Use your physics degree in the medical field to save lives and help patients!
What is Medical Physics?
Medical Physics is the application of physics in health care by working closely with machines and patients. Practicing medical physicists focus primarily on applying medical imaging, radiation, and nuclear medicine in the healthcare realm. Medical physicists can be found working in both hospitals and research centers. According to the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, there are five subfields of medical physics, with each one requiring certification by the American Board of Radiology: Therapeutic Medical Physics, Diagnostic Medical Physics, Nuclear Medical Physics, Medical Health Physics, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Physics.
What major should I pursue at St. Olaf if I’m interested in pursuing Medical Physics?
Physics! Anyone looking at medical physics as an undergrad should plan to major in physics to be best suited for their grad school’s prerequisites and the field in general. While attending graduate school for a medical physics degree is possible without an undergraduate degree in physics, it is much harder to fulfill the prerequisites beforehand. Remember, you only need one degree to graduate from St. Olaf!
What schools have a medical physics program?
The schools listed here have Medical Physics programs certified by The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). This certification is essential as it enables you to become certified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) after graduation. Non-CAMPEP programs do exist, so verifying their accreditation status is very important.
What does the path for a medical physicist look like?
Again, there is no one path for a medical physicist. Every route will look different for different people. However, undergraduate study at a college like St. Olaf, followed by graduate school application, residency, and ABR certification is the general path. Some students may take a gap year between undergraduate and graduate school. The pdf linked here has helpful information regarding the guide to a medical physics career, especially for undergraduate students. The document below provides a very helpful look at all stages of the path to becoming a medical physicist, from undergraduate studies to grad school to residencies!
What classes should I take at St. Olaf to prepare for graduate school?
Every graduate school has different prerequisites that are required/recommended for admission, so make sure you check on specific schools you may be interested in. In general, courses at St. Olaf that would be most beneficial to aspiring medical physics are as follows:
- Physics (major requirements)
- PHYS 130: Analytical Physics I
- PHYS 131: Analytical Physics II
- PHYS 232: Analytical Physics III
- PHYS 244: Modern Physics
- PHYS 374: Classical Mechanics
- PHYS 375: Maxwell’s Equations
- Course descriptions, elective options, and required associated labs can be found here
- Math
- MATH 120: Calculus I
- MATH 121: Calculus II
- MATH 220: Linear Algebra
- MATH 226: Multivariable Calculus
- MATH 230: Differential Equations
- (these are also required for the physics major; course descriptions can be found here)
Recommended by some schools:
MATH 330: Differential Equations II
Other Science Courses (recommended by most graduate schools):
At least two semesters of biology, including one semester of anatomy/physiology
At least two semesters of chemistry
Experience with computer science/programming, including one or more semesters worth of classes
Recommended by some schools:
PHYS 246: Electronics
ECON 245: Economics of Health Care
Remember, although you may not earn credit toward a specific degree for these other classes, they will help introduce you to important aspects of being a medical physicist, and grad schools will look at your coursework as well as your major on your application.
Am I considered Pre-Health at St. Olaf?
Technically, no. The path to a Medical Physics degree differs from most Pre-Health students, mainly because aspiring medical physicists are not trying to get into medical school and do not need to take the MCAT for admission. So, while there may be some overlap in courses between aspiring medical physicists and Pre-Health students, the coursework for Pre-Health does differ from that of a medical physicist.
Who can I talk to about Medical Physics at St. Olaf?
Talking to any physics professors at St. Olaf will help you get on the right track for your specific plan and can help if you have more questions. One of our alumna, Nellie Brovold ‘18, gave a colloquium on Medical Physics in Spring 2023, and her talk discussing her career path and a more detailed look at the field can be found here.