Physics of Radiation Therapy

3.0 credits

This course is designed to introduce students to the general concepts of medical physics and their application to the treatment of patients. The course will cover a range of topics to give students the fundamental understanding of medical physics they will need. Topics include production of ionizing radiation, external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, treatment planning, radiation therapy devices and radiation therapy with neutrons, protons, and heavy ions. The covered material will conform to the curriculum of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine to cover the essential medical physics didactic elements related to therapeutic medical physics for individuals entering the medical physics profession through an alternative pathway as published in AAPM report number 197.