be able to provide the highest level of care to oncology patients, will lead their peers in program development, including novel technologies, and will be indispensable to those with whom they work through their championing of the latest technologies for safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. The two-year program prepares medical physics residents for certification by an appropriate professional body, primarily the American Board of Radiology (ABR). Program Structure Residency training occurs through close collaboration and mentorship of experienced faculty physicists, each of whom is a recognized expert and thought leader in their areas of specialization. Mastery of the fundamentals of therapy physics grows organically through the daily work with the clinical resources, equipment and special treatment procedures housed in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Clinical and didactic training is supplemented through special projects such as evaluating and implementing new treatment procedures or introducing novel technologies into a state-of-the-art academic medical center. Medical physics residents receive mentorship and access to the research resources of an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and often present their work (much of it original) at prestigious national meetings such as AAPM (American Association of Physicists in Medicine) and ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology). Program Rotations The residency program consists of eight, three-month clinical rotations for a total duration of 24 months. Each rotation has individual goals & objectives and a faculty mentor for that rotation. The goals & objectives are designed to acquaint trainees with the scientific and clinical bases of that area pertinent to medical physics. Residents attend weekly treatment planning conferences, weekly tumor boards, and are completely integrated into the physician residency didactics (lectures, journal clubs, and (physics relevant) mock oral boards. Residents are expected to keep a log book documenting their clinical and didactic activities as well as their attendance at conferences and tumor boards. Residents also have the opportunity to partake in the clinical and professional development didactics of the physician radiation oncology trainees. Rotation-specific recommended reading of medical physics guidelines detailed in AAPM TG reports, cooperative group trial protocols, relevant journal articles or medical physics texts. Residents meet regularly and frequently with their faculty mentor, receiving feedback on their performance each rotation. Clinical Rotations Medical physics residents rotate through the following clinics: 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, Cone-beam CT, Image-guided radiation, Respiratory-gating Ethics and Professionalism