Medical Physics is nothing, but the application of physics to medicine and the field normally concerns physics as applied to radiotherapy and medical imaging, even when a medical physicist can work in several other areas of health care as well. A hospital or a college/university might have its own medical physics department and the work of the department might include clinical healthcare, development and research.

Out of the large body of medical physicists in clinics or academia, nearly 85% of the them specialize or practice in different forms of therapy, 5% of them in nuclear medicine and 10% in diagnostic imaging. However, the areas of specialty in medical physics are widely different in breadth and scope. Ph. D in medical physics is a course offered by only a single college in India and it is an autonomous institution functioning under the control of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the name and some of the details regarding the Ph. D course in Medical physics offered by this institution is given below:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences

About Medical Physics Department in AIIMS:

The Medical Physics unit of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences is functioning under the Dr. B.R.A. Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital. The department is taking care of the radiation related research activities in a wide range of disciplines like radiation protection, reduction of dose without compromising diagnostic information, radiation dosimetry in patient in imaging, fluoroscopy and angiography, radiography, ultrasound, CT Scan, Mammography, etc… The activity of this department of AIIMS includes public and staff education pertaining to radiation safety in addition to imparting knowledge in the form of regular classes in the area of radiation safety and medical physics to students taking up nursing courses, human biology courses, B. Sc Radiography course, MBBS course and MD in Radiology course. Even, the department offers training to other interested groups like trainees from other hospitals within India and from foreign countries.

Courses and training offered by the medical physics department:

As mentioned earlier, the department offers education to the students taking up different courses with AIIMS and even for other trainees in the areas of radiation safety and medical physics. Here is the list of courses offered by this department of AIIMS:

• Comprehensive training programme in diagnostic medical physics

• MD in Radiology

• Bachelor of Science in Radiography

• Ph. D in Medical Physics

Eligibility requirement and admission procedure for Ph. D in Medical Physics:

For getting into the Ph. D in Medical Physics course offered by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, candidates must have completed their Master of Science in Physics and they should possess relevant exposure to the Diagnostic Medical Physics. Admission of students to the Ph. D in Medical Physics course is done on the basis of Ph. D Entrance Examination conducted by the AIIMS two times a year once in the month of January and again in the month of July.

Scope for Ph. D in Medical Physics holders:

In the past few years, there has been a heavy demand for qualified medical physicists in radiotherapy centres and hospitals, these positions are suitable for even candidates with PG degree in Medical Physics. On the other hand, Ph. D holders in Medical Physics can find lectureship positions in the medical physics department of universities/colleges and these professionals can also find job placement in organizations engaged in research activities in the field of medical physics. Since radiological physics has application in research, agriculture, industry, nuclear medicine, therapy and diagnostics, there is a wide scope for professionals with appropriate qualification in medical physics. The field of medical physics is experiencing a dearth of technical sound people and therefore Ph. D candidates with sound knowledge will sure be in a position to get good job opportunities at attractive pay packages.