Medical Physics Residency – Therapeutic Radiological Physics
Welcome
A career in radiation oncology physics starts with a clinical training program which will prepare the medical physicist to become a competent, integral part of the radiation oncology care team. To this end, we welcome you to Allegheny Health Network’s Residency Program in Therapeutic Radiological Physics. More information about Allegheny Health Network is located on the Contact Us page.
Department
The radiation oncology department is consisted of Allegheny General Hospital Cancer Center and 11 remote facilities. Radiation delivery machines include 15 Elekta Versa HD, 1 Varian Linac, 1 Elekta Unity MR-Linac, 1 Gamma Knife Icon, and 5 Elekta Flexitrons. Treatment planning systems used are GammaPlan, Monaco, RayStation, Brainlab Elements, and Oncentra. We have 11 4D Siemens CT scanners, and 1 4D PET/CT. Additional equipment includes 2 Vision RT, 2 Brainlab ExacTrac Dynamic and 11 ABC motion management systems.
Figure 1: AHN Cancer Institute at Allegheny General Hospital
Figure 2: AHN Cancer Institute lobby
Figure 3: Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™
Figure 4: Biograph Vison™ Siemens PET / CT Scanner
Figure 5: Elekta Unity MR-Linac
Figure 6: Elekta Versa HD™ Linear Accelerator
Figure 7: Elekta Flexitron® Brachytherapy afterloading platform
Figure 8: SOMATOM Confidence® RT Pro
About the program
Our program was awarded initial CAMPEP accreditation in March 2021. The residency is structured as a two-year training program. By the end of our program, physics residents will be ready to embark on a career in radiation oncology physics. They will be well prepared for their board examinations and have experience in all the tasks required of a clinical physicist.
Our curriculum follows the recommendations of AAPM Report 249. Learning is structured as a hands-on apprenticeship, intended to support the resident in incrementally acquiring core competence to practice radiation oncology physics independently.
Residents will work through a series of clinical competencies and rotations including:
- Clinical Orientation and Patient Management
- Teletherapy Delivery
- Instrumentation and Dosimetry Protocols
- Teletherapy Treatment Planning – 3D CRT, IMRT, SBRT
- Brachytherapy Commissioning and QM, Delivery, and Treatment Planning
- Patient-specific Physics Services
- Information Systems / EMR
- Imaging for Simulation, Planning, Treatment Verification
- Administrative and Professional
- Clinical Program Development
- Radiation Safety and Regulatory
- Teletherapy Commissioning and QM
- Special Procedures: IVBT, LDREye Plaques, TBI, TSET, Gamma KnifeTM, Linac-based Cranial SRS/SRT, and MR-Linac Unity
Figure 3: Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ is the stereotactic radiosurgery radiotherapy machine of Elekta Corporation
Figure 4: Biograph Vison™ is a PET/CT scanner of SIEMENS Healthineers
Figure 5: Elekta Unity MR-Linac is the MR-linear accelerator, a radiotherapy machine of Elekta Corporation
Figure 6: Elekta Versa HD™ is a linear accelerator, radiotherapy machine of Elekta Corporation
Figure 7: Elekta Flexitron® is a Brachytherapy afterloading platform of Elekta corporation
Figure 8: SOMATOM Confidence® RT Pro is a dedicated CT scanner for RT of SIEMENS Healthineers