Medical Dosimetry

Students acquire the professional skills of dose calculation, treatment design, and quality assurance through intensive classroom and clinical education.

Degree Offered

The School of Health Professions offers the following program in Medical Dosimetry:

• Bachelor of Science Degree: Medical Dosimetry

The program is administered by:

• Dean: Michael J. Ahearn, Ph.D.
• Program Director: Mahsa Dehghanpour, M.S.,CMD
• Education Coordinator: Jamie Baker, M.Ed.,CMD
• Clinical Coordinator: Fatima Bryan, RTT
• Medical Advisor: Ritsuko Komaki, M.D.

Roster of Faculty

Objectives

The M. D. Anderson Program in Medical Dosimetry is designed to prepare students for the technical, theoretical and psychological aspects of a career in this field. Students acquire the professional skills of dose calculation, treatment design and quality assurance through intensive classroom and clinical education under the supervision of educated, experienced medical dosimetrists, physicists and radiation oncologists.

The staff of the M. D. Anderson Division of Radiation Oncology is active in the Medical Dosimetry program. Certified medical dosimetrists, board-certified radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiobiologists, resident physicians and registered nurses teach in various capacities. In addition, professionals from throughout the institution participate in the didactic program. Students also attend many of the numerous medical conferences offered.

The clinical education component of the program includes experience at M. D. Anderson or other clinical affiliates. Clinical rotations are administered during each year of academic instruction. A well-balanced clinical experience is planned for each student, including daily and weekly quality assurance checks, two-dimensional external-beam treatment and brachytherapy planning, three-dimensional external-beam treatment planning and treatment-machine quality assurance.

Requirements for Admission

Consideration for admission to the Medical Dosimetry program is not based on race, religion, national origin, veteran status, sex, age, or disability. Students who have disabilities that require accommodation should discuss these with the program director early in the year. Documentation may be required to verify certain disabilities.

Nonacademic Requirements

In addition to the nonacademic requirements for all students (see Admission policy), students accepted into the Medical Dosimetry program must be able to do all of the following:

Read overhead up to six feet off the floor.

Comprehend three-dimensional and spatial relationships.

Use a computer keyboard and monitor to input clinical data.

View computer screens for extended periods.

Demonstrate visual acuity corrected to 20/20 and visual perception with respect to depth and color.

Visually monitor patients during treatment or treatment-planning procedures.

Monitor patients via audio monitors during treatment or treatment-planning procedures.

Hear various equipment and background sounds during equipment operation.

Lift 30 pounds of weight (i.e., treatment cones, ancillary aids, blocks for treatment) up and over head level.

Move immobile patients from a stretcher to a treatment or diagnostic table.

Push a standard wheelchair from the waiting area to the treatment room.

Demonstrate the manual dexterity required to carry out all aspects of medical dosimetry procedures.

Bachelor of Science Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Dosimetry program is offered as a one- or two-year program with entry at the Junior or Senior level in fall 2010. Application deadline is February 15, 2010.

Prerequisites for the two-year program: A minimum total of 60 semester credit hours (SCH) that must include the courses described in part A & B below. Prerequisite courses must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, overall and in science classes.

Part A. The Texas Core Curriculum

42 semester credit hours (SCH) that must include the following specific courses:

A minimum of 18 additional semester credit hours (SCH) required for entry into the two-year program for Medical Dosimetry.

Part B

Required and recommended courses for entry into the program  may be part of the Texas Core Curriculum listed in Part A above:

Required Courses

• Anatomy and Physiology I  (4SCH)
• Anatomy and Physiology II (4SCH)

Recommended Elective Courses

• College Physics I 
• College Physics II
• General Chemistry I
• General Chemistry II
• Philosophy
• Psychology

College Level Examination Program (CLEP), up to 15 hours, may be accepted with a letter grade of C or better or an approved transcript designated “P”, “S” or “CR”. No more that 8 hours may be accepted for science courses.

The table below represents the Required Professional Courses students must take during the two-year program. 

The table below represents the Prescribed Elective Courses. Students who have already taken any of these courses as part of their electives are exempt from taking these courses while in the program.

The table below represents the Free Elective Courses students may take to fulfill the program requirement.

