The Professional Doctorate in Medical Physics (DMP) program aims to enhance and standardize clinical training for medical physicists.
The DMP is a professional degree that prepares students for a clinical career in imaging or therapeutic medical physics. This four-year degree program is similar in structure to other professional degrees (such as a MD, DDS or DVM) in that it combines a didactic and clinical training curriculum throughout the four years of studies.
Upon successful completion of the 4 year DMP program, the student should have satisfied the requirements for Parts 1 and 2 of the American Board of Radiology Medical Physics certification process. The DMP program was CAMPEP accredited in 2015.
We strongly encourage the prospective students to arrange for observation time (shadowing) with practicing imaging and therapy medical physicists prior to applying for the Doctorate of Medical Physics (DMP) program. Such experiences will give applicants a better understanding of the line of work of a medical physicist in either discipline and will help them decide which path to select as they fill out their application.
The DMP is an interdisciplinary program that is housed in the Graduate School and is administered through the Departments of Radiation Oncology and Radiology with faculty from both departments contributing to the didactic and clinical training.
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 98 credit hours (48 of which are clinical rotations) and a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 are required for the DMP degree. The student is required to demonstrate intellectual command of the subject area and proficiency in all aspects of their chosen clinical specialization. A Core Knowledge Exam shall be scheduled for all first year DMP students. The students have two opportunities to take and pass the exam before the start of the second year.
To see our plan of study and learn more about courses, visit the UT Health San Antonio Catalog.
Therapy vs. Imaging Tracks
A student is admitted to either the imaging or the therapy track. Students in the imaging track learn about the basic principles and radiological practice using noninvasive imaging systems. Topics include production of x-rays, interaction of radiation with matter, and the physics of imaging using computed tomography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance. Students in the therapy track learn about the physics and clinical elements that contribute to the development of computerized treatment plans in radiation therapy. In addition, students will be given an introduction and an overview of all the clinical processes and the basic safety training.
Clinical/Research Facilities
UT Health San Antonio has enjoyed innovative partnerships within the community and has excelled at fostering mutually beneficial, collaborative arrangements with its primary teaching hospitals in San Antonio - the University Hospital and clinics of the University Health System, the Audie L. Murphy Division of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (VA) and Christus Santa Rosa Hospital and its military partners - Wilford Hall and the Brooke Army Medical Center. The university also has an NCI designated cancer center--the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center along with a Research Imaging Institute on campus.
How is the DMP different than a Radiological Sciences Ph.D. program?
Whereas the Radiological Sciences Ph.D. program offered at UT Health San Antonio prepares the students for a research career in medical physics, the DMP is a professional degree that prepares the students for a clinical career in either imaging or therapeutic medical physics.
The table below shows a comparison between the Radiological Sciences Ph.D. Program and the DMP program.
Prospective students should review the table to get a better understanding of the differences between the two programs, especially as it relates to student financial support and the preparedness for the American Board of Radiology certification (residency).
|
Degree Program |
Ph.D. |
DMP |
|
Study Years |
3 to 5 |
4 |
|
Stipend Offered |
*Yes |
No |
|
Program Focus |
Research |
Clinical with a minor focus in research |
|
American Board of Radiology Clinical Residency requirement fulfilled |
No |
Yes |
|
Eligibility for Certification |
No; Student has to compete for a 2 year residency position after graduating with a Ph.D. |
Yes |
*Pending funds availability.
If you are interested in the Radiological Sciences Ph.D. program, please visit the Radiological Sciences website.
Please note that the DMP program is different from the Ph.D. program. The two programs have separate applications, deadlines and admission requirements.
How to Apply
An online application is available here. Acceptance of applicants starts in January and are approved on a monthly basis through May. To be considered for Fall semester enrollment, the deadline for applications is December 31st. Since positions are competitive, applicants are encouraged to have all their materials submitted by December of the prior year.