MSc Comprehensive Program

MSc Comprehensive Program

The M.Sc. program, which takes a minimum of two years to complete, prepares students for a career in Clinical Medical Physics and/or Health Physics.

The coursework is comprehensive, extensive, and challenging. The didactic courses are supplemented by laboratory courses designed to give students hands-on experience with some of the equipment and techniques employed in Radiotherapy, Medical Imaging and Health Physics. In addition, a six-month period of research, in an approved laboratory and submission of a research report describing the research work is required.

On successful completion of the courses listed below and the defence of the research, the student will be required to pass a comprehensive examination.

Prescribed Courses

016.736 Medical Radiation Physics (3 credits)

The relevant physics of the production and interaction of radiation beams used in both diagnostic and therapeutic medicine will be covered. Such beams include X- and gamma-rays, particle beams, visible and I.R. radiation, microwaves and ultrasound.

Prerequisite: 016.456 or consent of instructor.

 
016.737 RadioTherapy Physics (3 credits)

The calculations and measurements necessary to determine the radiation dose distribution in patients receiving radiotherapy will be presented. New treatment modalities, e.g. pion therapy and hyperthermia will be discussed.

Prerequisite: 016.451, 016.456 or consent of instructor.

 
016.738 Radiation Biology (3 credits)

The interaction of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation with living systems. The relevance to Radiotherapy. Nuclear medicine and diagnostic radiology.

Prerequisite: 016.102/016.103 (or the former 016.121) or consent of instructor.

 

016.739 Health Physics & Radiation Protection (3 credits)

Ionizing radiation including X-rays, gamma-rays, neutrons, alpha-, beta-, and heavy ion-particle sources, bioeffects, and protection principles are covered. Non-ionizing radiation, including laser light, radio-frequency waves, ultraviolet and infrared light, and ultrasound, sources, bioeffects and exposure protection guidelines are studied.

Prerequisite: 016.736 and 016.738 or consent of instructor.

 

016.740 Medical Imaging (3 credits)

Fundamental principles of image formation, analysis of the characteristics of medical images, parametric description of image quality; application to transmission of radiography.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

 

016.741 Diagnostic Methods (3 credits)

Medical imaging in terms of signal acquisition, data processing, image reconstruction, special techniques, applications in fluoroscopy, computed tomography, radionuclide imaging, ultrasound, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.

Prerequisite: 016.740

 

016.757 Nuclear Physics 3 (3 credits)

Hadron and lepton scattering, the nucleon-nucleon interaction, nuclear structure, nuclear shell model, nuclear excitations and decay, the quark model. Not to be held with the former 016.705.

Prerequisite: 016.451 or consent of instructor.


016.760 Applied Electromagnetism (3 credits)

Waveguides and resonant cavities, charged particle collision theory, Bremsstrahlung, radiation of moving charged particles, multipole radiation. Not to be held with the former 016.715.

Prerequisite: 016.759 or consent of instructor.

 

016.746 Methods in Medical and Health Physics 1 Medical Imaging & Radiation Protection
(3 credits)

This practical course is designed to give students hands-on experience with equipment, clinical techniques and methods of analysis in medical imaging and health physics. Topics such as dosimetry of unsealed sources, radiation shielding design and surveys, meter calibration, decontamination and plume dispersal, CT, Ultrasound, X-ray and Nuclear Medicine imaging techniques, mammography and quality assurance in medical and health physics will be covered. Students are required to take both 016.746 and 016.747 which will be offered in consecutive years.

Prerequisite: Only students accepted into the Medical Physics Program will be allowed to register for this course.

 

016.747 Methods in Medical and Health Physics 2 Radiotherapy and Radiation Biology
(3 credits)

This practical course is designed to give students hands-on experience with equipment, clinical techniques and methods of analysis in radiotherapy and radiation biology. Topics such as error analysis and data reduction, dosimetry of ionizing radiation, radiotherapy, treatment planning, calibration, HDR brachytherapy, microdosimetry and quality assurance in medical physics, will be covered. Students are required to take both 016.746 and 016.747 which will be offered in consecutive years.

Prerequisite: Only students accepted into the Medical Physics Program will be allowed to register for this course.

Supplementary Courses

016.425 Computational Physics (3 credits)

Application of numerical methods and programming skills to model a variety of physics problems on a computer. Topics include differential equations, boundary value and eigenvalue problems, special functions, and Monte Carlo methods, with examples from classical, quantum, statistical and medical physics. (U of M)

Prerequisite: none

 

016.759 Electromagnetic Theory (3 credits)

Maxwells equations, electromagnetic potentials, gauge conditions, conservation laws, Green function methods, diffraction theory, simple radiating systems, Lagrangian derivation of Maxwells equations and the covariant structure of electromagnetism. (U of M)

Prerequisite: none

 

016.744 Advanced Topics (3 credits)
- selected topics appropriate to the student's needs

Selected topics in current diagnostic radiology will be discussed in terms of basic physics principles and diagnostic equipment limitations.

Prerequisite: 016.740 (co-requisite) or consent of instructor

 

022.132 Anatomy of the Human Body (3 credits)

Microanatomy and gross anatomy, including changes occurring from conception to old age. (U of M)

Prerequisite: none

 

022.133 Physiology of the Human Body (3 credits)

Functions of all systems discussed with homeostatic regulatory mechanisms as foundation themes. (U of M)

Prerequisite: none

Please review the Supplementary Regulations for the MSc Medical & Health Physics Program which are posted on the U of M Physics & Astronomy web site.