Therapeutic Medical Physics Residency Program
Program Goal & Objectives
The CAMPEP-accredited medical physics residency program’s primary goal is to offer clinical training opportunities for students wishing to become practitioners in radiation therapy physics. The 24-month training program is designed to meet existing professional standards for medical physics residency programs and to provide additional training in evolving special procedures.
Program History
The University of Kentucky enjoys a long and rich history of providing clinically-oriented medical physics education. The graduate program began in 1968 and has graduated over 150 students. It received CAMPEP accreditation in 1998. The University of Kentucky Graduate Medical Physics Program (UKGMP) has always placed a strong emphasis on clinical training for its students. Unlike other MS degree granting programs, we do not require a research thesis; rather, the students participate in a clinical practicum. This provides hands-on experience in the major aspects of radiation therapy physics. In 2010, our CAMPEP accredited residency program began. Since then we have trained at least two to four medical residents per year who have successfully gone into medical physics practice, typically providing clinical service to cancer patients. Our program is unique in that we currently select our residents from our UKGMP program.
Program Expansion Began in 2013
In 2013 we added an affiliate CAMPEP approved campus; Hux Cancer Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. The HUX facility has two physicians, eight therapists, two physicists, and two dosimetrists. Under the direction of Chief Physicist Michele Verst, our selected off-site resident receives a continuing quality of education and training with collaboration at St. Francis in Indianapolis and the University of Kentucky to complete residency requirements. HUX selects a resident every other year.
For more information: https://www.myunionhealth.org/services/cancer-care/
In 2016 we continued to grow and expand our opportunity for residencies with another new affiliate campus; Alyzen Medical Physics, Inc. headquartered in Paragould, Arkansas and currently providing clinical services to clinics in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Under the direction of Chief Physicist William Weaver, the Alyzen team currently consists of eight medical physicists and six medical dosimetrists including three previous UK residents. Alyzen selects one resident from our graduate program every year.
For more information: https://alyzenmedical.com/
Program Structure and Governance
The medical physics on site residency is housed in the department of radiation medicine at the UK College of Medicine. Administrative oversight for the program flows through our Graduate Medical Education (GME) office. The UK College of Medicine Department of Radiation Medicine is chaired by Eddy Yang, MD, PhD. Its academic and clinical components are integrated under the College of Medicine and the UK HealthCare system. Local program administration and oversight is performed by Radiation Medicine Director of Medical Physics Dennis Cheek, PhD. The medical physics faculty consists of eight members who are board certified.
For more information, please contact:
Rachel Pendleton
Medical Physics Program Coordinator
University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital
800 Rose Street, Pavillion H, Room C-121
Lexington, KY 40536-0293