PHYSICS WITH MEDICAL PHYSICS

kevcos

Just wondering if anybody out there as doing this course at NUIG.
I am interested in find out a bit about it, the prospectus information isn't that great on it, so if anybody could tell me a bit about it I'd appreciate it a lot. Is it a tough course, what type of a career could be followed with the degree, etc.

Thanks

Stephen REA37G

Hi,

I'm currently in 2nd year of this course. For first year, you will do the general 1st Science Courses: Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology. You will also do an into course to Medical Physics which includes lectures on technology such as: X-Ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy etc.... At the end of this part of the course in 1st year you will also do a small research project on one of these topics.

Career wise, there are many different branches you can go into such as Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotheraphy and Radiation Protection are only a few examples.
Also, because it's a Physics degree you can technically branch into anything once you finish the 4 years.

If you have Physics done for L.C you should be fine for 1st year. Gets tougher when you go on into 2nd but I've heard after that, the Physics gets a lot more interesting.

If you have anymore queries, feel free to PM me.

This is the webpage for the course:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/physics/physics_med.html

meeka

I'm doing this course, in 2nd year at the moment. [^ - hi stephen ]

I transferred into it after a month of biomedical engineering last year (I hated that course..) and I'm quite enjoying it! First year is, for the most part, basically like undenominated science. You do maths, physics, chemistry, biology (not to the same extent as most 1st science students though; ie, we don't do botany) and also an introduction to medical physics course.

First year is grand if you go to lectures, basically. Nothing is too challenging and of course there's loads of tutorials etc. The introduction course to medical physics we got last year was quite interesting and it wasn't really difficult at all, again, once you actually go to the lectures. So far in 2nd year it's a fair bit tougher, but you'd expect that! This year we have maths physics, physics, statistics and anatomy. As for 3rd and 4th year I can't really say; there isn't actually a 4th year class at the moment since the degree is only in it's 3rd year.

The most obvious career path would be as a medical physicist in a hospital - to go onto this you'd have to do a masters in medical physics, followed by some sort of training program, I think. Of course if after your 4 undergrad years you decide you don't want to go down that road, the thing about the degree is that you still have a basic physics degree .. so you still have all the opportunities that the other physics graduates have, in terms of getting postgrads in other areas of physics. And that's actually the thing to remember, it IS a physics degree and is for the most part just regular physics, with the medical physics aspect added on.

If you have any specific questions I'll try my best to answer, hope this helped.

kevcos

Stephen REA37G wrote: »

Hi,

I'm currently in 2nd year of this course. For first year, you will do the general 1st Science Courses: Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology. You will also do an into course to Medical Physics which includes lectures on technology such as: X-Ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy etc.... At the end of this part of the course in 1st year you will also do a small research project on one of these topics.

Career wise, there are many different branches you can go into such as Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotheraphy and Radiation Protection are only a few examples.
Also, because it's a Physics degree you can technically branch into anything once you finish the 4 years.

If you have Physics done for L.C you should be fine for 1st year. Gets tougher when you go on into 2nd but I've heard after that, the Physics gets a lot more interesting.

If you have anymore queries, feel free to PM me.

This is the webpage for the course:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/physics/physics_med.html

meeka wrote: »

I'm doing this course, in 2nd year at the moment. [^ - hi stephen ]

I transferred into it after a month of biomedical engineering last year (I hated that course..) and I'm quite enjoying it! First year is, for the most part, basically like undenominated science. You do maths, physics, chemistry, biology (not to the same extent as most 1st science students though; ie, we don't do botany) and also an introduction to medical physics course.

First year is grand if you go to lectures, basically. Nothing is too challenging and of course there's loads of tutorials etc. The introduction course to medical physics we got last year was quite interesting and it wasn't really difficult at all, again, once you actually go to the lectures. So far in 2nd year it's a fair bit tougher, but you'd expect that! This year we have maths physics, physics, statistics and anatomy. As for 3rd and 4th year I can't really say; there isn't actually a 4th year class at the moment since the degree is only in it's 3rd year.

The most obvious career path would be as a medical physicist in a hospital - to go onto this you'd have to do a masters in medical physics, followed by some sort of training program, I think. Of course if after your 4 undergrad years you decide you don't want to go down that road, the thing about the degree is that you still have a basic physics degree .. so you still have all the opportunities that the other physics graduates have, in terms of getting postgrads in other areas of physics. And that's actually the thing to remember, it IS a physics degree and is for the most part just regular physics, with the medical physics aspect added on.

If you have any specific questions I'll try my best to answer, hope this helped.

Hey folk's, thanks for your feedback I really appreciate it. The intro to Med Physic subjects seem very interesting, I wouldn't think that there are many courses in Ireland where you would be exposed to such subjects.

