- This event has passed.
Colloquium – Izabella Barreto (UF Radiology)
Exploring Medical Physics: The need for physicists in medicine
Medical Physics is an applied branch of physics that utilizes physics concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Medical physicists enhance the effectiveness of radiological imaging procedures and ensure that cancer patients receive the prescribed radiation dose to the correct location. Unfortunately, few patients are aware that medical physicists contribute to their healthcare, and many students don’t know that it can be a rewarding career option. However, several medical physicists have reported satisfaction with the career, including time spent with patients, compensation, and teaching opportunities. Furthermore, the growing clinical demand for medical physicists has increased the number of graduate program and clinical residencies by more than seven-fold. This session will cover the historical development and importance of the medical physics field, typical tasks a medical physicist performs, including in clinical, research, academic, and industry settings, and pathways to become a medical physicist. We will also highlight the new Medical Physics Undergraduate Internship Program recently developed at UF.