Medical Physicist Studies

Theoretical education

• After a MSc degree in physics, medical physics, technical physics, biophysics or biomedical engineering, a responsible mentor will plan with the student the program for the studies to obtain the qualification as a medical physicist. According to the Finnish act 834/2000, the student has to pass at least an examination for a Licentiate in Philosophy.

Practical training

• The practical training after MSc degree takes five years.
• The training is carried out in centers approved by the Education Committee of Medical Physicists. Different training centers can have full rights (full four years of training), or partial rights (one or two years).
• The mentor is responsible that the student has sufficient training in all the main fields of medical physics: radiotherapy and oncology, nuclear medicine, clinical physiology, diagnostic radiology, and clinical neurophysiology.
• To work in a hospital setting in Finland, fluent Finnish language skills are required. Up to a year of research work in the field of medical physics may be counted towards the 5-year requirement.

Qualification as a Radiation safety specialist

• The student has to qualify as a Radiation safety specialist (in Finnish known as “STA”).  This requires specific university studies and a minimum of two years working experience in the main fields that use radiation in healthcare: radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy, with a minimum of 7 months for each field.

Applying to the doctoral studies

In the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, it is possible to complete medical physicist studies in the form of postgraduate professional education. The studies include completion of an academic postgraduate degree, which can be either a licentiate or a doctorate. To apply for the studies, please use the form Application for Doctoral Studies on the UEF Doctoral School website.

Medical physicist examination

The aim of the examination is to test the ability of the students to apply the theoretical knowledge to clinical practice. Students may take the national medical physicist examination after completing four years of practical training. Students must apply for the right to take the examination from the Education Committee of Medical Physicists (Professor Petro Julkunen, chair, University of Eastern Finland) at least five weeks before the date of the examination. The application must show the completed practical training up to that date (accompanied by a staff register and instructor´s statement of the contents of the practical training) as well as the date on which and place where the radiation safety examination was taken. The national medical physicist examination will be organized in Finnish.