As a resident in the Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Residency, you will learn to provide the highest standards of patient care in a hospital known throughout the world for its primary value: “The needs of the patient come first.” You will learn from over 40 dedicated physicists how to care for complex patients across the entire scope of the specialty, collaborating with radiation oncologists to treat and cure cancer through clinical activities, research, and education.
Among other things, radiation oncology physics (therapeutic radiologic physics) includes:
Unique and noteworthy aspects of the program include:
graduates with American Board of Radiology Certification
faculty-to-resident ratio
integrated with clinical training
7:51
As a resident at Mayo Clinic, you'll have access to robust clinical, educational, and research resources. You'll find support both inside and outside of the campus to promote physical and mental wellness and ensure your work/life balance.
Our residency, like the practice of radiation oncology itself, is constantly evolving. The program reflects the collective experience of dozens of faculty over two decades as well as many suggestions from our 25+ alumni who are now board-certified and practicing clinically. Our faculty is dedicated to training every resident to the highest standards.
The process of treating patients in radiation oncology is one that requires many different people with different specialties. A team approach to all aspects of the department process is required to treat patients safely and effectively. The physics staff has good relationships with physicians, physicists, dosimetrists, and therapists. All are encouraged to participate in discussions relating to patient treatment and give each other feedback when needed. Physics residents are valued for their insights and clear communication when working in the department.
Residents are expected to be in the office from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. In addition to this, they're assigned to share monthly machine QA duties with a staff physicist for one machine. Patient-specific quality assurance is not performed by physics residents, minimizing the number of evenings when residents are required to stay late. While some rotations are busier than others, there is room for research, hobbies, and family life during residency.
Because the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is very large, there are many opportunities to commission new technologies. Residents commission new linear accelerators, high dose rate afterloaders, and dosimetry equipment both at the main Rochester campus as well as at smaller regional clinics. Past residents have participated in commissioning for a Gamma Knife Icon system, Varian TrueBeam linear accelerators, Varian Ethos linear accelerators, Varian Bravos HDR afterloader, and other clinical equipment. Residents are often included in commissioning of the latest technologies that are trying to be implemented in the clinic.
This training program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).
Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Residents are eligible to enter the board certification process upon matriculating into the residency. Graduates are expected to take the complete examination series offered by the American Board of Radiology.
The medical physics training program began in 1996. This program was one of the first clinical residency programs to be accredited by CAMPEP (2003). We have always actively pursued applicants who strive to contribute to medical physics beyond their clinical responsibilities. Currently, up to three residents complete this program annually.
