Information for Prospective Applicants to CAMPEP-Accredited Residency Programs

Program directors and individuals applying to CAMPEP-accredited residency programs need to be aware of didactic prerequisites that must be met prior to embarking on a clinical education program in a CAMPEP-accredited residency program.  Didactic prerequisites may be met in one of several ways.

The standard pathway for most applicants is to complete a CAMPEP-accredited graduate program with either a master’s or a doctorate degree. 

However, the medical physics community has long recognized the important contributions to the discipline from individuals with a variety of academic backgrounds.  Consequently, CAMPEP has developed an alternate pathway for such individuals.  The requirements for an alternate pathway are as follows:

  1. Satisfactory completion of a doctorate degree in physics, physical science, or engineering with either an undergraduate degree in physics or at least three upper-division (3rd or 4th year undergraduate) physics courses.

  2. Satisfactory completion of the following six graduate-level courses:

    Radiological Physics and Dosimetry
    Radiation Protection and Safety
    Fundamentals of Medical Imaging
    Radiobiology
    Anatomy and Physiology
    Radiation Therapy Physics

    Details of the six required courses can be found in Section 8 of the Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Educational Programs in Medical Physics.

    The six required didactic courses may be taken in one of several venues as described below.  No more than two courses may be taken during a 24-month residency.  In order to take additional courses, the duration of the residency program must be extended.

    1. The courses may be taken in a CAMPEP-accredited graduate program.
    2. The courses may be taken in a CAMPEP-accredited certificate program.
    3. The courses may be taken if offered by the residency program, provided that the residency is certified by CAMPEP to offer the courses. If courses similar to those required for entry into a residency program were taken in a non-accredited graduate program, the residency program director may review the course material to determine if the courses are equivalent to those in a CAMPEP-accredited graduate program.  The program director is accountable to CAMPEP in assuring that the courses are equivalent, and must report the courses accepted as equivalent for each alternate pathway student in the program’s annual report.  The program director may require the applicant to make up some curricular deficiencies, if needed.  Interested applicants need to contact the program director directly to determine the acceptability of this pathway.  The program director may ask the GEPRC to review the course(s) for a fee of $250/course. 
    4. The applicant may apply directly to the Graduate Education Program Review Committee (GEPRC) for review of one or more particular courses.  In order to do so, the applicant must provide the GEPRC (GEPRCchair@campep.org) with a copy of the course syllabus in considerable detail, examples of representative homework assignments, examinations and a fee of $250 per course, payable in US funds to CAMPEP, and mailed to CAMPEP, Inc., One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Maryland 20740.