Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is Oregon's only academic health center and is nationally respected distinguished as a research university dedicated solely to advancing health sciences.
OHSU is a community of healers dedicated to saving lives, ensuring the well-being of all entrusted to our care. We aim to recruit, retain, and develop diverse medical physics residents. We believe that in order to deliver great health care, we must train culturally-competent physicians from diverse backgrounds - including members of racial and ethnic groups that are historically underrepresented in medicine, individuals raised in rural environments, and people who have overcome significant social and financial disadvantages.
The Department of Radiation Medicine has a long history of academic training geared toward clinicians and medical professionals. Since 1966, the Department has sustained a thriving radiation oncology physics program.
In 2009, Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University created a joint medical physics graduate program called Oregon Medical Physics Program (OMPP). The OMPP program was accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP) in 2011 and is the only CAMPEP-accredited program in the Northwest.
In 2011, building on the OMPP, the Department of Radiation Medicine established OHSU’s Medical Physics Residency Program to provide high quality training to the standards recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) professional council and CAMPEP.
The Medical Physics Residency Program’s aims to provide clinical training in medical physics, with a focus of all aspects radiation therapy, that will prepare residents for board certification and a professional career in radiation oncology.
The training provides structured education under the supervision of board certified medical physicists. Training is structured to follow the recommended CAMPEP guidelines and AAPM Report No. 90 and Report No. 249.
The program currently has two medical physics residents and recruits for one new resident annually.
Curriculum
Residents are provided with a residency training schedule that provide an overview of each clinical rotation, the duration of each rotation, learning objectives, evaluation points, and reading materials. Residents are provided with a tracking portal account to log and track clinical cases during each clinical rotation.
Year One: The first year of training consists of close work with medical physicists and dosimetrists.
Rotations include: Dosimetry; Radiation Safety; Quality Assurance; Linac Annual Quality Assurance; Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy; Cyber Knife; Gamma Knife; Tomo Annual Quality Assurance
Year Two: The second year of training residents are provided with autonomy to develop independent thinking and problem solving skills.
Rotations include: Tomotherapy; Brachytherapy; Special Procedures: Intrabeam; Special Procedures: Mobetron; Special Procedures: Total Body Irradiation; Special Procedures: Total Skin Electron Therapy; Linac Annual Quality Assurance; Acceptance & Commissioning
Residents are provided the opportunity to participate in the commissioning of new technologies.
Research
The Medical Physics Residency Program does not contain a research requirement but residents are strongly encouraged to develop this skillset through clinical implementation projects which require literature review, experimentation, and documentation.
Didactics
Residents are required to attend and participate in:
- Contour/Chart Rounds (Tuesdays, Thursdays)
- Physics Journal Club (Monthly)
- Radiation Biology Course (Fridays)
- Two Week Physics Intensive (Annually)
Residents are encouraged to attend:
- Tumor Boards
- Graduate Medical Physics Journal Club
- Graduate Medical Physics Advanced Imaging Course
Residents are also required to instruct in a lecture or practicum setting to the graduate students and/or medical residents.
Technology
The Department of Radiation Medicine serves patients at the OHSU’s main campus (Marquam Hill) and five satellite centers. The satellite centers are located in Oregon and are accessible by car and public transportation.
The primary site is Marquam Hill, and residents may be required to visit satellite sites if unique training opportunities arise. The program utilizes all facilities to provide residents with a comprehensive and in-depth exposure to the field of medical physics.
SALARY & BENEFITS
OHSU is committed to providing comprehensive, affordable and customizable benefits for its employees. Total rewards package includes benefits that meet the essential health needs of employees and their families, help secure a strong financial future and enhance wellbeing.
Resident biweekly salary is dependent upon the level of postgraduate training the resident/fellow has completed within the United States. Incoming medical physics residents are paid at a PGY-1 level.
OHSU residents are provided various plans from which to choose for medical, dental, vision, prescription and life insurances, with optional coverage including disability, AD&D and family coverage. OHSU pays for most of the costs of the monthly premium for employees and part of the costs of the monthly premium for spouses and children.
On their first day of physical work at OHSU, residents will receive default benefits. The default benefit plan exclusively covers the individual resident. These benefits include a generous annual paid time off package, which includes:
- Vacation Leave
- Sick Leave
- Parental Leave
- Family Medical Leave
- Educational Leave
Treating patients in the Department of Radiation Medicine is truly a team sport. Alongside a radiation oncologist, highly skilled medical teams collaborate with each patient to deliver the best and safest care. Each team assumes a distinct role in the treatment process. The department is made up of:
- 25 Radiation Therapists
- 11 Radiation Oncologists
- 12 Medical Physicists
- 11 Dosimetrists
- 10 Radiation Oncology Nurses
- 7 Radiation Oncology Residents
- 2 Medical Assistants
- 1 Medical Physics Resident
To complement the medical team, the Department of Radiation Medicine also provides patients with in-house access to oncology social workers, a clinical dietitian and a naturopathic doctor.
Portland and Oregon and the PNW
Living in Portland offers the perk of actively exploring the lush landscapes of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. This region is renowned for its outdoor adventures, green forests, breathtaking views, dramatic coastline, and snow-capped mountains. Additionally, it boasts some of the country's best coffee, craft beer, and wine. Oregon is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and Cascade Mountains, and from the balcony of Kohler Pavilion, you can see Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount St. Helens on a clear day. The climate here varies, ranging from high desert landscapes like the Alvord Desert to actual glaciers.
Portland's unexpected attractions range from coffee shops and bookstores to gourmet restaurants and breweries. Downtown Portland is a bustling metropolitan, full of historic building, intimate coffee shops, hip bars, an impressive foodie scene, and all the things that “Keep Portland Weird”. When a change of scenery is needed, a two-hour drive will take you to hiking and camping in Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, or the Columbia River Gorge. For beach enthusiasts, the coastal range is a three-hour drive away, while those seeking drier weather can reach the desert in less than four hours. And Portland is home to Powell’s City of Books, the largest used and new bookstore in the world.