The Imaging Physics Residency Program at Penn Medicine offers an outstanding training experience to the next generation of diagnostic medical physicists. We welcome your interest and invite you to learn more.
Program Overview
Penn's Imaging Physics Residency Program aims to provide our residents with the exceptional clinical and education experiences for which Penn Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania have become world renowned. Penn Medicine’s Department of Radiology extends its imaging services across southeastern and central Pennsylvania, and southwestern New Jersey. This provides a unique environment for the residents to be exposed to various imaging modalities and state of the art technology as well as gain experience maintaining regulatory compliance with different local agencies. The residency program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP) for diagnostic medical physics.
Since its beginning in 1896, the Department of Radiology at Penn Medicine has held a position as one of the leading academic imaging departments. The Physics Section of Penn Radiology consists of:
- Ten board-certified medical physicists
- One quality assurance technologist
- One administrative staff
The Penn Radiology Physics Section provides medical physics services to the Penn Medicine Health System, which includes five hospitals and 13 multi-specialty outpatient centers.
Training
The diagnostic medical physics residency is two years in duration. Throughout the course of the residency program, residents will be trained under the supervision of board-certified medical physicists in the following areas:
- Acceptance, annual, and post-repair performance testing of imaging equipment
- Establishing, maintaining, and evaluating appropriate quality control programs for various imaging modalities
- Assessment of image quality and trouble-shooting image artifacts
- Accreditation testing for advanced imaging modalities like CT, MRI, and mammography
- Radiation protection and safety including shielding design, patient and fetal dose estimations, personnel dosimetry services, and general health physics topics
- Protocol optimization, radiation dose tracking, and technology management
- Conducting research in and educating others about the field of imaging physics
- Clinical awareness, professionalism and communication
Admissions
|
IMAGING PHYSICS RESIDENCY AT PENN MEDICINE: PROGRAM DATA
(Updated June 2024) |
| Academic Year |
Number of Applications |
Number of Offered Admissions |
Number Enrolled in Program |
Number Completing Program |
| 2021 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
NA |
| 2022 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
NA |
| 2023 |
40 |
1 |
3
|
1 |
| 2024 |
36 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Destination of Graduates
(Updated June 2024) |
| Academic Year |
Clinical |
Industry |
Academic |
Government |
Additional Education |
Still Seeking Position |
Other |
| 2023 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2024 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
The Imaging Physics Residency at Penn will be using MedPhys Match to fill the open slot(s) for July 2025. Applications must be submitted through MP-RAP no later than January 5, 2025.
To be considered for the residency program, all applicants must meet the following requirements:
MS Applicants: Completion of a CAMPEP-accredited graduate medical physics program
PhD Applicants:
- Completion of a CAMPEP-accredited certificate program or graduate medical physics program
or
- Completion of a doctorate degree in physics, physical science, or engineering, with either an undergraduate degree in physics or at least three upper-division (junior- or senior-level) undergraduate physics courses and have completed some of the required graduate coursework outside a CAMPEP-accredited graduate program (the course will be evaluated by the residency program director)
The required graduate coursework, which is specified in the CAMPEP Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Educational Programs in Medical Physics, Section 8 – Core Graduate Curriculum, addresses the following topics:
- Radiological Physics and Dosimetry
- Radiation Protection and Safety
- Fundamentals of Medical Imaging
- Radiobiology
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Radiation Therapy Physics
All candidates should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
We welcome all qualified individuals interested in pursuing a career in imaging physics to apply to our residency program.
Supplemental information may be sent to Scott Cupp IPRP Program Director
Send your application now
Benefits and Resident Life
Employee Benefits
Imaging physics residents are employees of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) and are eligible for UPHS benefits such as health insurance (including dental and vision) and paid time off (15 vacation days, 12 sick days, five personal days, and seven paid holidays).
In addition to these benefits, each resident is given a generous budget for travel to conferences, professional organization membership dues, and textbook expenses.
Resident Life and Philadelphia Area Information
As the second largest city on the East Coast, Philadelphia has much to offer in the areas of culture, dining and entertainment, and historical attractions and architecture. Philadelphia is also located a few hours from both the beaches of New Jersey and the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania which provide opportunities for fun, outdoor seasonal activities.
The University of Pennsylvania is located in the heart of Philadelphia which makes it easy for the Penn Community to take advantage of all that this great city and region have to offer!
More about living in Philly
Locations
Penn Medicine provides patients with cutting-edge imaging techniques and services at convenient locations throughout the Philadelphia region.
Our imaging physics residents will travel to any of Penn Radiology's southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey locations, and/or to any number of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health imaging facilities, where they will have the opportunity to gain experience with different modalities and technology.