Medical Physics Program

 

• What is a Medical Physicist?
• How is Stony Brook unique?
• Program News
• Deadline and Application Procedures
• Academics: Financial Aid
• Courses
• Typical Course Sequence
• Faculty
• Careers
• Contact Us
• Residency Programs

 

Director’s Greeting

Welcome to the Medical Physics Graduate Track at Stony Brook University. We appreciate your taking time to consider our Medical Physics Program.

The Medical Physics Graduate Track resides in the Biomedical Engineering Department and offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The track is accredited by the commission for the accreditation of Medical Physics educational programs (CAMPEP). The Stony Brook Medical Physics track is interdisciplinary with faculty from: radiology, radiation oncology, biomedical engineering and Brookhaven National Laboratory. We offer sub-tracks in Imaging Physics, Nuclear Medical Physics and Oncology Physics. We also have CAMPEP accredited Imaging Physics and Oncology Physics residencies associated with our Program. We also offer a 2+1 residency in Imaging Physics and Nuclear Medical Physics. Our faculty is involved in Medical Physics research and clinical service. Faculty expertise include magnetic resonance imaging, image processing, virtual imaging, positron emission tomography, detector physics for imaging, microplanar beam radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy and dosimetry.

We offer a number of opportunities for research training, including doctoral studies and a thesis option for MS students. Please contact us with any questions you may have. We look forward to receiving your application for Medical Physics Graduate study at Stony Brook.

Terry Button, PhD, DABR, DABMP
Director

What is a Medical Physicist?

Medical physicists apply physics to medicine and are concerned with three areas of activity: clinical service and consultation, research and development and teaching. While several clinical, research and teaching directions are possible, Oncology Physics, Imaging Physics and Nuclear Medical Physics are the focus of our program.

How is Stony Brook unique?

Stony Brook University (SBU) is a public university and a member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The university status was established in 1960 and in 1962, the campus was moved to its present location in Stony Brook. SBU is classified as a Type I research university by the Carnegie Foundation, a designation that reflects the university's volume of federally sponsored research, high percentage of doctoral students and emphasis on scholarship. Particularly strong programs are found in Chemistry, Physics and the Neurosciences. Currently there are 19,000 students involved in over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The School of Medicine was established in 1977 and the University Hospital opened in 1980. At present, the hospital cares for and treats more than 148,000 ambulatory patients and 21,000 inpatients annually. The Emergency Room receives 40,000 visits annually and has recently been renovated to more than double its original floor space.

The Department of Radiology is a fully digital environment with a full picture archive communications system (PACS). The Department conducts approximately 300,000 examinations each year. The Department of Radiation Oncology is a modern state of the art facility which is able to provide a full range of External Beam and brachytherapy (HDR and LDR) treatment. Active programs include 3DCRT, IMRT, respiratory gating treatment, IGRT, RapidArc, SRS/SRT and SBRT. The 240,000 square foot Medical and Research Translation (MART) building has been constructed and has a focus on molecular medicine. The MART houses a cyclotron to support Molecular Medicine research.

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a Department of Energy national laboratory on a 5000 acre site managed by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited liability company founded by Stony Brook University and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization. BNL houses unique tools including the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) and Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) that have been available to support research activities associated with the Medical Physics Program. There are also a variety of technical services available at BNL such as instrumentation, glassblowing, electronics, a clearn room, graphic arts, photography, heavy machine trade shops and central computing.

Many important landmarks in Radiological Medical claim Stony Brook University (SBU) or Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL ) as their birthplace. Important breakthroughs have included the invention by Lauterbur of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the Chemistry Department at SBU and the development of the technetium (Tc-99m) generator, Tl-201 and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) at BNL to name a few. Potentially important innovations in Medical Imaging and the application of radiation for therapeutic benefit are now under investigation at these institutions including virtual diagnostic visualization at SBU and imaging research related to drug abuse at BNL.

The Medical Physics Track at SBU was formed in the Biomedical Engineering Department (BME) in 2002. The Track was devised to integrate research, education and collaboration between BNL and SBU scientists. The overall goal of this Track is to nurture challenging research for graduate students from the Biomedical Engineering Department of SBU by providing a learning environment and expanding the research opportunities to include the advanced facilities and expertise of scientists at University Hospital and BNL.

Since the Medical Physics Track resides within the Biomedical Engineering Department, the diploma indicates a degree in Biomedical Engineering.  Provided the student makes the request upon graduation and it is approved by the Program Director, a statement is added that indicates a concentration in Medical Physics.   In addition, students that complete a graduate degree and fulfill the Medical Physics Track requirements will be provided a CAMPEP Certificate signed by the Program Director.

