Biomedical Graduate Programs

Medical Physics (MS and certificate)

Preparing graduates with a desire to pursue a career in medical physics in a variety of professional settings through a CAMPEP-accredited program

The Wake Forest graduate program in Medical Physics provides a combination of didactic, clinical, laboratory, and research experiences to educate and train MS and PhD medical physicists for competitive post-graduate training positions, national board certification, and productive careers in clinical service, education, and research.

Accreditation for this program and associated certificates are currently under review by Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).

Overview

Medical Physics is an applied branch of physics concerned with the research, development and application of physical concepts and methods to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Medical Physics incorporates scientific and technological aspects of the physical sciences, computer and imaging science, bioengineering, and the biological sciences. The MS degree is required for entry into the field. Medical Physicists are credentialed healthcare practitioners, educators, and researchers, with positions in community practice, academia, industry and government. In North America, there are approximately 8,500 medical physicists. New recruits to the field are needed nationally and internationally to maintain and grow the number of medical physicists needed to meet regulatory and credentialing requirements, population growth, and the projected increases in cancer and other diseases that benefit from medical physics services. The professional society American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) website provides invaluable information about medical physics in practice and as a career.

The Medical Physics program is wholly consistent with the Mission and Strategic Plan for the Wake Forest School of Medicine in providing the training venue for the next generation of medical physicists. Graduate trainees in medical physics will perform research, discover new concepts, develop new technologies, and assist others in the delivery of care. The Radiation Sciences, interdisciplinary across several departments, are strong at Wake Forest. Key contributors to this scientific area of research are the medical physics faculty and their graduate students who provide radiation physics expertise and resources for studies on the impact of radiation sources on biological systems. At Wake Forest, medical physicists are key teammates in the following areas or units:

Comprehensive Cancer Center	Imaging Science
Radiation Oncology	Biomedical Engineering
Diagnostic Radiology	Clinical Translational Science

Admissions

Ideal applicants for the Master of Science program will have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, or are scheduled to complete their degree prior to their planned enrollment term. The program is open to all applicants, domestic and international, who meet this criteria. We especially welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds, including students that the National Institutes of Health defines as under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Competitive applicants will have a BA or BS degree in the physical, computational, or engineering sciences with the equivalent of a minor in physics with an average GPA of 3.0 or above. Applicants should be vested in pursuing a career in medical physics either in the clinical, industrial, governmental, or academic sectors. This program meets required prerequisites for placement in a medical physics residency position upon graduation.

Enrolled MS students should expect to commit to a minimum of 5 academic terms in this Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center-based program.

Ideal applicants for the Graduate Certificate program are those holding a PhD in a physical science discipline, and who are seeking lateral entry into clinical medical physics. Alternatively, candidates other advanced degrees and previous healthcare work experience are highly encouraged to apply. The Graduate Certificate program is under review for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). We anticipate that the certificate will satisfy the required didactic training for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Exam eligibility.

Enrolled Graduate Certificate students should expect to commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms, starting with a fall term enrollment and concluding in the following spring term, however no on-campus presence in Winston-Salem is necessary. All coursework required for Graduate Certificate students may completed as distance learners. Applicants wishing to pursue the certificate from outside of the United States should contact the Admission Chair to discuss prior to applying.

Curriculum

This program is designed to educate and train students to pursue a career as a medical physicist. The potential avenues for this career path include clinical medicine, industry, government regulatory agencies, and academia. For students interested in pursuing American Board of Radiology (ABR) certification in Therapy or Diagnostic Physics, this program will place graduates in competitive standing for CAMPEP Accredited Residency positions. Students purely interested in academic or industry career paths will receive active training and early experience in clinical medical physics.

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Facilities

Resources and facilities include advanced diagnostic and radiation treatment devices, research irradiators, clinical/research instrumentation in clinical and basic science departments, well-equipped computer laboratories, and graduate student office spaces. The NCI-credentialed Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center provides access to other robust educational and research resources.

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Leadership and Faculty

Led by Program Director William “Andy” Dezarn, PhD, DABR, and Program Assistant Director Paul Black, PhD, DABR the program’s faculty have deep experience in medical physics. Faculty and staff include twenty board-certified radiation therapists & technologists with a subset credentialed for IACUC-approved animal research procedures, one clinical engineer, four board-certified radiation dosimetrists, seven board-certified faculty radiation oncologists, two faculty radiation biologists, and eight board-certified faculty radiation physicists.

Jim Ververs, PhD

Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology

Mahta M. McKee, MS, DABR, FABS

Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology

Michael Thomas Munley, PhD

Section Head for Physics, Radiation Oncology
Professor, Radiation Oncology

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These degree programs are administered by Wake Forest University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and located on the Bowman Gray Campus alongside Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

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Research Focus Areas

Translation to Care

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Medical Physics (MS and certificate)

Overview

Admissions

Curriculum

Facilities

Leadership and Faculty

Andy Dezarn, PhD

Paul Black, PhD

Jim Ververs, PhD

Mahta M. McKee, MS, DABR, FABS

Michael Thomas Munley, PhD

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