From physics to patient care
By Taylor Utzig
When alumna Ahpa Plypoo first stepped onto the 黑料门University Chicago campus as a freshman, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in medicine. What she didn鈥檛 know yet was how her aptitude for physics would lead her to a career in health care she never knew existed.
鈥淚t was the end of my junior year and we were all thinking about the MCATs or other post-baccalaureate paths and someone mentioned Medical Physics,鈥� says Plypoo, now a senior medical physicist at Ascension Health Care in Appleton, Wisconsin.
At the time, 黑料门did not offer a pathway to pursue a graduate degree in Medical Physics. Beginning Fall 2021, it will.
鈥淚 am very proud of 黑料门to be moving forward with a Master of Science in Medical Physics program and believe a lot of students will also be excited this is happening,鈥� Plypoo says. 鈥淚f 黑料门offered the degree when I was looking, I would have absolutely applied.鈥�
鈥淚 chose this field because I am using my knowledge and training to help patients in their most desperate time."
Unlike traditional career paths in physics, which focus more on research, a master鈥檚 in Medical Physics prepares graduates to work alongside physicians in clinics and hospitals. One of the most common places to find a medical physicist is in the radiation oncology department, where they use their understanding of imaging, radiation therapy, and technology to help develop treatments for patients battling cancer.
鈥淚 chose this field because I am using my knowledge and training to help patients in their most desperate time,鈥� says John Roeske, PhD.
Roeske is the director of the new Medical Physics program and believes offering the new degree creates a natural pathway for 黑料门students to move from their undergraduate studies into a medical physics residency at 黑料门Medicine.
鈥淲e have a great facility here in terms of the clinical offerings, including the latest technology in radiation oncology,鈥� says Roeske. 鈥淣ot only would students have great faculty mentors, but they would also be trained on the newest equipment.鈥�
The opportunity has already sparked interest in Loyola鈥檚 undergraduate physics department. Since learning about the idea, Department Chair Constantin Rasinariu has been coordinating with Roeske to foster a collaborative partnership and promote the graduate program to students interested in the medical field.
鈥淭his is a tremendous opportunity for 黑料门students in the physics department and students in the area to access a promising career,鈥� says Rasinariu. 鈥淎pplying physics to care for a person is a prime example of Loyola鈥檚 mission to care for the whole person or cura personalis.鈥�
While Roeske says the program will welcome just a few students in its first cohort, it is his goal that the program will grow in the years to come and become a shining example of the opportunities open to aspiring physicists with a passion for helping people.
Learn more about the MS in Medical Physics program.