Centre for Medical Physics (U.I.E.A.S.T.)

About Centre for Medical Physics (U.I.E.A.S.T.)

 

The Centre for Medical Physics was created in 2007, as joint venture of Panjab University and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) to utilize technology dependent specialties coming out of the new scientific innovations for the immediate need of the society, i.e. good health. The Medical Physics encompasses into its fold:

1. Diagnostic radiology physics (diagnostic imaging with x-rays and gamma-rays)
2. Nuclear medicine physics (diagnostic imaging with radio-nuclides)
3. Radiation Oncology physics (treatment of cancer with ionizing radiation)
4. Health physics (study of radiation hazards and radiation protection)

The aim of the Medical Physics course at the postgraduate level is to generate the expertise and overcome the scarcity of the manpower for the cancer treatment facilities. Each year the cancer treatment facilities and the sophistication of the radiotherapy equipment are increasing enormously. Medical physicists contribute to the effectiveness of radiological imaging procedures by assuring that best radiation safety practices are followed (reducing radiation dose to patients and staff) and helping to develop improved imaging techniques (e.g., mammography CT, MR, ultrasound). They contribute to the development and implementation of therapeutic techniques (e.g., external beam, brachytherapy, HDR, stereotactic radiosurgery), collaborate with radiation oncologists to design and execute patient specific treatment plans, and monitor equipment and procedures to insure that cancer patients receive the prescribed dose of radiation to the correct location, while minimizing the radiation dose to surrounding normal tissue.

Academic training alone does not make a medical physicist. In addition a certification from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) (for the Radiation Safety Officer, level-III) to the students is mandatory for the competence in the handling of the patients care and running the radiation facilities independently.

Placement Opportunities
Placement opportunities are excellent in the medical institutions, accelerator/reactor laboratories and in the defence sector.

Our students have got placements in the medical institutions like Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Research Institute (Delhi), PGIMER (Chandigarh), Govt. Medical College (Chandigarh), IGMC (Shimla) etc.