Yale Diagnostic Medical Physics Residency Training Program

The Yale Diagnostic Medical Physics Residency Program (YDMPR) in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging is a established program started in January 2019. It is intended for candidates with an advanced degree in medical physics, physics, or a closely related field, who are interested in pursuing a career as a clinical diagnostic imaging Medical Physicist.

The program capitalized on the strengths and resources of Yale University School of Medicine, the Yale New Haven Hospital state-of-the-art imaging modalities, and a network of affiliated hospital and imaging centers.

This program is CAMPEP accredited.

The program is designed in accordance with the CAMPEP Standards for Accreditation of Residency Educational Programs in Diagnostic Radiology Physics. It will provide prospective residents with two years of structured clinical training that covers a broad range diagnostic radiology physics.
Upon completion of the program, the residents will be eligible to take second (Part II) American Board of Radiology (ABR) certification examination in Diagnostic Radiological Physics.

The residency is a two year training program, which normally begins on July 1st.
It consists of three main required components:

• Attendance of diagnostic radiology related conferences, seminars, and didactic courses
• Hands-on training and service in structured clinical rotations
• Seminar presentations.

The YDMPR program values graduating residents that can work productively in an academic clinical environment. This includes developing a strong clinical physics background, making great educators, and producing peer-reviewed clinical scientific investigations. Residents will gain an advanced knowledge of clinical diagnostic medical physics through supervised hands on experience and didactic activities that cover both imaging physics and clinical radiology. Overtime, residents will begin to work independently and participate in leading educational laboratories and giving physics presentations. Residents will be encouraged to take on projects that improves the quality of care delivered to our patients.

The duties associated with the clinical services during the first year of residency will be under close supervision. Duties performed for the clinical services during the second year of residency will be under reduced supervision but all clinical tasks must be approved by a board-certified supervising physicist or Rotation Adviser. A major goal for the resident during the second year is to develop independent clinical and thinking skills and confidence in making clinical decisions. Additional literature reading and topical report assignments may be given during this time to strengthen theoretical understanding of various clinical procedures.

Throughout the residency, the residents will be exposed to a full range of clinical imaging modalities and related services offered at Yale New Haven Hospital.

• Basic and advanced understanding of image acquisition and formation
• Review and updating of imaging protocols
• Routine and advanced image processing methods
• Pediatric and adult dose management and optimization
• Special radiation dosimetry program
• System performance testing and quality evaluation
• Patient and safety policies
• Procedures and hospital-wide program for meeting regulatory and accreditation requirements

The Yale Diagnostic Medical Physics section has a wide range of radiation detection and measurement equipment for acceptance and annual testing, with a group of established quality assurance programs.

* YDMPR began in 2019; the first graduates were in 2021.

Rotations are conducted monthly and include assignments, weekly meetings with preceptors, coordinated modality testing, labs, and independent study. First-year residents are expected to attend at least 85% of weekly radiology resident lectures. Throughout the two-year program, residents must participate in weekly preceptor meetings and biweekly seminars/tutorials.

• Two seminar presentations per year
• Participation in a multi-institutional journal club
• Completion of a project culminating in a conference presentation
• Specific training such as shielding design calculations, modality-specific equipment testing, and ACR submission involvement
• Encouragement to draft a manuscript (clinical or research)
• Engagement in Medical Physics 3.0 projects to advance imaging physics

Second-year residents also take on clinical responsibilities beyond modality testing, including:

• Peak skin dose assessments
• Weekly MRI quality control evaluations
• Oversight of clinical functional MRI studies

The Yale New Haven Health System comprises five delivery networks. Below is a summary of the equipment supported by our group across these locations:

• 20 superconducting MRI scanners (3T and 1.5T), including one prenatal permanent magnet and two mobile units.
• 20 third-generation CT scanners (≥40 slices, some with dual energy/source and ECG gating)
• 5 PET/CT scanners
• 20 digital mammography and breast tomosynthesis units
• 20 nuclear cameras (SPECT and SPECT/CT) for Radiology and Cardiology
• 20 fluoroscopy (single and biplane for interventional, cardiac catherization, vascular, and neurovascular procedures)
• 10 bone densitometry units
• 4 dental units
• A wide range of ultrasound, radiographic, and fluoroscopic equipment

• Digital whole-body PET (expected in 2025)
• 7T MR
• PET MR
• Photo Counting CT
• Contrast-enhanced mammography (*expected in 2025)

Applicants to the Medical Physics Residency Training Program should have either a CAMPEP-accredited Ph.D. or M.S. degree in Medical Physics or a doctoral degree in a related field (e.g. physics, engineering) with additional CAMPEP required medical physics coursework. Prospective applicants are referred to the following information on the specific prerequisites for medical physics residency. Yale does not offer coursework to satisfy CAMPEP's didactic prerequisites.

New openings are generally posted in autumn with a December application deadline (watch AAPM career service, MedPhys listserver, and our departmental website for specific postings).
Our program participates in the national MedPhys Match: The Medical Physics Matching Program and accepts AAPM common applications.

A selected number of applicants will be invited to interview on-line between January and February. A new resident will normally begin the residency on July 1st.