Ph.D. Program

The Medical Physics Unit (MPU) offers a Ph.D. program in medical physics to its own M.Sc. graduates who excel in their M.Sc. studies and to students entering McGill with a M.Sc. degree in medical physics from another institution with an accredited M.Sc. program in medical physics.

The relatively small size of the MPU and the heavy clinical commitments of its staff allows for a very focussed effort toward a Ph.D. program in medical physics in collaboration with major departments at McGill University. Our partners in offering the PhD include the McGill Department of Physics, with its excellent reputation in physics and 70+ staff members, is a premier environment for physics-focused research. The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers access to the joint program in Biological and Biomedical Engineering, of interest for biomedically-oriented projects. The administrations of these departments and their academic staff strongly support the joint venture in medical physics between them and the MPU.

The Ph.D. graduate in medical physics at McGill University thus receives a Ph.D. from the Physics Department or the Biological and Biomedical Engineering program with a subspecialty in medical physics. Applications to the Ph.D. program are submitted through the Physics Department or the Biomedical Engineering Department. A PhD applicant therefore needs to fulfill admission requirements for the appropriate program and have the necessary background for consideration to Medical Physics i.e. requirements for entry to the Ph.D. in Medical Physics. An applicant wishing to enter the Ph.D. program should possess an appropriate M.Sc. degree and should specify which area of Medical Physics they wish to pursue. They should have the necessary background and knowledge to pass the Ph.D. preliminary exam in Physics or the thesis proposal examination in Biomedical Engineering. These exams cover aspects of appropriate knowledge relevant to each discipline and/or the project.

As part of the application process, Ph.D. applicants should contact professors affiliated with the MPU, with whom they are interested in working, to inquire about opportunities for Ph.D. projects.

A Ph.D. applicant holding an M.Sc. other than from a CAMPEP-accredited program will be required to complete the coursework equivalent to the M.Sc. program (all MDPH courses) as part of their accredited Ph.D. program. An applicant holding an M.Sc. from a CAMPEP-accredited program will be dispensed of additional coursework in medical physics.

Deadlines to submit a complete application (online application submitted and all necessary supporting documents uploaded) for consideration for upcoming admission to the PhD program (Medical Physics specialty) through either the Physics Department or Biomedical Engineering Department can be verified at the links provided above.

The PhD Medical Physics program achieved its first 5-year accreditation in 1993, latest reaccreditation awarded in 2018 - full accreditation now valid through to June 30, 2024. The portfolio for CAMPEP reaccreditation was submitted in March 2023 and is currently under review.

 

February, 2024

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