“The first year of residency has given me a solid foundation to build on as I head into clinical coverages and other rotations. The transition from structure didactic learning to more independent clinical shadowing has boosted my confidence to step into the clinic and contribute to the team caring for patients.”
Darwin Garcia, Ph.D.
Physics resident, Class of 2027

Brachytherapy Didactics

“Mayo has a very active brachytherapy program and offers many different treatments. By having dedicated didactic time, you're able to develop a good understanding of brachytherapy and what is performed here before jumping into the busy clinical practice.” – Justine Dupere, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2024

Image-guided Radiation Therapy

"The delivery of highly conformal dose distributions with reduced margins affords superior healthy tissue sparing but is accompanied by an increased risk of a geometric miss during treatment. This necessitates the use of sophisticated image guidance techniques to improve target localization. This rotation provides a comprehensive understanding of the suite of Image guidance technologies—both on-board and externally mounted radiographic systems, surface guidance, and many others—implemented in the clinic.  A combination of hands-on labs, clinical observations, and stellar rotation mentors ensure an engaging and enriching learning experience.” – Zach Stottler, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Dosimetric Systems

“The rotation is very well structured with a nice balance of reading, discussions, labs, and presentations. It is one of our very first rotations and a great introduction into the radiation therapy world.” – Ruiming Edmondson, Ph.D., M.S., Physics resident, Class of 2027

External Beam Treatment Planning

“One of my favorite rotations so far! The dosimetrist mentors were super helpful and patient, and we got to contribute to patient care through our 1-month clinical rotation.” – Ruiming Edmondson, Ph.D., M.S., Physics resident, Class of 2027

“The Treatment Planning rotation is an invaluable experience, allowing residents to follow a patient from simulation to treatment. After the initial phase of guided practice plans, residents become well-equipped to manage clinical plans under dosimetrist supervision. This rotation encompasses a wide range of case types, which provide us with broad exposure and comprehensive experience. Witnessing our own crafted plans get treated is an immensely rewarding experience. Furthermore, this rotation lays an excellent foundation for understanding the medical physicist's role in plan checks, reinforcing our pivotal place in the patient care pathway.” – Xueyan Tang, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

External Beam QA

“For this rotation we became familiar with daily, monthly, and annual quality assurance (QA) for medical linear accelerators. We spent some time reviewing state regulations, society recommendations, and the tests we performed; then met as a group on a monthly basis to discuss the highlights and main takeaways. We are also part of the team of physicists performing monthly QA and rotate machines every six months.” – Darwin Garcia, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2027

Physicist of the Day (POD)

“The linac physicist of the day (POD) is in charge of overseeing daily linac operations for the day. This involves reviewing daily QA, completing chart checks, and responding to machine calls. At the end of this rotation, residents become POD credentialed and have POD coverage days. This rotation was interesting to provide an overview of our daily clinical workflow and how the physics team fits inside Radiation Oncology." – Brandon Reber, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2027

Plan Check

“In plan check, physicists review treatment plans before delivery to ensure that the plan is safe and up to Mayo Clinic quality. Residents shadow physicists completing plan check for a variety of treatment sites. At the end of the rotation, residents become plan check credentialed and have coverage days working with the plan check team. I liked how this rotation builds on what you learn in treatment planning, respiratory motion management, and radiotherapy simulation.” – Brandon Reber, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2027

Radiotherapy Simulation

“The Radiotherapy Simulation rotation is a unique blend of didactic learning, labs, and hands-on experiences that delve deeply into CT operations and virtual simulation software. The variety and complexity of the tasks offer a fascinating and challenging learning journey, making it an enriching experience for a resident.” – Xueyan Tang, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Respiratory Motion Management

“During this rotation we gained hands-on experience with the CT sim and the various equipment available for tracking respiratory motion. I enjoyed the "Breath Hold" lab, because we got to record each other's respiratory trace and experience what the patients see when they need to hold their breath for treatment.” – Darwin Garcia, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2027