Pre-requisites for the one-year program with entry as a Senior student. This one-year option is only offered for the 2010-2011 school year.

To enroll as a senior, 90* semester hours of college coursework from an accredited college or university must be transferred prior to entering the program to include hours of upper-division credit that would total to 60 hours or more when added to program specific hours upon graduation and 42 credit hours of general education as listed below.

Students may elect additional courses to complete the required total number of hours for the degree program. Foundation, prerequisite, elective and specialty courses should total 130 semester credit hours.

The following are the minimum admission requirements for the program:

Completion of all general education and foreign language requirements and program prerequisites prior to the start of the program.

Separate application to the program, including: submission of official transcripts, three letters of recommendation using the appropriate forms and a personal interview.

Required courses must be acceptable toward a major in the respective field of study. Survey courses will not fulfill these requirements. Admission is on a competitive basis; meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Candidates who completed the prerequisite courses seven or more years before admission may be required to update their academic skills. For specific information, contact the program director.

Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree must complete a minimum of 135 semester credit hours of course work. Within this requirement, students must complete the following at M. D. Anderson:

• At least 40 semester credit hours of advanced (3000/4000) course work
• At least 25% of the total semester credit hours required must be taken at M. D. Anderson

A minimum overall grade point average of 2.5 and a grade point average of 2.7 in science courses, both on a 4.0 scale, are required to be considered for the program.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) - All applicants must provide proof of successful assessment of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). Applicants who have graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an accredited Texas College or University are exempt from TSI. Proof of an applicant's readiness to enroll in college level coursework will be determined by the Registrar's Office based upon review of official transcripts from previously attended institutions.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Applicants from countries where English is not the native language may be required to take the TOEFL. Internet based TOEFL is now available and a total test score ranging from 74-78 with a minimum score of 18 in each section is required.

All information must be received by February 15 in order to be considered for admission to the upcoming class.

Special Requirements

Students are expected to maintain high academic performance and display appropriate professional and ethical behavior during all phases of their education and training. Total undergraduate semester credit hours must be equal to 130 before a Bachelor of Science degree is awarded. The number of hours awarded upon the completion of the program is 56.5.

International Students

Students who complete all or part of their college coursework outside the United States must submit their transcripts to an accredited U.S. evaluation agency approved by the respective accrediting organizations for course-by-course evaluation and grade evaluations. International students must meet all requirements listed above. Applicants will be requested to demonstrate written and oral fluency in the English language.

Professional Study

The one-year professional study curriculum in Medical Dosimetry is equivalent to the last three semesters of college and comprises 12 months of intensive study. Admission is dependent on factors that include cumulative grade point average, science and mathematics grade point average, communication skills, personal qualities such as maturity and career goals and a personal interview.

Curriculum

Course Descriptions

Admission to the program is the sole prerequisite for the following courses: MD 4300, MD 4301, MD 4302, MD 4303, MD 4404, RT 4101 and RT 4200.

HS 4100 Issues in Health Care Ethics (1 semester credit hour)
This course content is designed to establish a foundation and set parameters of professional practice for health care professionals. The emphasis will be on developing the background for the resolution of ethical dilemmas through ethical reasoning, ethical obligations in health professional-patient relationships and just allocation of scarce health care resources.

HS 4101 Diversity and Cultural Competence (1 semester credit hour)
This course content is designed to create an awareness of ethnocentrism and a beginning understanding of cultural similarities and diversity. It provides the student with knowledge of the concepts of cultural relativity, cultural integration and variation in cultural values, organization and institutions.

HS 4300 Pathophysiology (3 semester credit hours)
This course  is designed to provide basic knowledge in pathophysiology in preparation for professional studies in the health sciences. Topics covered include central concepts of pathophysiology of the cells and tissues and alterations in organs and systems with an emphasis on carcinogenesis. Appropriate diagnostic and treatment procedures are covered.

MD 4102 Anatomy for Radiation Oncology (1 semester credit hour)
This course presents each student with an anatomical study of the human body in topographical, sagittal, transverse and coronal planes. Treatment planning techniques for the body sections are discussed.

