Medical Physics Internship Opportunities: A Comprehensive Guide
Embarking on a career in medical physics requires a solid foundation of knowledge, practical experience, and networking. Internships and fellowships play a vital role in providing these crucial elements, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application. This article explores opportunities for aspiring medical physicists, focusing on structured programs that offer research and clinical exposure.
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Medical Physics Summer Fellowship
The Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences offers a Medical Physics Summer Fellowship at its campus in Phoenix, Arizona. This 10-week program aims to introduce highly motivated undergraduate students to medical physics research.
Program Overview
As a fellow, you will select a specific project from a list of available projects provided by the medical physics faculty in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Throughout the 10-week program, you will meet regularly with your faculty mentor, who will guide your project to completion. At the end of the program, you will present your work to the department staff.
Key Features
- Research-Focused Experience: The fellowship is primarily a research experience within the Department of Radiation Oncology, allowing students to work closely with a faculty mentor on an individual project.
- Clinical Exposure: Fellows have significant opportunities to observe all aspects of the clinical radiation oncology environment at Mayo Clinic. They gain specific insights into the role of the medical physicist in facilitating safe and effective radiation treatments.
- Mentorship: Regular meetings with faculty mentors provide guidance and support throughout the project.
- Presentation Opportunity: Fellows present their work to the department staff at the culmination of the program, enhancing their communication and presentation skills.
- State-of-the-Art Facilities: Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus includes the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, the first hospital entirely designed and built by Mayo Clinic. The Scottsdale location features a five-story outpatient clinic.
Eligibility and Application
- Application Cycle: The application cycle opens December 1 and closes February 6. All application materials must be received by February (MST). Notifications regarding application status are sent by February 20.
- Selection Criteria: Candidates are selected based on grades, research and work experiences, as well as their interests and personal qualities, as described in a personal statement and a letter of recommendation.
- Personal Statement: The essay should include your background and your interest in this fellowship and then be uploaded in the Supplemental Items section.
- Letter of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation is required and must be completed in the Recommendation Request section. Choose a person familiar with your professional qualifications and your potential for success in the field of medical physics.
- English Language Proficiency: Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT). Scores from the speaking portion of the exam are given particular consideration in admission decisions. equivalence by an accredited credential evaluation service company prior to submission. Please refer to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services for a list of qualified companies.
- Stipend and Expenses: A stipend of $6,000 is paid in biweekly installments over the 10 weeks. Living expenses such as transportation, housing, and meals are the fellow's responsibility.
Program Staff
The Medical Physics Summer Fellowship in Arizona is coordinated and taught by the clinical, scientific, and technical staff of Mayo Clinic. Faculty members are chosen for their commitment to teaching, as well as their clinical practice and research. Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences is committed to developing and maintaining the best education programs.
AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program (SUFP)
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) offers a Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program (SUFP). This 10-week summer program allows undergraduate university students to gain experience in medical physics by performing research in a medical physics laboratory and shadowing at a clinical facility.
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Program Overview
The AAPM SUFP is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of medical physics. Students selected for the program are placed in a medical physics laboratory where they conduct research and gain hands-on experience. Additionally, they have the opportunity to shadow professionals in a clinical setting, observing the practical application of medical physics principles.
Key Features
- Research and Clinical Experience: The program combines research in a medical physics laboratory with shadowing at a clinical facility.
- Stipend: The fellowship includes a $6,000 stipend to assist with living expenses for the 10 weeks (May to September), assuming that the student and mentor have agreed upon expectations of the fellowship project itself. The stipend is based upon an expectation of a 40-hour per week effort for 10 weeks (May to September), dates to be mutually suitable to the mentor and fellow.
- Mentorship: Each selected fellow will have a mentor employed by a university, a research facility, a hospital or clinical facility, or a radiological industry within the United States or Canada. Mentors must be a faculty medical physicist in a university environment, a person working in a medical physics related field or a qualified medical physicist. Each mentor must be a full member of AAPM.
- Location: Students can perform their fellowship in the United States or Canada.
Eligibility and Application
- Academic Level: For most summer research programs, this is your upcoming status as of the fall. Students are selected for the program on a competitive basis. or Canada.
- Prerequisites: Each student applicant must have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies, must not have graduated, and must have at least one full semester of undergraduate studies remaining after the summer fellowship. Applicants shall have declared a major or be eligible to declare a major in physics, engineering, or other science. Applicants shall have completed a mathematics course in differential equations.
- Personal Statement: A Personal Statement (approximately one page) describing your interest in the AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program (SUFP).
- Recommendation Letter: The recommendation letter requests may be submitted before your application is complete.
- Attestation of Employer support and Indemnification: Attestation of Employer support and Indemnification is an application requirement.
- Application Deadline: 2/9/2026
General Advice for Securing a Medical Physics Internship
Regardless of the specific program, some general strategies can improve your chances of securing a medical physics internship:
- Academic Excellence: Maintain a strong GPA, especially in physics, mathematics, and related science courses.
- Research Experience: Seek out research opportunities in medical physics or related fields, even if it's just volunteering in a lab.
- Networking: Attend conferences, seminars, and workshops related to medical physics. Network with professionals in the field.
- Strong Application Materials: Craft a compelling personal statement that highlights your passion for medical physics, your skills and experience, and your career goals. Obtain strong letters of recommendation from professors or mentors who know you well.
- Tailor Your Application: Customize your application materials to each specific program, highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant to that program.
- Meet Deadlines: Ensure that you submit your application materials well before the deadline.
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