“My second year of residency has been incredibly rewarding. Applying the didactic knowledge from the first year to real clinical scenarios has solidified my understanding and boosted my confidence—both as a physicist and a researcher. What’s made the experience even more meaningful is the ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance and spend quality time with my family while continuing to grow professionally.”
Dalton Griner, Ph.D.
Physics resident, Class of 2026

Brachytherapy Clinical

“The brachytherapy rotation was filled with a high case volume and variety of clinical scenarios. Several dedicated brachytherapy physics mentored me daily to enabling me to independently manage brachytherapy cases by the end of the rotation.” – Daiki Hara, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2026

IMRT Quality Assurance

“Luckily, our institution focuses on the analytical side of IMRTQA instead of the manual labor. We work with physicists to understand the various techniques to perform IMRTQA and comprehensive understanding of it's purpose in our clinical workflow.” – Daiki Hara, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2026

Protons – Gantry Physicist of the Day (GantryPOD)

“During the Gantry Physicist of the Day (GantryPOD) rotation, residents work alongside with experienced proton physicists at one of the world’s largest proton centers, gaining valuable clinical experience in scanned proton beam therapy. The rotation consists of a didactic core and a clinical component. Through a series of didactic sessions, residents establish a foundational understanding of treatment planning, dosimetric uncertainties impacting treatment delivery, and beam dosimetry. Through the clinical portion of the rotation, residents shadow physicists perform daily/monthly QA, chart checks, and cover treatments that require physics support, like SBRTs. By the end of the year 2, residents credential for GantryPOD coverage; this affords the resident the rare opportunity to gain a full year of clinical proton therapy experience by the end of their residency.” – Zach Stottler, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Protons – Dosimetry Planning

“This rotation offered valuable hands-on exposure to proton treatment planning. It introduced us to clinical concepts unique to proton like robust optimization and variable RBE. It was a great opportunity to see how protons are used in complex cases and to work alongside experienced planners and physicists.” – Cenji Yu, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2026

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

“During this rotation, I gained hands-on experience in highly precise radiation planning and delivery. This rotation really deepened my understanding of image guidance, motion management, and the clinical decision-making behind high-dose, hypofractionated treatments.” – Cenji Yu, Physics resident, Class of 2026

Treatment Machine Calibration (TG-51)

“At the end of the day, performing TG-51 correctly is paramount. However, understanding each detail in the protocol, and the physics behind it really brings the whole picture together and this rotation's focus on didactic understanding has made me a much more competent physicist.” – Dalton Griner, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2026

Total Skin Electron Therapy

“The TSET rotation offered a unique opportunity to work with a highly specialized treatment technique that few centers perform regularly on a monthly basis. It was fascinating to see how this treatment improves outcomes for patients with cutaneous lymphomas.” – Cenji Yu, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2026

“In my third year of residency, I transitioned into a more advanced and independent clinical role, deepening my expertise through high-responsibility rotations and hands-on involvement in complex procedures. I contributed to the acceptance and commissioning of the TrueBeam Hypersight G, performed manual MU calculations aligned with TG-71 and RadCalc validation, and engaged in advanced dosimetric evaluations. My year included specialized training in Gamma Knife and linac-based SRS, IORT, TBI, and shielding design, with active participation in QA procedures, treatment planning, and interdepartmental collaboration. These experiences collectively refined my technical skills, clinical judgment, and readiness to assume the full responsibilities of a clinical medical physicist.”
Shaquan David, Ph.D.
Physics resident, Class of 2025

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy

“Intraoperative Radiation Therapy is one of the unique special procedures performed at Mayo Clinic, and observing it up close gave me a much deeper understanding of its principles and clinical advantages than I could ever gain from textbooks alone. The rotation mentor brought a wealth of experience and encouraged us to actively connect theoretical knowledge with real-world application, such as relating IORT to electron dose calculation. This integration helped me truly appreciate how different aspects of medical physics come together in practice.” – Xueyan Tang, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Dosimetry Physicist of the Day

“DosPOD is the dosimetry physicist of the day and is a clinical coverage that is the first call for dosimetry related issues. In this rotation, we learned how to address HU overrides, implantable devices, fetal dosimetry, outside records, and how to help dosimetrists troubleshoot with any planning difficulties.” – Justine Dupere, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2024

