Author: Wesley E. Bolch, Robert Joseph Dawson, Wyatt Smither 👨🔬
Affiliation: University of Florida 🌍
Purpose: To design a novel course that reinforces key medical physics concepts through a series of practicum sessions, where students learn and apply the Monte Carlo radiation transport code, PHITS, complemented by a lecture series that emphasizes key findings and methodologies from past and recent literature.
Methods: A new course, titled Patient Dosimetry in Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy, was implemented through the University of Florida’s (UF) Medical Physics Graduate Program. The course was split into two weekly sessions: practicum and lecture. The practicum series introduced how to use the PHITS code while also building simulations that demonstrate and validate key medical physics concepts in both radiological imaging and radiation therapy. The lecture series reviewed radiation dosimetry quantities, organ dosimetry for patients undergoing imaging examinations, and organ dosimetry for patients undergoing radiation therapy treatments as well as performing detailed literature reviews on past and recent radiation dosimetry and risk modeling.
Results: This course was successfully taught in the Spring semester of 2024 within the University of Florida’s Medical Physics Graduate Program, where both undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled. Students submitted a course feedback form at the end of the semester with greater than 90% of students saying the course was engaging and the content was relevant and useful.
Conclusion: Understanding of Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations, such as those performed with the PHITS code, is crucial for advancing patient dosimetry in medical imaging and radiotherapy. This course successfully integrated hands-on practicum sessions with focused lectures, enabling students to develop practical skills and a deeper understanding of key medical physics concepts. The positive student feedback highlights the course's effectiveness in bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world applications, ultimately preparing students for future challenges in medical physics research and clinical practice.