WE-F-204-02: A Research Career in Medical Physics: From Student to Faculty.

In recent years heavy focus has been placed on clinical careers in medical physics, and the pathways to such careers are well-known and well-described. For the future advancement of the field of medical physics, it is necessary the focus also include research-oriented careers. It is important for the younger generation of medical physicists to know that there are many career opportunities in research, and that it is quite possible to build a successful career in which research is a major component. We will hear from those who have already blazed a trail of success in academic and industry research careers in order to understand some of the most important decisions to make and skills to develop in order to be successful. Topics such as how to build a research program, how to develop your own lab, and how to initiate good collaborations are not generally taught explicitly but are integral to succeeding in a research career. Skills such as these are often best learned from the experiences of others. The challenges encountered in transitioning from graduate student to faculty member, securing the first grant, and moving into an industry research position will be highlighted and discussed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Identify career paths built on interest in research 2. Understand basic steps to starting and maintaining a research career 3. Identify differences between research careers in academia and industry M. Giger, support by NIH and COI will be listed. J. Dempsey, ViewRay, Inc. has provided financial support for my research. R. Mohan, support from NIH.