Medical Physics, M.S.

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Professor Weinhous, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-5013

The Master of Science in medical physics is a 39-semester hour program designed for completion in two years of full-time study; part-time students are also welcome. The M.S. in medical physics offers students a strong foundation in the basic science of medical physics and training in the primary subspecialties of medical physics (therapeutic medical physics, diagnostic medical physics, and nuclear medical physics). The program includes clinical experience in mentored practica at sites within the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System as well as occasional seminars with guest lecturers from the health sciences and industry. The program also offers students the opportunity to participate in basic, applied and clinical research in medical physics, as well as training in the oral and written communication of medical physics research and ideas.

The prescribed course of study will prepare students for:

Junior-physicist/residency positions in medical physics, including residency programs accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP);
Higher education and/or teaching in medical physics;
Assumption of appropriate responsibilities in the clinical practice of medical physics under the supervision of a certified medical physicist; and
Meeting the highest ethical, safety and service standards of the profession of medical physics.

The M.S. program in medical physics is taught by a combined staff from Hofstra University, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, and other health systems, under the supervision of a director from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Hofstra University and a co-director from the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.

Admission Requirements

An undergraduate degree in the sciences with at least a 3.0 average, including courses in calculus, calculus-based introductory physics, calculus-based modern physics, calculus-based electricity and magnetism, and 6 semester hours of additional advanced mathematics or physics. Most students with a degree in physics or engineering or a minor in physics will meet these requirements. Students with strong backgrounds who lack some of these requirements may be considered for admission, subject to passing appropriate prerequisite courses with an average grade of B or higher.
Two letters of recommendation.
An optional interview, scheduled at the request of the student or graduate program director.
For non-native speakers of English, a TOEFL may be required unless waived by the dean of Graduate Admissions and program director, after having received evidence of English-language proficiency.
The following qualifications strongly support a student’s candidacy for admission and will be taken into account:
1. Potential for analytical and critical thinking, laboratory and clinical work, and personal growth;
2. Prior exposure to clinical medical physics or clinical medicine – for example as a volunteer;
3. Prior research experience; and
4. Skill in a major second language in the United States, such as Spanish.

Program Requirements

1) Required Courses - Total Semester Hours: 39

39 s.h. of course work including the following:

BIO 209 - Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Physics Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 212 - Foundations of Clinical Medical Physics Semester Hours: 2
MPHY 214 - Radiological Physics and Dosimetry Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 216 - Radiobiology Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 220 - Radiation Protection and Radiation Safety Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 226 - Radiation Protection and Nuclear Medicine Practicum Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 230 - Fundamentals of Imaging in Medicine I Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 231 - Fundamentals of Imaging in Medicine II Semester Hours: 2
MPHY 235 - Practicum in Medical Imaging Semester Hours: 3 *
MPHY 240 - Radiation Therapy Physics I Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 241 - Radiation Therapy Physics II Semester Hours: 2
MPHY 245 - Practicum in Radiation Therapy Physics Semester Hours: 3 *
MPHY 252 - Fundamentals of Nuclear Medicine Semester Hours: 3
MPHY 290 - Research in Medical Physics Semester Hours: 3
or
3 s.h. of appropriate elective(s), selected under advisement of graduate program director

Note*

*A student enrolled in a medical physics practicum (MPHY 235 or 245 ) who has not taken the licensure examination or met experience requirements to practice medical physics must apply for a limited permit to practice medical physics in New York state. A limited permit authorizes the student to practice as a medical physicist under the supervision of a currently registered New York state-licensed medical physicist, and only in the supervisor’s specialty area. When applying for a limited permit, it is the applicant’s responsibility to complete the New York State Certification of Supervision Section I, forward it to his or her prospective supervisor, and ensure that the prospective supervisor fully completes the Certification of Supervision Section II. There is a fee for the limited license, which expires two years from the date of issue, and may be renewed for a total of six years.

2) B Average or Higher

An average of B or higher in all program course work

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