Medical Physics

The Medical Physics MSc and PhD programs in the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science aim to provide complete didactic education in medical physics with a strong focus on research.  Graduates will be prepared to enter clinical residency training programs in medical physics or to pursue research and academic careers in the field.  The specific objectives of the MSc and PhD programs in Medical Physics are:

1. Through comprehensive coursework, to provide broad-based educational foundations in physics as applied to medicine that meet or exceed standards set by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP, www.campep.org). This training will prepare graduates for subsequent career development in clinical medical physics or related research.
2. To provide rich and in-depth experiences conducting innovative research and development, ultimately preparing students to become independent and motivated researchers. The academic plan allows for focus on thesis research following coursework.  Thesis research provides the skills, knowledge and capacity for independent thought required to pursue further research, but also transferrable, analytic approaches to solving problems.
3. To provide a clear understanding of the possible career options as well as corresponding requirements, knowledge of professional aspects of medical physics, ethics and effective interpersonal communication.
4. To allow graduates to be highly competitive for entry into clinical residency training programs in Medical Physics.  While the approach is to defer clinical training to the Residency stage, students have options of pursuing research that is immediately translatable and highly relevant to clinical service.

Certificate Program in Medical Physics

The Certificate program in Medical Physics is designed to provide one year of didactic coursework to candidates who hold a PhD in physics, in an area other than medical physics.  The curriculum addresses CAMPEP standards.

Description of Facilities

In completing their thesis research, graduate students in Medical Physics access advanced platforms for medical imaging, delivery of radiation therapy and radiosurgery, and associated clinical and experimental apparata.   Resources at Capital Health include seven state-of-the-art clinical linear accelerators, image-guidance and robotics systems, brachytherapy afterloaders, grid computing resources, various radiation detectors as well as CT, PET/CT, and MRI imaging systems.

Admission Requirements

For the MSc degree in Medical Physics the requirements are:

1. Completion of a four-year Bachelor degree (for MSc) in Physics or Engineering Physics granted by a university in recognized standing;
2. A minimum cGPA of 3.0; and
3. Where required, English proficiency as evidenced by internet-based TOEFL score of 92, written TOEFL score of 580 or IELTS score of 7.0.

For the PhD degree in Medical Physics the requirements are:

1. Completion of a first class thesis-based Masters degree or equivalent (for PhD) in physics or medical physics granted by a university in recognized standing;
2. A minimum cGPA of 3.0; and
3. Where required, English proficiency as evidenced by internet-based TOEFL score of 92, written TOEFL score of 580 or IELTS score of 7.0.

For the Certificate program in Medical Physics the requirements are:

1. Completion of a PhD in physics granted by a university in recognized standing.  Normally the specialization of the PhD will be in a branch of physics other than medical physics.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements

The MSc program is a 2-year program. Graduation requirements are:

1. Completion of core medical physics graduate courses:
   PHYC 6400: Medical Imaging Physics (Part I)
   PHYC 6410: Medical Imaging Physics (Part II)
   PHYC 6416: Seminars in Medical Physics
   PHYC 6421: Radiological Physics
   PHYC 6423: Radiation Therapy Physics
   PHYC 6424: Special Topics in Medical Physics
   PHYC 6430: Radiation Biology
   PHYC 6431: Radiation Safety and Protection in Medicine
   PHYC 6450: Computational Methods in Medical Physics 
2. Completion of research-based MSc thesis (PHYC 9000); and
3. Successful thesis defense.

The PhD program is nominally a 4-year program. Graduation requirements are:

1. Completion of core medical physics graduate courses:
   PHYC 6400: Medical Imaging Physics (Part I)
   PHYC 6410: Medical Imaging Physics (Part II)
   PHYC 6416: Seminars in Medical Physics
   PHYC 6421: Radiological Physics
   PHYC 6423: Radiation Therapy Physics
   PHYC 6424: Special Topics in Medical Physics
   PHYC 6430: Radiation Biology
   PHYC 6431: Radiation Safety and Protection in Medicine
   PHYC 6450: Computational Methods in Medical Physics
   *The PhD program requires one year of core courses and, typically, three years of thesis research. Students who have completed the above courses during their MSc in Medical Physics at Dalhousie University may apply for Advanced Placement during their first academic term to have some or all of these requirements waived. PhD candidates from other institutions may need to take additional courses. Our courses provide students with the medical physics foundations specified within the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics standards.
   
2. Completion of PHYC 9520: Preliminary Doctoral Examination;
3. Completion of research-based PhD thesis (PHYC 9530); and
4. Successful thesis defense.

Certificate requirements

The Certificate program is a 1-year program. Graduation requirements are:

1. Completion of core medical physics graduate courses:
   PHYC 6400: Medical Imaging Physics (Part I)
   PHYC 6410: Medical Imaging Physics (Part II)
   PHYC 6416: Seminars in Medical Physics 
   PHYC 6421: Radiological Physics
   PHYC 6423: Radiation Therapy Physics
   PHYC 6424: Special Topics in Medical Physics
   PHYC 6430: Radiation Biology
   PHYC 6431: Radiation Safety and Protection in Medicine
   PHYC 6450: Computational Methods in Medical Physics