In designing of the Program Curriculum, we strive to achieve the general goals described in the CAMPEP standards. The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute training program is designed to satisfy ABR requirements for obtaining Board Certification in the area of Therapy Medical Physics within 3 years. Qualified candidates with a considerable prior proton therapy experience may be offered a two-year track that focuses predominantly on photon and electron external beam radiation therapy as well as brachytherapy.

As a prerequisite, successful candidate is required to demonstrate strong educational background in fundamentals of physics. Therefore, we expect our Residency Candidate to have obtained an undergraduate degree in either physics or an engineering science with at least three upper-level undergraduate physics courses that would be required for a major in physics. Furthermore, we expect our candidates to have graduated from a CAMPEP accredited graduate program (with MS or PhD) or a CAMPEP accredited certificate program in Medical Physics.

Our 3-year curriculum covers the following range of topics:

  • Radiation Therapy Workflow. Patient immobilization, positioning, and blocking. Fabrication of treatment accessories. Absorbed dose determination. Basic Dosimetry Systems. Daily LINAC QA. Daily proton Gantry QA. Patient Specific IMRT QA. 
  • Photon beams: Treatment planning 2D/3D. Electron beam therapy. Basic Dosimetric Concepts. Manual MU Calc. LINAC Monthly QA.
  • Treatment planning IMRT. Dose prescribing and reporting: ICRU concepts. Fundamentals of plan evaluation, risk of normal tissue toxicity: QUANTEC review. LINAC Design. LINAC Annual QA.
  • Treatment planning proton (simple and intermediate level). Basics of proton accelerators/delivery techniques. Proton interactions and RBE. Brachytherapy I. LDR. Radiation Safety and Regulations. Radiation Shielding and Design.
  • Brachytherapy II (UF Gainesville Rotation): HDR. Prostate Seed Implant LDR. Special Procedures: TBI, TSET. Orthovoltage RT. Radiopharmaceuticals.
  • Imaging for RT. Periodic QA, AT and Commissioning of imaging equipment. IGRT and clinical use of multimodality imaging. Social and economic aspects of medical physics: ethics, professionalism and leadership; good billing practice; budgeting and staffing.
  • Special Procedures: SRS, SBRT (photon beam). Linac AT and Commissioning. Elements of Clinical Physics Support (chart check for photon (3DCRT, IMRT) and simple proton plans.
  • Photon and Electron Beam: Dose calculation algorithms; Vendor-specific implementation of photon dose calculation; AT and Commissioning of TPS. Elements of Clinical Physics Support (chart check for photon plans and proton plans up to intermediate level of complexity, Simulation & Treatment support).
  • Proton beam: calibration, dosimetry, AT, commissioning and periodic quality assurance of clinical proton beam. Complex DS proton treatment planning.
  • Proton Dose Calculation Algorithms, Monte Carlo simulations; Plan Optimization for IMPT. Proton TPS AT and Commissioning. Clinical Proton treatment planning IMPT.
  • Proton beam Special Dosimetry measurements and calculations. Proton special procedures: ocular treatment planning and delivery. Radiation Safety, design and Shielding for proton facility.
  • Optional Research project.
     

Curriculum Information

Resident Expectations

The curriculum does not include formal classes on the topics listed here, so that a Resident is expected to perform a considerable amount of guided reading in parallel with her or his hands-on clinical education, supervised by the Residency Program staff.

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