MD 4104 Aspects of Radiation Oncology (1 semester credit hour)
This course presents the student with psychosocial aspects of oncologic patient care. Topics include: thanatology and bereavement, body image and emotions in illness and treatment, concepts of aging and pain control. Additionally, students are presented with aspects of dosimetry practice other than treatment planning which include: electronic charting, treatment error corrections and other professional opportunities.

MD 4209 Interstitial and Intracavitary Dosimetry (2 semester credit hours)
This is a laboratory course teaching brachytherapy treatment planning.
Prerequisite: MD 4302 Lab Fee of $30.00

MD 4211 Clinical Oncology I (2 semester credit hours)
This course presents an in-depth study of multidisciplinary treatment of the cancer patient from the clinician’s viewpoint. Students are required to master concepts specific to site-specific disease including: histopathology, etiologic and epidemiology factors, detection and diagnosis, tumor stage and grade, routes of metastases, dose fractionation and prognostic factors. This course is designed to approach each cancer type by anatomic system, addressing treatment factors with increasing degrees of complexity.

MD 4212 Clinical Oncology II (2 semester credit hours)
This course is a continuation of MD 4211.

MD 4300 Introduction to Medical Dosimetry (3 semester credit hours)
This course is an introduction to medical dosimetry techniques at M. D. Anderson. Includes treatment charts, patient information flow and basic and irregular field calculations.

MD 4301 Medical Dosimetry Physics I (3 semester credit hours)
This course teaches basic theories and calculations for radiation oncology including laboratory sessions on radiation measurement. Lab Fee of $30.00

MD 4302 Brachytherapy Dosimetry (3 semester credit hours)
This course teaches the physics of brachytherapy. Includes source characteristics, dosimetry systems and dose calculations.

MD 4303 Research and Design Statistics I (3 semester credit hours)
This course is an introduction to basic research concepts and statistics. Development of a project begins.

MD 4305 Medical Dosimetry Physics II (3 semester credit hours)
This course is a continuation of MD 4301 that teaches basic theories and calculations for radiation oncology.
Prerequisite: MD 4301

MD 4306 Research Design and Statistics II (3 semester credit hours)
This course is a continuation of MD 4303, with projects finalized. Students conduct laboratory experiments to reach a hypothesis of the study at hand.
Prerequisite: MD 4303 Lab Fee of $30.00

MD 4504 Clinical Education I (5 semester credit hours)
This course is supervised in a clinical practice in basic medical dosimetry and orientation to radiation oncology. Students are involved in hands-on activities in the clinical practice setting.

MD 4508 External Beam Dosimetry (5 semester credit hours)
This is a continuation of MD 4301 and MD 4305 that teaches basic theories and calculations for radiation oncology.
Prerequisite: MD 4301, 4305

MD 4510 Clinical Education III (5 semester credit hours)
This course is a minimally supervised clinical practice in advanced medical dosimetry techniques. Students are involved in hands-on activities in the clinical practice setting.
Prerequisite: MD 4507

MD 4617 Clinical Education II (6 semester credit hours)
This course is supervised in a clinical practice in advanced medical dosimetry techniques. Students are involved in hands-on activities in the clinical practice setting.
Prerequisite: MD 4306

RT 4101 Radiation Safety and Protection (1 semester credit hour)
This course requires the student to demonstrate a detailed understanding of atomic structure, types of ionizing radiation, radiation detection devices, units of measurement, personal and public radiation safety practices and dose limitations from brachytherapy sources and external beam radiation devices. The course identifies radiation regulatory and advisory agencies and the specific requirements of each.

RT 4200 Orientation to Radiation Oncology (2 semester credit hours)
This course includes an 8 hour day orientation to the School of Health Sciences and subsequent 4 hour sessions presenting the Program Student Guide, linear accelerator demonstration and a tour of the Radiation Oncology Division.

RT 4210 Radiation Biology (2 semester credit hours)
This course presents the students with cellular, subcellular and tissue biology. The course requires the students to discriminate between types of cellular damage caused by ionizing radiation. Additionally, students are exposed to proliferation kinetics, fractionated radiotherapy, acute and chronic effects of radiation on human cells and body systems, principles of linear energy transfer and relative biologic effectiveness and the impact of radiosensitizers and radioprotectors on patient treatment.
Prerequisite: MD 4203