Program News

 

Graduate Program Statistics

Graduate Program Statistics

Imaging Physics Residency Statistics

Imaging Physics Residency Statistics

Oncology Physics Residency Statistics

Oncology Physics Residency Statistics

 

 

Deadline and Application Procedures

Application to the Medical Physics Track is made through the graduate Biomedical Engineering Department. Students specifically applying for the Medical Physics Track will be reviewed for acceptance to Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics.

Admission to the Medical Physics track requires a strong physics background as evidenced by: a physical science major, minor or, as described below, eventual completion of at least three 300 level physics equivalent courses.

Students with a physical science major or minor generally apply directly to the Program.  A consensus is reached by the Medical Physics Track faculty and offers made to the top candidates. Still other BME graduate students discover Medical Physics by taking a Track course. 

To formally enter the Medical Physics Track, students must earn at least an A- in BME 517.  A lower grade allows entry on probation and the student must maintain an average of at least a B in all Medical Physics courses.

Academics: Financial Aid

 Financial support of graduate students is described at the BME website:  https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/bme/graduate/admissions.

Doctoral students receive a tuition scholarship and a competitive stipend for work as a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA). The tuition scholarship is maintained as long as they remain in “good academic standing” and maintain TA or RA employment. TA positions are offered  by BME while RA positions come from individual BME faculty laboratories, which and are generally obtained at the end of the first academic year.

Courses

The Core Courses that all new graduate students in BME must take are: BME 501 – Engineering Principles in Cell Biology, BME 502 – Advanced Numerical & Computation Analysis Applied to Biological Systems, BME 505 – Principles and Practice of BME, BME 520 – Laboratory Rotation I and BME 521 – Laboratory Rotation II. Medical Physics Track students will also take BME 517 – Radiation Physics, BME 518 – Radiobiology, BME 519 – Medical Health Physics, BME 530 – Medical Image Formation, BME 540 – Radiation Oncology Physics, BME 599 - Research Projects, BME 610 – Magnetic Resonance, BME 611 - Positon Emission Tomography and BME 618 Anatomy for Medical Physicist. In addition, a course in anatomy is required. There a number of courses that satisfy the anatomy requirement; please consult with the Graduate Program Director and/or the Graduate Program Coordinator for a current course list. Formal acceptance into the Medical Physics track is granted only after completing BME 517 with at least an A-. Those that do not earn an A- in BME 517 may be admitted but will be on probation and expected to show excellent performance in subsequent track courses. 

Each course in the Medical Physic track is described below:

BME 517: Radiation Physics

This graduate offering provides an initial physical background required for the study of the Medical Physics. Sources of ionizing radiation including radioactivity (natural and manmade) and x-ray producing devices are studied as well as sources of non-ionizing radiations such as radiofrequency and ultrasound. The physical aspects of these radiations are characterized by their interaction with matter and methods for their detection.

BME 518: Radiobiology

The biological consequences of irradiation (ionizing, ultrasound, laser, RF etc.) will be examined. Interaction mechanisms will first be examined followed by examination of the of the radiation impact at the molecular and cellular level. The use of radiation for therapeutic gain will be considered. As well, models will be developed for risk estimates. Topics to be covered will include: target theory, biological response, NSD and risk estimates.

BME 519: Medical Health Physics

This graduate offering will include the health physics and safety issues associated with Radiological devices, facilities and procedures. Instrument safety including design criteria, methods of evaluation, regulatory requirements and standards will be examined. Methods for facility design/shielding (radiation, magnetic etc.); survey methods and regulatory requirements will also be key aspects of this course.

BME 530: Medical Image Formation

This graduate offering covers the physical aspect of medical image formation. Image receptor design/optimization, reconstruction techniques, device hardware and performance characteristics are considered. Imaging devices covered in this offering include: radiography, fluoroscopy, cinefluorography, digital imaging, computed tomography, ultrasonography, scintigraphy, single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

BME 540: Radiation Oncology Medical Physics

This graduate offering provides a background in therapeutic instrumentation, dosimetry and treatment planning. Clinical radiation generators are examined including kilovoltage units, Van de Graafs, Linacs, beatatron, microtron, cyclotron and radionuclide based units. Means for dose measurement using ionization chambers, solid state detectors (TLD), calorimetry, film and chemical dosimetry are studied as well as dosimetric calculation methods employing depth doses, tissue air rations, tissue maximum rations, irregular field techniques and methods for inhomogeneity corrections. Finally, 2D and 3D computer treatment planning techniques are studied.

BME 575: Clinical Physics Practicum Program in Radiation Oncology

This course focuses on hands-on clinical physics training for Medical Physics students. Didactic lectures are part of the program to provide additional teaching of clinical radidaiton oncology. Our comprehensive program is equipped with the latest radiotherapy procedures: intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, total body irradiation, and machine and patient QAs etc. At the conclusion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate competency in treatment planning for 3D, IMRT and SBRT cases, and machine and patient QAs. They will be well prepared for physics residency program applications.

