Exposure to Clinical Medical Physics Research at an Academic Radiation Oncology Department through an Undergraduate Lens
Abstract
Purpose
To reflect on a meaningful early experience of research, learning, and professional growth within a radiation oncology department under the mentorship of a medical physicist
Methods
As a third-year undergraduate biology major with a strong interest in mathematics and engineering, I sought a research opportunity that could bridge these fields and guide me toward biomedical engineering graduate school. I learned of a multidisciplinary research opportunity in medical physics through an outreach effort led by a medical physicist at a local academic institution, aimed at engaging undergraduate and graduate students. I contacted her and was subsequently introduced to the clinical environment. After demonstrating interest in her research, she sponsored my application to the institution’s research-focused educational experience fellowship. Following completion of HIPAA and Human Subjects Protection training prior to accessing patient records, a comprehensive orientation to the project began. My mentor provided educational materials to familiarize me with brachytherapy and DICOM fundamentals and trained me to navigate the Oncentra TPS. I subsequently applied my Python knowledge to extract the required datasets. Accurate handling of patient data proved challenging and required troubleshooting. Although the learning curve led to occasional errors, my mentor fostered open communication, enabling issues to be identified and resolved efficiently. Regular research meetings between the collaborators; the mentor and the radiation oncologist supported this process by providing structured opportunities to review progress and plan next steps and enhanced my understanding of radiotherapy and its clinical applications
Results
The extracted data from (≥90) patients and the analyses generated through this work enabled the submission of two abstracts to national scientific meetings.
Conclusion
This experience sharpened my structured approach to research. Being also introduced to Radiobiology has allowed me to explore diverse career pathways through consultation with the department radiobiology professor which solidified my interest in a career integrates biomedical engineering with radiation oncology.