Image-guided Radiation Therapy

“While the didactic part of the IGRT rotation covers the fundamentals of modalities, tools, and software used in IGRT, shadowing the implementation of IGRT techniques in a wide variety of treatments leads to an even deeper understanding of this important aspect of radiation therapy.” – Sharareh Fakhraei, Ph.D., Physics resident

Dosimetric Systems

"Dosimetric systems provides a hands-on learning approach to the fundamentals of radiation detectors. It is an invaluable course for understanding how measurement-based dosimetry is performed." – Jay Brooks, Ph.D., Physics resident

External Beam Treatment Planning

"This rotation develops the skills of treatment planning by having the resident work with dosimetry for 6 weeks learning how to do treatment planning for all the major LINAC-based treatment sites." - Jay Brooks, Ph.D., Physics resident

Physicist of the Day (POD)

“As POD, you're the first person who gets called if there's a problem on the machine. This rotation prepares you to troubleshoot problems by learning from other physicists and biomedical engineers. You gain a better understanding of LINAC operations and TrueBeam systems as well." – Justine Dupere, Ph.D., Physics resident

Plan Check

“Checking patient treatment plans is one of the most important roles of a physicist. This rotation familiarizes the resident with the process and enables them to be a completely independent plan checker by the time it is complete after their first year.” – Jay Brooks, Ph.D., Physics resident

External Beam QA

“Performing the quality assurance of linear accelerators is one of the most important responsibilities of a medical physicist, which assures the safety of patients and staff. The External Beam QA rotation provides an in-depth understanding of different components of a LINAC, the reason behind each QA test, and the correct methods of performing the tests.” – Sharareh Fakhraei, Ph.D., Physics resident

Radiotherapy Simulation

“In the Radiotherapy Simulation rotation, you learn how our CT and MRI simulators are different than diagnostic scanners. You're able to observe simulations for different treatment sites and learn how to perform daily and monthly CT QA independently.” –  Justine Dupere, Ph.D., Physics resident

Respiratory Motion Management

“Respiratory Motion Management has you build upon the fundamentals that you learn in the simulation rotation. You learn how the clinic utilizes various motion management techniques and prepares you for clinical coverage starting in year two.” – Eric Brost, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Brachytherapy Didactics

“Mayo has a very active brachytherapy program and offers many different treatments. By having dedicated didactic time, you're able to develop a good understanding of brachytherapy and what is performed here before jumping into the busy clinical practice.” – Justine Dupere, Ph.D., Physics resident

Brachytherapy Clinical

“Our brachytherapy practice is one of the most active in the nation. As such, the brachy rotation is one of our most important- and difficult! We are rigorously trained in a variety of LDR and HDR procedures for a host of different treatment sites. Opportunities for commissioning new brachy technologies are par for the course. By our third year of residency, those of us who have demonstrated high clinical competency in brachy throughout year two, then become eligible to apply to function independently as an authorized medical physicist with the Minnesota Department of Health. This is a very unique opportunity that few other residencies offer.” – Judith Rivera, Ph.D., M.S., Physics resident

Treatment Planning System (TPS) Commissioning

“The TPS rotation is heavily didactic with a rounded understanding of what goes into the TPS planning systems in terms of understanding the difference between dose calculation algorithms and what is needed to commission your TPS for dose calculation. It also covers aspects of TPS QA. Part of the rotation is to suggest a QA test to be implemented in the clinic” – Abdou Abdel-Rehim, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

IMRT Quality Assurance

“After completing this rotation, I have a much greater appreciation for the importance of IMRT QA in our practice. The rotation includes a very good balance of didactic lecture material with hands-on learning using a variety of measurement techniques - all without burdening residents with the clinic's day-to-day IMRT QA measurement tasks. Most importantly, we gain significant insight into how IMRT software (like Mobius3D) is commissioned - this knowledge is invaluable.” – Judith Rivera, Ph.D., Physics resident

Treatment Machine Calibration (TG-51)

“The TG-51 rotation offers you a thorough understanding of the AAPM calibration protocol at a fundamental level as well as a hands-on mock calibration using typical clinical equipment. Through the rotation, you become well-prepared to perform TG-51 independently and are familiarized with the requisite technical considerations.” – Yue-Houng Hu, Ph.D., 2021 residency graduate

