FAQ

Students admitted to the Medical Physics Program have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.7 and an average overall GRE score of 1328 (547 verbal and 763 quantititave). Most are undergraduate physics majors, many with a minor in mathematics.

For Fall 2010, we received more than 80 well-qualified applications; of these, fourteen students accepted offers of admission.

We are looking for candidates with a strong physics background, either undergraduate physics majors or physical science, mathematics or related engineering majors with a physics minor or its equivalent. A physics minor means having taken at least six undergraduate physics courses, which should include intermediate-level coursework in electromagnetism.

In addition to the physics requirements, we also look for students who have taken at least four semesters of college-level calculus, including differential equations. Intermediate-level quantum mechanics, two semesters of college-level chemistry, and a course in anatomy and physiology are preferred.

We have designed the new MMP Program based not only on CAMPEP accreditation requirements but also on the ABR board certification requirements for physicists.

Although there is no set minimum for GRE scores, a survey of applications shows an average general GRE score for those offered admission to the program of approximately 1330.

Generally, we look for an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 and a combined GRE score of at least 1250 with a score on the quantitative section of greater than 750, although each application is handled on an individual basis.  If you have questions about your academic credentials, please contact the program director for advice.

For Fall 2010, we received more than 80 well-qualified applications; of these, fourteen students accepted offers of admission.

International prospective students apply to the MMP program on-line, as do applicants from the United States. This website lists all admission requirements and the application procedure for the MMP program at the University of Pennsylvania. International applicants who did not complete their undergraduate education in the United States must also submit TOEFL exam scores as part of the application process.

You must submit three letters of recommendation in support of your application. These should be from individuals with whom you have had a close professional or academic association and who know of your desire to study medical physics at an advanced level.

Recommenders may complete their letters online or submit hard copy letters of recommendation. To submit online recommendations, follow the instructions in the Recommendations section of the online application.

If your recommendations will not be submitted online, please complete the LPS cover sheet for letters of recommendation, give it to your references, and have them complete and attach the form to their letter. You can download the forms here.

As a professional master's degree program, the MMP program is based on a professional school model where the students are self-funded, and this is how the majority of our students enroll. We work closely with Student Financial Services at Penn to ensure MMP students are able to obtain appropriate funding as well as ensuring that the process goes smoothly.

You can contact Student Financial Services at sfsmail@sfs.upenn.edu or 215-898-1988.
Their website is http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/.

While many students are self-funded, some hold fully funded research assistantship positions in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. A determination as to the number of assistantships available and to whom they will be offered is made during the application review process.

There are also partial tuition scholarships available to select second-year students acting as teaching assistants for select first-year courses.

In addition, we hope to establish a general Medical Physics Scholarship Fund over the next few years which will provide at least partial tuition assistance to all MMP students.

Unfortunately, we do not have provisions in place for a dual degree (3-2 type) program.

Because this is a clinically oriented program, no traditional thesis is required.  We do require our students to give a presentation to the faculty at the end of their last semester. 

We do not offer a PhD in medical physics. There is a possibility of entering a PhD program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy following the MMP Program, but students in their second year of our program will need to apply directly to that department. PhD research could be done on a medical physics topic with medical physics faculty who are also adjunct faculty members in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

For more information about these concentrations, please contact the program director, Dr. Stephen Avery, at stephen.avery@uphs.upenn.edu. You can also access the AAPM (American Association of Physicists in Medicine) website to find general information on the field of medical physics. This can be found at http://www.aapm.org/.

Following are descriptions of the sub-categories within medical physics from the AAPM website. For more information about the MMP curriculum, please visit our medical physics courses page.

I. Therapeutic Radiological Physics

This particular field pertains to:

• the therapeutic applications of x-rays, gamma rays, electron and charged particle beams, neutrons and radiations from sealed radionuclide sources;
• the equipment associated with their production, use, measurement and evaluation;
• the quality of images resulting from their production and use;
• medical health physics associated with this subfield.

II. Diagnostic Radiological Physics

This particular field pertains to:

• the diagnostic applications of x rays, gamma rays from sealed sources, ultrasonic radiation, radio frequency radiation and magnetic fields;
• the equipment associated with their production, use, measurement and evaluation;
• the quality of images resulting from their production and use;
• medical health physics associated with this subfield.

III. Medical Nuclear Physics

This particular field pertains to:

• the therapeutic and diagnostic applications of radionuclides (except those used in sealed sources for therapeutic purposes);
• the equipment associated with their production, use, measurement and evaluation
• the quality of images resulting form their production and use;
• medical health physics associated with this subfield.

IV. Medical Health Physics

This particular field pertains to:

• the safe use of x-rays, gamma rays, electron and other charged particle beams of neutrons or radionuclides and of radiation from sealed radionuclide sources for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, except with regard to the application of radiation to patients for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes;
• the instrumentation required to perform appropriate radiation surveys.

At this time, we accept students into our full-time program only in fall semesters. An exception is submatriculant students currently attending the University of Pennsylvania.

At this time, we are only accepting full-time students into the MMP Program. 

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program is designed to provide opportunities for undergraduate university students to gain experience in medical physics by performing research in a medical physics laboratory or assisting with clinical service at a clinical facility. In this program, the AAPM serves as a clearinghouse to match exceptional students with exceptional medical physicists, many who are faculty at leading research and clinical centers, including the University of Pennsylvania. Students participating in the program are placed into summer positions that are consistent with their interest. Students are selected for the program on a competitive basis to be an AAPM summer fellow. Each summer fellow receives a stipend from the AAPM. Information on this program is available on the website of the AAPM:

http://www.aapm.org/education/sufp/

For Penn undergraduates, the University of Pennsylvania offers an undergraduate research program called the "Provost's Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program."  There are opportunities for medical physics related research through this program. The office which administrates this program is the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF).

Contact info: The Arch, 3601 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6224. Phone: 215.746.6488 Fax: 215.573.4869 E-mail: curf@pobox.upenn.edu, Web: www.upenn.edu/curf

Please visit the Medical Physics Program homepage, which details the requirements of the MMP program.

The priority admission deadline for submitting applications is January 15. The regular admission deadline is March 1. All application materials must be received by the application deadline.

For information on the Medical Physics Residency Program in Radiation Oncology, you should contact that program's director, Dr. Stefan Both in Radiation Oncology Physics at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His email address is both@xrt.upenn.edu.

Please contact the department of Student Financial Services at the University of Pennsylvania. They will be the most helpful in providing accurate information on financial aid and/or scholarships available for programs here at the University.

You can contact them at sfsmail@sfs.upenn.edu or 215-898-1988.

Their website is: www.sfs.upenn.edu

There are three ways to take the TOEFL exam: Internet-based, Computer-based, or Paper-based. Typically, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies looks for a minimum of 100 on the Internet-based test, 250 on the Computer-based test, or 600 on the Paper-based test for all of its graduate programs.

Yes. The MMP Program at the University of Pennsylvania is CAMPEP accredited.