Medical Physics is a profession that includes clinical, industrial and academic practices. The Radiation and Radiological Sciences PhD program is designed primarily for students who desire to enter a clinical career, but who want to acquire the additional skills and credentials that accompany a PhD. This educational program is provided by the Departments of Radiation Medicine and Radiology, both of which are clinical departments within the UK Healthcare enterprise, thus providing a unique culture and context to the training.
Research areas involve collaborative efforts between students, clinical physicists and physicians, and often possess direct clinical applicability. The collaborative nature of the program structure allows for didactic, clinical and research training in therapeutic and diagnostic medical physics. For additional information, visit: https://medicine.uky.edu/departments/radiationmedicine/medical-physics-graduate-program.
Admission Requirements
A BS or MS in Physics is desirable, but students possessing related physical science backgrounds are eligible and qualified. At a minimum, candidates must show the equivalence of a minor in physics in all undergraduate work, as defined by the American Board of Radiology and CAMPEP. To meet the Minor in Physics requirement, candidates must have completed the following: 1) Calculus through Ordinary Differential Equations; 2) The Calculus based introductory General Physics sequence with labs (2 semesters); and 3) Three upper division Physics electives (junior level or above).
Other program requirements are courses in Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Computer Science, and Scientific Statistics. The latter requirements, if missing, may be incorporated into the graduate program at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies. An undergraduate GPA of 3.50 is highly desirable and the General GRE exam is required. While there are no absolute minimum scores required, scores on the Verbal section at or above the 60th percentile and a score on the Quantitative section at or above the 70th percentile are desirable.
An interview is required of all applicants being considered for admission. Fluent spoken English skills are required and are assessed during the interview. In addition, observation or job shadowing experience with a certified clinical Medical Physicist is very important when considering applicants for admission. Three Letters of Recommendation and a personal statement are also required. It is recommended that applications be submitted by January 31 to assure full consideration, however applications received after January 31 may be reviewed depending on the progress of student recruitment. The absolute deadline for domestic applications is April 30. In addition, the Graduate School imposes a deadline of April 15 for international applicants.
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