Total Skin Electron Therapy

“The TSET rotation is one of the most rewarding rotations I have completed so far. We have the opportunity to participate in the TSET planning, treatment delivery, and QA for several patients. However, the most eye-opening part was seeing first-hand just how effective TSET is at treating skin malignancies from one week to the next! We don't usually get to observe the positive impact we make on patients' lives, especially during the course of treatment." – Judith Rivera, Ph.D., Physics resident

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

“The rotation offers a good understanding of the unique features of SBRT and considerations for establishing an SBRT program. We get hands-on experience in covering the main SBRT sites: lung, spine, and liver in addition to others. We also are credentialed to cover these cases. There was also an in-depth study of the current medical standard of practice and clinical trials for one of the main SBRT sites. It was good to go more in-depth about how radiation oncologists come up with prescriptions and the history involved. In my case, I did lung SBRT study.”– Abdou Abdel-Rehim, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Treatment Machine ATP, Survey, and Commissioning

“It was a great experience to participate in the acceptance and commissioning of a TrueBeam at one of the regional sites. The rotation offers hands-on experience in this key responsibility of a medical physicist as they get ready to practice after finishing the program." – Abdou Abdel-Rehim, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Dosimetry Physicist of the Day

“This rotation allows residents to understand and be involved in unique cases such as fetal dosimetry measurements, planning considerations for patients with implanted devices, and clinical set-ups on the machine.” – Susannah Hickling, Ph.D., 2021 residency graduate

Monitor Unit Calculation

“Since a fundamental understanding of monitor unit calculations is vitally important for clinical medical physicists, this rotation gets into some of the nitty-gritty details of the theory and practice using the AAPM TG-71 report as the primary reference.” – John Antolak, Ph.D., Rotation mentor

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

“The SRS program at Mayo includes treatments with both Gamma Knife and standard LINACs. The resident spends numerous days in the Gamma Knife suite, observing all aspects of the treatment, and performing mock treatment plans. For the LINAC-based SRS component, the resident observes all components of planning and treatment and performs a mock end-to-end test” – Mark Pepin, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Shielding and Room Design

“For the shielding rotation, the resident wades their way through the primary NCRP shielding documents under the guidance of the rotation mentor before tackling two shielding calculations on their own. One of these calculations may be a second check of a Mayo vault if there happens to be new construction occurring, either in Rochester or at a regional practice.“ – Mark Pepin, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Protons – Gantry

“A very valuable experience that is available in a handful of residency programs in the nation. It is fascinating to learn about proton machines and the fundamentals of proton therapy. As a physicist covering proton gantries, we got to cover motion management cases, proton high dose treatments, and other unique features of proton therapy." Abdou Abdel-Rehim, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Protons – Dosimetry Planning

"This rotation teaches the unique aspects of proton planning and how they differ from photon and electron treatments. For example, the concept of robust planning and interplay effect." – Abdou Abdel-Rehim, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy

“Another unique special procedure that is available only in a few centers. It teaches the aspects of IORT and considerations in starting an IORT program.” – Abdou Abdel-Rehim, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Total Body Irradiation

“The TBI program at Mayo Clinic started in 1982. Currently, we average about 30 patients per year, with ages ranging from under six months to over 60 years.” – Robert Dahl, M.S., TRP(ABR), Rotation mentor

"The physicist is very involved and hands-on with TBI treatments and the resident gains experience in all aspects of the practice during this rotation. From measuring patient separation to building individual compensators, the residents will be ready to tackle TBI treatments in their future clinic." - Mark Pepin, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate

Orthovoltage

“The optional orthovoltage rotation is an opportunity to gain experience with and understand the considerations involved in treating with this relatively uncommon modality.” – Yue-Houng Hu, Ph.D., 2021 residency graduate

Regional Practice

This is an optional rotation that provides experience in a smaller radiation oncology practice.

"Mayo Clinic has multiple regional sites across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the residency allows you time to discover what it would be like to work at a smaller practice. I had the opportunity to shadow at the Northfield Clinic to see how physicists operate day-to-day in this type of clinic. Their integration into the clinical team was much more tight-knit than at the large practice." - Eric Brost, Ph.D., 2022 residency graduate