BME 610: Magnetic Resonance

This course provides a comprehensive study of magnetic resonance and its applications in medical imaging. An introduction of NMR is followed with development of the hardware and processing aspects required for MR image formation. An overview of basic and advanced MR imaging techniques is provided. Each student will select a topic in MR imaging for presentation at the conclusion of the course.

BME 611: Positron Emission Tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a unique and powerful molecular imaging method used in the clinic and in medical research.  It is a multidisciplinary endeavor involving the fields of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and medicine. This course addresses the disparate areas of science underlying PET imaging, including radioisotope production, radiotracer synthesis, the physics of the imaging process, quantitative data processing, image reconstruction approaches, data analysis, and tracer kinetic modeling to extract quantitative physiological parameters.  Radiotracer validation and applications of PET will also be covered including the area of drug addiction.  There is a hands-on component in which students will visit an active PET research center and acquire and manipulate PET data.

This course is designed to prepare the Medical Physics graduate student in the area of clinical Nuclear Medicine Imaging. In this clinical rotation, the students will be exposed to radionuclide processes, radiopharmaceuticlas including radioactive gases and aerosols-prepartio, characteristics and radiation dosimetry, in vitro and in vivo radiation detection systems, imaging systems and their performance evaluations. In addition, basic medical ethics, clinical interpretations and radiation safety will be covered. A total of 150 clinical hours will be completed in this program.

BME 617: Clinical Radiation Oncology Physics (not required for CAMPEP certification)

Course Sequence

 A side-by-side comparison of a typical 2-year BME course sequence compared with the Medical Physics Track is shown in the table below. Both would lead to a MS degree in BME with a thesis option. Alternatively, course work (clinical medical physics laboratories) may be substituted for the Thesis credits. Completion of the Medical Physics Track and additional requirements discussed above would lead to an MS in BME plus a certificate attesting that the graduate completed a CAMPEP approved program. By virtue of this degree and certificate, graduates would be able to gain acceptance to a CAMPEP accredited residency program and eventually sit for the national board examinations.

Semester	Existing BME	Credits	BME MP Track	Credits
Fall I	BME 501 Eng. Prin. Cell Biology	3	BME 501 Eng. Prin. Cell Biology	3
	BME 505 Prin. & Prac. of BME	1	BME 505 Prin. & Prac. of BME	1
	BME 520 Research Rot.I	2	BME 520 Research Rot.I	2
	Elective 1	3	BME 517 Radiation Physics	3
	Elective 2	3	BME 530 Med Image Formation	3
Spring I	BME 502 Num/Comp Analysis	3	BME 502 Num/Comp Analysis	3
	Elective 3	3	BME 518 Radiobiology	3
	Elective 4	3	BME 519 Med Health Physics	3
	BME 521 Research Rot. II	3	BME 521 Research Rot. II	3
Fall II	Elective 5	3	BME 540 Rad Oncology Physics	3
	Elective 6	3	BME 610 Magnetic Resonance	3
	Business Requirement	3	BME 599 Master's Research	3
Spring II	BME 599 Master's Research	6-9	BME 611 Postitron Emission Tomography	3
			BME 599 Master's Research	3-6
	Total Credits	33-42	Total Credits	36-42

 

Faculty

Research Faculty

Research Faculty

Clinical Faculty

Clinical Faculty

 

Careers

The Graduates trained in Medical Physics enjoy a wide variety of employment opportunities. For more general information, we recommend the AIP Career Network Website or the AAPM Career Service.

Contact Us

General application questions should be addressed to the Biomedical Engineering Department. Specific questions regarding Medical Physics should be addressed to:

Terry M. Button Ph.D.
631-444-3841
terry.button@stonybrook.edu

Residency Programs

The graduate Medical Physics Track is affiliated with the Stony Brook University CAMPEP accredited Medical Physics residency Programs in Oncology Physics and Imaging Physics:

Oncology Physics
Stony Brook University Medical Center
(Initial Accreditation: 2009)
Radiation Oncology Department
Stony Brook, NY 11794-7023
Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Program
Director, Xin Qian, Ph.D. DABR
Assistant Clinical Professor
Tel: (631) 638 2137
xin.qian.1@stonybrook.edu
http://cancer.stonybrookmedicine.edu/diagnosis-treatment/radiation-oncology/student

Imaging
Stony Brook University Medical Center
(Initial Accreditation: 2009)
Department of Radiology
Health Sciences Center L4/Rm 4-120
Stony Brook, NY 11794-8460
Tel: (631) 444-3841 / Fax: (631) 444-7538
Imaging Physics Residency Program
Contact: Terry M. Button, Ph.D.
terry.button@stonybrook.edu

https://renaissance.stonybrookmedicine.edu/radiology/medical_physics