Monitor Unit Calculation

“The MU calculations rotation provided a strong foundation in manual dose calculation techniques through a structured combination of didactic assignments, TG-71 methodology, and RadCalc comparisons. We explored both TPR- and PDD-based monitor unit calculations, investigated the limitations and differences in dose algorithms, and reviewed commissioning practices aligned with TG-71 recommendations. Hands-on exercises and written assessments challenged us to critically evaluate calculation discrepancies and develop efficient measurement strategies, all of which strengthened my understanding of MU validation in clinical workflows.” – Shaquan David, Ph.D., Class of 2025

Shielding and Room Design

“I learned a lot during my shielding rotation, both about how to perform the standard shielding calculations as well as the general philosophies and assumptions. Residents are typically given a shielding related project that is currently being worked on in the department, which allows us to compare our results with another board certified physicist to see if our calculations are accurate. I found this to be very valuable.” Jay Brooks, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2024

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

“The SRS-Gamma Knife rotation was exceptionally well-designed and became one of my favorite experiences during residency. It offered a comprehensive blend of didactic learning, in-person shadowing, hands-on mock planning, and insightful discussions with experienced covering physicists. This multifaceted approach provided a unique and immersive learning environment from which I gained significant practical and conceptual knowledge that will continue to benefit me in my clinical career.” – Xueyan Tang, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Stereotactic Radiosurgery - LINAC

“Through the linac-based SRS rotation, residents have the opportunity to learn the clinical foundations, commissioning process, and current clinical state of the art for single-isocenter intracranial radiosurgery using a conventional Varian Edge equipped with Brainlab's ExacTrac. Through a series of didactic lectures, independent readings, and hands-on SRS planning, residents develop a solid understanding of the treatment planning, patient treatment, and quality assurance protocols that underpin our clinical practice.” – Zach Stottler, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Total Body Irradiation

“The Total Body Irradiation (TBI) rotation was a distinct and rewarding experience that highlighted the critical role of the physicist in delivering safe and uniform radiation to the entire body. I had the opportunity to observe close collaboration between physicists, radiation oncologists, and therapists to carefully plan and execute treatments tailored to each patient's clinical scenario. From performing diode calibrations and in vivo dosimetry to understanding compensator design using lead sheets and extended SSD setups, this rotation provided a comprehensive, hands-on look at the precision and coordination required to ensure effective TBI delivery.” – Shaquan David, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Treatment Machine ATP, Survey, and Commissioning

“The machine commissioning (MACH) rotation provides residents with a comprehensive overview of the acceptance testing and commissioning process--a key responsibility clinical medical physicist. This rotation begins with a set of didactic sessions which prepare the residents to join the core commissioning team and commission a new radiation treatment unit. During my rotation, we three 3rd years worked as members of the team that commissioned a newly installed Varian Truebeam. This provided invaluable experience and allowed us to collaborate through the entire process from acceptance testing, commissioning, and machine go-live.” – Zach Stottler, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Treatment Planning System (TPS) Commissioning

““he Treatment Planning System rotation was instrumental in preparing me to handle TPS-related challenges with confidence as I transition into independent clinical practice. I particularly appreciated the thoughtfully curated list of guiding questions, which served as both a study framework and a prompt for deeper inquiry. The hands-on experience with TPS commissioning provided valuable practical insight, while the in-depth discussions with my mentor significantly enriched my understanding and contributed meaningfully to my board preparation” – Xueyan Tang, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2025

Optional Rotations in Year 3

Orthovoltage

“The optional orthovoltage rotation is an opportunity to gain experience with and understand the considerations involved in treating with this relatively uncommon modality.” – Yue-Houng Hu, Ph.D., Physics Resident, Class of 2021

Regional Practice

"Mayo Clinic has multiple regional sites across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the residency allows you time to discover what it would be like to work at a smaller practice. I had the opportunity to shadow at the Northfield Clinic to see how physicists operate day-to-day in this type of clinic. Their integration into the clinical team was much more tight-knit than at the large practice." - Eric Brost, Ph.D., Physics resident, Class of 2022