Suffolk University - Certificate in Medical Dosimetry

Goals and Objectives

Mission Statement

The mission of the Radiation Sciences program is to provide a rigorous and comprehensive education to students interested in pursuing careers in Radiation Therapy or Medical Dosimetry. Students will receive instruction from a multifaceted faculty in diverse clinical settings while using the most advanced technologies to develop exceptional clinical skills that will prepare them for entry level positions. Graduates of our program will think critically, communicate effectively, and appreciate the importance of continued education in maintaining their competence.

Goals

The goals of the program are to graduate students who:

Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Students will adequately explain rationale for treatment plan design
- Students will explore different beam arrangements to suit specific patient geometries
- Students will correctly analyze and correct discrepancies
Are clinically competent
- Students will apply standard treatment planning techniques
- Students will produce treatable plans
- Students will respect patient privacy and confidentiality
Are able to communicate
- Students will demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills
- Students will ask relevant questions and utilize this information
Evaluate the importance of professionalism, growth and development
- Students will demonstrate professional behavior by appearance and punctuality
- Presents at a professional conference or submits for publication
- Exhibits personal growth by continuously demonstrating interest to learn
Possess appropriate entry-level employment skills

Certificate in Medical Dosimetry Courses

MS-111 Introduction to Medical Dosimetry

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course will serve as a detailed introduction to the medical dosimetry profession and how it fits into the Radiation Oncology department framework. The professional relationships, responsibilities and qualifications of the medical dosimetrist and other staff will be examined. The scope of practice and code of ethics from the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD) will be discussed in detail as well as the role of other professional organizations. The policies and procedures governing the medical dosimetry program in relation to the standards set by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) will also be reviewed. Other topics to be covered in order to prepare students for entry into their clinical rotations will include radiation safety, patient rights, privacy laws, infection control and an overview of department workflow starting from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. Finally, students will receive detailed instruction on basic hand calculations as these will form the basis of the start of their clinical rotations in the following semester.

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-200 Introduction to Medical Sciences

Prerequisites:

Acceptance into the clinical track or post-bac program.

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course will serve an an introduction to the role of the radiation therapist and medical dosimetrist in a Radiation Oncology department. Through a combination of detailed lectures, discussions, role-playing, case studies, and hands-on laboratory exercises, students will be introduced to the professional and clinical aspects of their respective professions. Additional topics included radiation safety, patients rights, infection control, communication for the clinic, patient assessment, and psychosocial aspects of cancer including death and dying.

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-301 Clinical Radiation I

Prerequisites:

BIO 204 and MS 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Through a systems-based approach, this course will review anatomy and physiology while teaching medical terminology. This course will also discuss the major cancers associated with each anatomical system and introduce the student to radiation therapy treatment techniques and procedures.

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-315 Radiation Physics I

Prerequisites:

PHYS 112, BIO 111, and MATH 134 or higher AND MS L315 CONCURRENTLY

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Content is designed to establish a thorough knowledge of the radiation physics used in radiation therapy treatments. Topics to be covered in this course include a review of basic physics (energy, mass, matter, SI units), structure of matter, types of radiations, nuclear transformations, radioactive decay, the fundamentals of x-ray generators and x-ray production, interactions of x and gamma rays with matter, absorbed dose, measurements of dose, principles of and practical use of ionization chambers and electrometers, Geiger counters and other survey meters, principles and practical use of TLDs, film, calorimetry, scintillation detectors, radiation protection and quality assurance.

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-317 Radiation Physics II

Prerequisites:

MS 315

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course is intended to expand on the concepts and theories presented in Radiation Physics I. It will provide a detailed analysis of the treatment units used in external beam radiation therapy, their beam geometry, basic dose calculations and dose distributions. This course will also cover the principles, theories, and uses of brachytherapy. This course was previously MS 412

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-415 Clinical Dosimetry

Prerequisites:

MS 315;MSL415 concurrently

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course will discuss the factors that influence treatment planning and govern the clinical aspects of patient treatment. Topics to be covered include treatment planning with 3-D CT and MRI beams, isodose plan descriptions, clinical applications of treatment beams and advanced dosimetric calculations. This course will also contrast new emerging technologies with conventional radiation therapy techniques (SRT, SRS, IMRT, Image Guided Therapy, Respiratory Gating).

