Sample Academic Plan for PhD student with Medical Physics area of specialization

To obtain a PhD in our department, students must take course to fulfil their PhD major course of study and a  PhD minor course of study.  The major course of study consists of 6 classes, at least 4 of them at the graduate level.  The minor course of study may consist of three upper division undergraduate courses in one of the minor subject areas OR two upper division undergraduate-level and one graduate-level course from outside the department for the outside minor (which will be in Radiation Oncology for the Medical Physics minor). A second minor course of study may be pursued.  The second minor course of study consists of one graduate level course and one undergraduate level course.

For a student in the Nuclear Engineering PhD program who will participate in the Medical Physics curriculum, a typical course of study could be the following.

*: CAMPEP required course

Year 1 – Fall

  • *UCB NE 107
  • *UCB NE 207                        Introduction to Imaging
  • *UCB NE 162                        Radiation Biophysics
  • *UCB BioEng 100                 Ethics in Science and Engineering
  • *UCB IntegBi 131                 General Human Anatomy

Year 1 – Winter

  • UCSF BMI 200                      Professionalism in the Academic Medical Center

Year 1 – Spring

  • UCB NE 201                           Nuclear Reactions and Interactions of Radiation with Matter
  • *UCB NE 262                        Radiobiology
  • UCB NE 282                           Charged Particle Source and Beam Technology
  • UCB BioEng 280   Ethical and Social Issues in Translational Medicine

Year 2

Year 2 – Fall

  • UCB NE 204                           Advanced Concepts in Radiation Detection and Measurements
  • *UCSF RadOnc 235A           Radiation Therapy Physics I
  • UCB NE C231                       Medical Imaging Signals and Systems
  • UCB NE 275                           Principles and Methods of Risk Analysis

Year 2 – Winter

  • *UCSF RadOnc 235B           Radiation Therapy Physics II

Year 2 – Spring

  • UCB NE C235                        Principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • *UCSF Radonc 235C            Radiation Therapy Physics III and Clinical Rotation
  • UCB NE 255                           Numerical Simulation in Radiation Transport

Year 3

  • UCSF BMI 204                       Principles of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Ultrasound
  • UCB NE 207                           Physical Principles of CT, PET, and SPECT Imaging
  • Elective
  • Clinical integration with on-the-job shadowing of practicing medical physicists at UCSF
  • Directed Research in a Medical Physics related topic.
  • Oral Exam for advancement to PhD candidacy

Year 4+

  • Clinical integration with on-the-job shadowing of practicing medical physicists at UCSF
  • Directed Research in a Medical Physics related topic.
  • Thesis preparation and defense