I have a couple of other questions that I'd like to hear your opinion's on;

(Just to let you know I will be going to Uni as a mature student, and so I am currently attending the foundation course in Science and Eng ran by NUIG for progression to their undergraduate programmes next year, this is because it has been a few years since I've studied anything of note and I would like get back in to the classroom mode and hit the ground running next September. Academically I think I will be O.K. with the course work, that is to say I don't think I'll be anymore frazzled than anybody else come exam time! )

Firstly, a few students, of other courses, that I have spoken to have been of the opinion that studying a more general degree course and then specialize in a chosen field is preferred by prospective employers, what do you think?

After re reading your post I think the first question is probably answered, I am just a bit apprehensive about doing such as apparently specialized course.

Secondly, Meeka I was initially interest in BioMed Eng also, but after looking in to the course a little and talking to a few students on the course, I felt that BioMed Eng is a bit far removed from interaction with the patients whom would be using the devices an Engineer makes/designs.I would like to be closer to the application of my work, if that make any sense to you.

Finally what are the employment prospects like? From what I know this course has only reached 3rd year as of yet. The course is actually listed one of the only places in Ireland to study Med Physic's, however accurate that is? Is there, or will there be a demand for Med Physic's grads, if I do the course there will be quite a few grads gone in to the jod hunting field ahead of me, including you guy's!

Thanks in advance again Kev.

meeka

It's one of the only 2 undergraduate degrees at present that specialise in Medical Physics as far as I know; the other being in DIT, (physics with medical physics & bioengineering I think). There are only 2 masters courses in Medical Physics in Ireland as well, one in NUIG and the other in Trinity... I could be wrong on this, but they're the only courses I'm aware of.

To be honest I don't think this degree is that "specialised" in the way that you do end up with a Physics degree, it's not a degree just in Medical Physics - you can go on to study any Physics related subject at postgraduate level with this degree, so you're not restricted in that way. As far as I'm aware there is great prospective employment for medical physicists; my dad is involved with the masters course here in NUIG, apparently all of the MSc students from last year were offered jobs. So there is demand, certainly!

Bijoux

Hi,
I'm currently in 3rd year of the medical physics course and it gives you all the same prospects as an undenominated degree majoring in physics, or indeed an experimental physics degree. Obviously, when it comes to doing a masters in medical physics, or anything related to that field, you would be at a huge advantage with the denominated course. For example, students doing the M.Sc have to take anatomy, denominated med phys graduates are excluded from this as we did it in second year, and so on and so forth.
Demand is going up in medical physics, the size of the masters course has tripled in the last 3 years.
Regarding the job situation, the prospects in Ireland are currently kinda crap, but thats mainly because of the HSE recruitment freeze, it should be grand in a couple of years. Loads of jobs elsewhere though, especially in the US. And meeka is right about the degrees: there are only 2 masters courses in Ireland at the moment, the one here in NUIG is a taught masters, not sure about the Trinity one.


If you have any questions it's worth contacting the course director, Mark Foley, he's generally very helpful! Hope this was of some use

kevmy

I know a few people (~6) who have done the masters course in the last few years. All of them are doing something in the medical physics field and from what I gather so are almost all of their classmates.

Some are doing PhDs in the area, most of the rest are working in hospitals. Some
are in Galway, some in Dublin, some in England - I even know a girl in New Zealand who done it.

Also even though the HSE has a recruitment freeze at the moment remember that private hospitals in Ireland don't and I know a few of them have hired recently.

gamby

Hi Guys,

I know this is prob an old enough thread, but im jus looking into doing the masters in this NUIG.

I have a double degree in experimental physics and Biolgy from NUIM.

What are the job prospects in ireland from the medical physics course like at the moment??
I am actually finding it quite hard to get job at the moment and jus started to consider goin back and doin my masters...

Also there was mention of training courses once you have the masters does anyone have any more information on this??

Thanks
Gamby

RolandIRL

hi gamby.
my brother is doing the Medical Physics Masters course this year. he'll be finished it next month, but he's finding it very hard to get jobs anywhere. he applied to a few in england and he didn't make the shortlist cos over 60 applied for the job but he had zero experience.

i'll ask him to give me some info on it. any specific questions you want to ask?

gamby

whiteman19 wrote: »

hi gamby.
my brother is doing the Medical Physics Masters course this year. he'll be finished it next month, but he's finding it very hard to get jobs anywhere. he applied to a few in england and he didn't make the shortlist cos over 60 applied for the job but he had zero experience.

i'll ask him to give me some info on it. any specific questions you want to ask?

Has he had any luck yet, and what bout his class mates?
i've got accepted into the masters course and not still 100% sure if i want to do it ... purely base on the job prospects after?

Many thanks
Gamby

RolandIRL

he hasn't any luck with jobs yet but it's not looking good in ireland but the masters allows for european jobs but for some reason not america or australia.

the situation seems to be that there is a good few jobs in england but there's a load applying for them with experience. the masters really needs some experience to get a job. by itself at the moment, there isn't many job prospects without experience. but maybe that's the case with most jobs especially at this time.
that said, my brother is enjoying the masters but he's finding that he just wishes it to be over and done with. he's finding it hard to keep movitated, but overall he enjoyed the masters.