During Mayo Clinic's one-year Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Proton Fellowship, you complete clinical training rotations focused on proton safety.

Clinical training

The clinical requirements include evaluated clinical rotations through these subspecialty areas:

• Treatment planning and dosimetry support
• Treatment delivery
• CT simulation
• Proton machine quality assurance
• Treatment plan quality assurance
• Shielding and radiation safety in proton therapy
• Proton therapy machine commissioning
• Translation of research to clinical practice

Each rotation is mentored and evaluated. Your training also includes work on clinical projects, which are carried out under the supervision of the medical physics faculty.

Didactic training

Clinical conferences, seminars, small discussion groups, journal clubs and one-on-one instruction are all integral parts of the fellowship.

You participate in:

• Radiation oncology and medical physics journal clubs
• Division of Medical Physics meetings
• Medical physics and oncology conferences
• Treatment planning conferences
• New patient conferences

Research training

Research training is integrated into the fellowship and coordinated with your clinical training. Research involves projects directly related to clinical applications of physics in the practice of radiation oncology.

Career development

The environment and large patient volume at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, prepares you for all aspects of clinical medical physics practice in proton therapy. Involvement in the applied research of the medical practice further strengthens your academic skills. You are expected to participate in national medical physics and/or radiation oncology meetings.

Evaluation

Clinical competency is evaluated through written and oral exams as well as quarterly reviews with faculty members. You receive a grade after each quarterly review. Research competency is evaluated through peer-reviewed presentations and publications.