Medical Physics

Program Overview

Medical Physics Residency in Radiation Oncology Physics

The Medical Physics Residency Program generally lasts two years, but may be extended to three. As the program is accredited, residents follow the CAMPEP syllabus, working through a series of clinical rotations and learning modules in the radiation oncology physics specialty. They cover such topics as:

The overall radiation therapy process
Dosimetry, quality assurance and accelerator calibration
Treatment planning, dose calculation and optimization
Specialized techniques, including in-vivo dosimetry, stereotactic, image guidance, orthovoltage and brachytherapy
Radiation safety and treatment facility design

Physics residents participate in all aspects of the clinical physics workload, and each resident will take the lead on at least one research project during their term.
The residency program prepares its trainees through rigorous study and mentoring from senior physicists. Graduates are generally ready to apply for membership in the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine in the Radiation Oncology Physics subspeciality.
The funding of residency program positions throughout Ontario is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care through Cancer Care Ontario. A general description of Medical Physics residency in Ontario is given at this link to the CCO Website.

Medical Physics Graduate Students

Medical physics graduate students are part of the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy at Queen's, and their academic program largely mirrors that of their colleagues in other fields of physics. The medical physics program is research-based, culminating in the writing and defence of a thesis. Two courses in medical physics are part of the program for all students; master's students take an additional two courses of their choice and doctoral students an additional five.

The program aims to produce well-rounded physicists who are experienced in a wide variety of situations. While the focus is on research in our non-accredited graduate program, most medical physics students will run several short investigative programs in dosimetry, radiation safety, quality assurance or other sub-fields of the profession, and will be exposed to many aspects of clinical physics at the CCSEO at KGH.
The requirements for admission into physics graduate studies at Queen’s University are described here.

Admission

Radiation Oncology Physics Residents

The medical physics department usually accepts one new resident per year, for a two-year term.

The entrance requirements are as follows:

Residents entering a medical physics residency educational program shall have a strong foundation in basic physics. This shall be demonstrated either by an undergraduate or graduate degree in physics, or by a degree in an engineering discipline or another of the physical sciences and with coursework that is the equivalent of a minor in physics (i.e., one that includes at least three upper-level undergraduate physics courses that would be required for a physics major).

In addition, residents must either

Have graduated from a CAMPEP-accredited MS or PhD graduate program, or
Possess a PhD in physics or related discipline and have completed a CAMPEP-accredited certificate program, or
Possess a PhD in physics or related discipline and have satisfactorily completed courses equivalent to those in a CAMPEP-accredited certificate program, as determined by the CAMPEP Graduate Education Program Review Committee (GEPRC).

Application Process:

We are participating in the MedPhys Match for a start date in 2025.

Program details and application instructions may be found here: Kingston Medical Physics Residency

Salary and benefits are set according to the PIPSC Ontario Medical Physicists collective agreement.

For more information, please contact Andrew Kerr, Program Director at andrew.kerr@kingstonhsc.ca.

Graduate Students

The requirements for admission into physics graduate studies at Queen’s University are described at:
https://www.queensu.ca/physics/grad-studies/admission-requirements
Potential students should check current admission requirements with the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy. The medical physics master's program looks for candidates with a strong academic record and an undergraduate degree in physics, engineering physics or a related field; Ph.D candidates should, in addition, hold a master's degree in one of these fields.

Kingston Medical Physics

Residency Training in Radiation Oncology Physics

Program Graduates

Reverse Chronological List of Program Graduates

Name	Qualifications (Degree, Year)	Date of Graduation	Current Occupation	Certification
Logan Montgomery	PhD, Medical Physics	Sept 2023	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Kevin Alexander	PhD, Medical Physics	May 2022	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Kurtis Dekker	PhD, Medical Physics	July 2020	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Jean-David Jutras	PhD, Medical Physics	Sept 2019	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Stefano Peca	PhD, Medical Physics	Sept 2018	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Amr Heikal	PhD, Medical Physics	May 2016	Clinical Medical Physicist	FCCPM
Michel Lalonde	PhD, Medical Physics	Nov 2015	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Tim Olding	PhD, Physics	Dec 2012	Clinical Medical Physicist	FCCPM
Lourdes Garcia	PhD, Physics	Dec 2012	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Daxa Patel	MSc, Physics	May 2010	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Xiangyang Mei	PhD, Physics	Apr 2009	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Johnson Darko	PhD, Physics	Dec 2005	Clinical Medical Physicist
Shuying Wan	PhD, Physics	Oct 2004	Clinical Medical Physicist	FCCPM
Gregory Salomons	PhD, Physics	Jul 2002	Clinical Medical Physicist	MCCPM
Stephen Sawchuk	PhD, Applied Math	May 1996	Clinical Medical Physicist	FCCPM
Andrew Kerr	PhD, Med. Biophys.	May 1994	Clinical Medical Physicist	FCCPM
Frank Chisela	PhD, Physics	Jul 1992	Clinical Medical Physicist	ABR
Ted Sokolowski	MSc, Physics	Oct 1991	Clinical Medical Physicist
Moira Lumley	MSc, Physics	Jun 1998	Clinical Medical Physicist	FCCPM

CCSEO-KGH receives between 20 to 30 applications for residency when a position is advertised.

Certification Attained: Of the past 12 graduates of our residency program, 11 have already attained certification through either the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine, American Board of Radiology, or the American Board of Medical Physics.

Program Statistics

April 2018

Year	# applying	# accepted	# graduating	# certified	# in clinical position	# in academics	# in industry
2008
2009			2	2	2
2010	25	2
2011
2012			2	2	2
2013	33	1
2014	24	1
2015	36	1	1		2
2016
2017	52	1
2018	38	1	1		1
2019	28	1	1		1
2020	28	1	1		1
2022	11	1	1		1
2023	18	1*	1		1
2024	8	1		2
* Candidate withdrew due to personal reasons. Recruitment restarted in 2024.

For information about program statistics for other programs in the province of Ontario, refer to the provincial Medical Physics Residency site.

Program Overview

Medical Physics Residency in Radiation Oncology Physics

Medical Physics Graduate Students

Admission

Radiation Oncology Physics Residents

Graduate Students

Kingston Medical Physics

Residency Training in Radiation Oncology Physics

Program Graduates

Name

Qualifications (Degree, Year)

Date of Graduation

Current Occupation

Certification

Program Statistics

Year

# applying

# accepted

# graduating

# certified

# in clinical position

# in academics

# in industry

Qualifications
(Degree, Year)