Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Hi everyone,

I have a question that is very important for me and I really need your recommendation.

I am a technologist or in another meaning radiographer who has BSc in this field. I applied to more than medical physics master programs and I was accepted in two of them.

My question is I do not have the basic requirement for physic such as modern physic, calculus based physic quantum physic etc. I will start the master in the Fall of this year and I have taken this semester Calculus 1 and I will take next semester Calculus 2 and engineering physic.

on the other hand, I have very strong basic physic for all the machines in radiology such as CT, X-Ray, and MRI.


So, the question is: will it be difficult for me to success or live in such programs without those basics?

Please guide me form your experience ?

Regards.

MRI wrote:Hi everyone,

I have a question that is very important for me and I really need your recommendation.

I am a technologist or in another meaning radiographer who has BSc in this field. I applied to more than medical physics master programs and I was accepted in two of them.

My question is I do not have the basic requirement for physic such as modern physic, calculus based physic quantum physic etc. I will start the master in the Fall of this year and I have taken this semester Calculus 1 and I will take next semester Calculus 2 and engineering physic.

on the other hand, I have very strong basic physic for all the machines in radiology such as CT, X-Ray, and MRI.


So, the question is: will it be difficult for me to success or live in such programs without those basics?

Please guide me form your experience ?

Regards.

Schools won't accept you just to let you fail. Does not having a strong background hurt? Yes. You can learn the basics pretty easily, though, assuming above-average intelligence.

Difficulty of the coursework aside, your main concern should be certification. You should check if your BSc is sufficient to fulfill the requirements for Exam 1 of the ABR, since you mentioned you didn't have some of the basic physics courses, as stated here:
When you apply for Part 1 examination, you must present evidence that you meet all of the following requirements:

You hold a bachelor's degree in physics or applied physics from an approved institution (accredited by a regional accrediting body1). Other physical science or engineering degrees may be considered if the appropriate fundamental physics courses have been completed equivalent to a minor in physics (including general physics with calculus and upper level courses in, for example, electricity and magnetism, atomic physics, nuclear physics, modern physics, quantum mechanics, or mechanics).

If not, maybe find out how many courses you will need to take and how that will affect the length of your master's degree.

MRI wrote:Hi everyone,

I have a question that is very important for me and I really need your recommendation.

I am a technologist or in another meaning radiographer who has BSc in this field. I applied to more than medical physics master programs and I was accepted in two of them.

My question is I do not have the basic requirement for physic such as modern physic, calculus based physic quantum physic etc. I will start the master in the Fall of this year and I have taken this semester Calculus 1 and I will take next semester Calculus 2 and engineering physic.

on the other hand, I have very strong basic physic for all the machines in radiology such as CT, X-Ray, and MRI.


So, the question is: will it be difficult for me to success or live in such programs without those basics?

Please guide me form your experience ?

Regards.

Specifically, what is your degree in?

Regarding the ABR exam, I am not interested in taking it.

Regarding my degree it is Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging as a technologist.

I will be specific this time, do I have to learn or study the upper level physic courses in order to success in the master program in medical physic?

MRI wrote:Regarding the ABR exam, I am not interested in taking it.

Regarding my degree it is Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging as a technologist.

I will be specific this time, do I have to learn or study the upper level physic courses in order to success in the master program in medical physic?

It's unlikely you would ever apply anything from a upper division physics class in an MS program in medical physics. MS programs are clinically oriented and clinicians don't sit around using EM or QM to make calculations. The calculations they do are based on experimental data. There are some upper division concepts that will make your life easier, like the idea of a scattering cross-section, but you won't need to know how to derive them. So I would say no, you don't need upper level physics to be successful in an medical physics masters program.

If you want to get a feel for what kind of knowledge you'll be responsible for check out the following books: Attix: Introduction to Radiolgoical Physics and Radiation Dosimetry, Johns & Cunningham: The Physics of Radiology and Christensen: The physics of diagnostic radiology.

After perusing them you'll see that there's no QM, advanced EM, stat. mech., thermodynamics, solid state physics, etc., etc., etc. Hell, the only book with integrals among those is Attix's book.....

twistor wrote:

MRI wrote:Regarding the ABR exam, I am not interested in taking it.

Regarding my degree it is Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging as a technologist.

I will be specific this time, do I have to learn or study the upper level physic courses in order to success in the master program in medical physic?

It's unlikely you would ever apply anything from a upper division physics class in an MS program in medical physics. MS programs are clinically oriented and clinicians don't sit around using EM or QM to make calculations. The calculations they do are based on experimental data. There are some upper division concepts that will make your life easier, like the idea of a scattering cross-section, but you won't need to know how to derive them. So I would say no, you don't need upper level physics to be successful in an medical physics masters program.

If you want to get a feel for what kind of knowledge you'll be responsible for check out the following books: Attix: Introduction to Radiolgoical Physics and Radiation Dosimetry, Johns & Cunningham: The Physics of Radiology and Christensen: The physics of diagnostic radiology.

After perusing them you'll see that there's no QM, advanced EM, stat. mech., thermodynamics, solid state physics, etc., etc., etc. Hell, the only book with integrals among those is Attix's book.....

I really appreciate your response. you can not imagine how is it difficult for me to take a decision about this issue.

Thank you!

If you are looking to get a little background on cross-sections, energy deposition in media, etc. Pick up a copy of Intro to Nulcear and Particle Physics by Das and Ferbel. It's extremely simple, very basic math and the writing is good. Chapter 6 will be a nice intro for you, maybe some other parts. It's not very expensive either so that's a plus.

midwestphysics wrote:If you are looking to get a little background on cross-sections, energy deposition in media, etc. Pick up a copy of Intro to Nulcear and Particle Physics by Das and Ferbel. It's extremely simple, very basic math and the writing is good. Chapter 6 will be a nice intro for you, maybe some other parts. It's not very expensive either so that's a plus.

That's really a nice book.

I'm very surprised that you would be accepted into a medical physics program without a physics or engineering degree. To do well in the imaging aspects of the coursework you will need to at least have covered Fourier transforms. It's a major concern. If you've only just taken a first year calculus class, I suspect that you will not be familiar with these and that you will will struggle in the coursework involved at a master's degree level. Quantum mechanical-type problems don't come up too often on a clinical level, but E&M to the level of senior undergrad comes up on a regular basis - at least for me.

The other problem is that you'll be expected to do reasearch as a component of the degree and for this you will need a solid background in physics.

rolandgill wrote:I'm very surprised that you would be accepted into a medical physics program without a physics or engineering degree. To do well in the imaging aspects of the coursework you will need to at least have covered Fourier transforms. It's a major concern. If you've only just taken a first year calculus class, I suspect that you will not be familiar with these and that you will will struggle in the coursework involved at a master's degree level. Quantum mechanical-type problems don't come up too often on a clinical level, but E&M to the level of senior undergrad comes up on a regular basis - at least for me.

The other problem is that you'll be expected to do reasearch as a component of the degree and for this you will need a solid background in physics.

This has been discussed in other threads by people who are currently in medical physics programs and they have said it is absolutely not necessary to have a physics degree to succeed in a medical physics program. Fourier transforms aren't hard to learn.