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-416 Radiation Biology

Prerequisites:

Take BIO 403, MS 315 and MS L315.

Credits:

4.00

Description:

Topics covered include: physio-chemical aspects of energy absorption, the sequence of events after irradiation occurring on the molecular, cellular and organized tissue levels, radiation response and repair of eukaryotic cells, effects of radiation quality, dose rate, environmental conditions, cell cycle kinetics, tumor and normal cell population dynamics, radiation-induced carcinogenesis and mutagenesis, tumor pathophysiology and radiobiology, and recent advances in experimental radiation oncology.

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-417 Clinical Dosimetry II

Prerequisites:

MS 415

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course is a continuation of Clinical Dosimetry I and will focus on advanced treatment planning techniques including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), arc therapy, stereotactic treatment planning, and proton therapy. The advantages of each technique/modality over conventional 3D-treatment planning will be discussed. This will also be contrasted against the specific challenges presented by each technique such as the need for better immobilization, need for 4D CT scanning and daily IGRT (kV matching and/or CBCT).

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-420 Oncology and Pathology

Prerequisites:

BIO 204, MS 302 must be taken concurrently

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course, taught by Massachusetts General Hospital physicians will review cancer epidemiology, etiology, detection, diagnosis and prevention, lymphatic drainage, and treatment. The pathology(s) of each cancer will be presented in detail including the rationale for each preferred modality of treatment.

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-422 Radiology for Radiation Therapy

Prerequisites:

BIO 204 & BIO L204: may also be taken concurrently

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course will begin with an introduction to radiology, reviewing X-ray production and discussing basic radiation physics, image formation (Kv, mA) and distortion (blur, magnification), conventional processing and digital imaging. The above-mentioned radiographic imaging concepts will be presented with conventional lectures as well as with several imaging laboratories. In addition, the basic principles of each imaging modality, including mammography, CT, MRI, Nuc Med, and Ultra Sound, will be presented. With the use of departmental tours and guest lecturers, the use, benefits and limitations of each will be discussed. Building upon the information previously presented, radiographic anatomy will also be covered with an emphasis on cross sectional anatomy. Students will review basic anatomy viewed in sectional planes (axial/transverse) of the body. Using CT and MRI images, the topographic relationship between internal organs and surface anatomy will be interpreted and discussed.

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-435 Brachytherapy

Prerequisites:

MS-417;

Credits:

4.00

Description:

Topics in this course will include, radioactive sources, calibration, instrumentation, factors affecting dose calculations, definitions of LDR, MDR and HDR, treatment planning and clinical dose calculation, implantation techniques, implant localization/verification, regulations, radiation safety, storage and QA. Detailed coverage of prostate brachytherapy including LDR and HDR will be emphasized.

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-450 Dosimetry Systems and Networking

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course is designed for the medical dosimetry student, to include a general overview of computer systems and networking in the field of radiation oncology. A historical view of computers will be covered as well as the intricate uses in the medical field today. Oncology information systems such as MOSAIC and ARIA, as well as radiation therapy software used for imaging, contouring, treatment planning, and patient charting applications will be covered. Data and system security will also be addressed.

