The University of Calgary radiation oncology physics program offers both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees through the Department of Physics and Astronomy. This highly innovative program includes graduate level didactic components in topics ranging from radiation oncology to core physics. Students are given opportunities to interact with a multidisciplinary team of professionals and gain clinical experience in a state of the art treatment facility.

What is Radiation Oncology Physics?
Medical Physics is an applied branch of physics concerned with the application of the concepts and methods of physics to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Radiation Oncology Physics specialization pertains to the therapeutic applications of radiation to cancer and the equipment associated with the production, use, measurement and evaluation thereof. Medical physicists may work in hospitals, cancer treatment facilities, universities, government, and industry. Medical physicists are concerned with three areas of activity: clinical service and consultation, research and development, and teaching.

Multidisciplinary Education
Students are based at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, a short walk from main campus, which treats approximately 3000 patients per year with 9 linear accelerators, brachytherapy systems and a full range of auxillary equipment (CT, treatment planning). Students work with radiation oncology physicists, physician-scientists, and other physicists on campus during both their coursework and research. They attend colloquia offered at the university and cancer centre and, as their research develops, present in these forums.

Supportive Environment
We maintain a small and highly selective program to ensure each of our students has access to the highest quality of education. Students work closely with their supervisors and have access to the many resources in our department. Class sizes are small and students and professors work closely on educational, clinical and research projects.

Clinical Experience
Students are given exposure to clinical medical physics through a short clinical rotation as part of their coursework and through paid Physics Technician positions, providing support for many quality assurance and clinical dosimetry activities.

CAMPEP Accreditation
This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). It is one of only five currently accredited programs in Canada and 19 in North America. The American Board of Radiology has stated that it will require completion of a CAMPEP approved educational program for professional certification by 2012.

Financial Support
Financial support is awarded to all students, contingent on continued acceptable performance, through Teaching Assistantships and/or Physics Technician positions. Most students are also funded by competitive scholarships and grants upon demonstrating exceptional performance in the program.

Program Timeline
Students apply to the program and work with the graduate program to select a supervisor and research project during the first term. Most coursework is completed in the first three terms and subsequent years are devoted to thesis research. Expected program length is two years for an M.Sc. and four years for a Ph.D.

Admission Requirements
A minimum GPA of 3.0 over an applicant's last 10 full-course equivalents of science or math course work is required for consideration, but the majority of students accepted into the program have a GPA of 3.5 or greater. Students must demonstrate the potential to excel in advanced level physics courses and thesis research. M.Sc applicants require an honours B.Sc. degree (or equivalent) in Physics or a related scientific field. Ph.D applicants require an honours M.Sc degree (or equivalent) in Medical Physics. Students demonstrating exceptional performance may transfer from the M.Sc to Ph.D program. Application for entrance to graduate programs is made through the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Both the Masters and Doctoral programs are a combination of course work and a research project. For more information on the application process, please click here.

For more information on Radiation Oncology Physics at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, please visit:
http://www.cancerboard.ab.ca/tbccmedphys/academicpgm/graduatepgm.htm