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-465 Senior Seminar for Medical Sciences

Prerequisites:

Senior status

Credits:

4.00

Description:

This course will be available to senior students enrolled in the Radiation Therapy and Medical Dosimetry programs. This seminar style course will serve a number of purposes; one will be to prepare our graduating students for board certification in their respective disciplines (AART for Radiation Therapy and MDCB for Medical Dosimetry). Exam preparation will include the use of lectures, student teaching, online teaching tools, mini mock exams, and a full-length mock exam. The seminar will also assist students with the preparation of their professional resumes including discussions regarding the skills necessary to make job interviews successful.
MS-E315 Service Learning Component

Prerequisites:

Instructors consent required

Credits:

0.00

Description:

Service Learning Component

Type:

Expanded Classroom Requirement
MS-L311 Clinical Dosimetry Rotation I

Prerequisites:

MS-L111 and take MS-301 concurrently

Credits:

1.00

Description:

Under the supervision of a Certified Medical Dosimetrist, students will gain hands on treatment planning experience in a clinical setting. Two,8-hour days per week, TTH.

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-L312 Clinical Dosimetry Rotation II

Prerequisites:

Take MS-L311 and MS-302 concurrently

Credits:

1.00

Description:

Under the supervision of a certified medical dosimetrist, students will gain hands on treatment planning experience in a clinical setting. Three 8-hour days per week, MWF.

Term:

Offered Fall Term
MS-L313 Clinical Dosimetry Rotation III

Prerequisites:

MS-L312 and MS-303 concurrently

Credits:

1.00

Description:

Under the supervision of a Certified Medical Dosimetrist, students will gain hands on treatment planning experience in a clinical setting. Three, 8-hour days per week, MWF.

Term:

Offered Spring Term
MS-L314 Clinical Practicum for Dosimetry

Prerequisites:

Take MS-301 and MS-L311;

Credits:

1.00

Description:

Student dosimetrists will spend 12 weeks (full-time, 40 hrs/wk) gaining hands on treatment planning experience in the department of radiation oncology at our clinical affiliates. Under constant supervision of certified medical dosimetrists, the student will be guided toward the application of theory in the real world of cancer treatment planning.

Term:

Summer

Type:

Expanded Classroom Requirement
MS-L315 Radiation Science Lab

Prerequisites:

MS 315 concurrently

Credits:

1.00

Description:

This lab will cover a broad range of experiments associated with the Department of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Topics include: Quality assurance measurements for radiation therapy, calibration of radiation teletherapy unit using ionization chambers, measurements of dose distribution via film, measurements of dose in a phantom via TLDs, radiation protection survey of therapy installation and brachytherapy sources, and radiation biology.

Term:

Offered Fall Term

Type:

Expanded Classroom Requirement
MS-L415 Clinical Dosimetry Lab

Prerequisites:

MS 315, MS L315, MS 415 concurrently

Credits:

1.00

Description:

This lab will provide the student with the opportunity to apply clinical dosimetry principles and theories learned in the classroom to actual treatment planning situations within the clinic. Through hands-on lab exercises the student will demonstrate the use of the treatment planning instruments and interpret information they compute.

Term:

Offered Spring Term

Pre-requisites for Admission

All candidates seeking admission into the Medical Dosimetry Certificate program must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution demonstrating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. In addition, completion of the following courses with a grade of "B" or better is required:

Calculus I and II
Major's level Biology with lab or General Chemistry I, II and labs
Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs
Calculus-based Physics I and II with labs

Graduates of the program may seek employment immediately following graduation and will be eligible for the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board exam.

Certificate in Medical Dosimetry

Required Prerequisites

For more information, please contact:

Goals and Objectives

Mission Statement

Goals

Certificate in Medical Dosimetry Courses

MS-111 Introduction to Medical Dosimetry

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-200 Introduction to Medical Sciences

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-301 Clinical Radiation I

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-315 Radiation Physics I

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-317 Radiation Physics II

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-415 Clinical Dosimetry

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-416 Radiation Biology

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-417 Clinical Dosimetry II

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-420 Oncology and Pathology

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-422 Radiology for Radiation Therapy

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-435 Brachytherapy

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-450 Dosimetry Systems and Networking

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-465 Senior Seminar for Medical Sciences

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

MS-E315 Service Learning Component

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Type:

MS-L311 Clinical Dosimetry Rotation I

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Description:

Term:

MS-L312 Clinical Dosimetry Rotation II