Students that participate in the co-op with Radformation can expect a variety of projects and tasks, including (but certainly not limited to) developing or expanding programs, contributions to the blog, and helping with medical physics surveys and credits certificates. Radformation does a fantastic job of finding work that suits the student’s interests and abilities. Beyond that, and perhaps more importantly, students can expect to gain insight into the issues and workflow struggles that clinics are experiencing today, as well as the solutions to those issues. At the same time, students can gain new perspectives on career opportunities outside the clinic, as some recent co-op participants have:
“The Hofstra Co-op program offers a unique experience to the grad students. Most programs have an intense clinical focus, which of course is necessary, but for me as I went through Hofstra I was unsure that the clinic is where I wanted to end up. The co-op program with Radformation gave me an opportunity to see into a whole different world of medical physics, it allowed me to see the different paths I could follow besides clinical work. Not only was I now able to see the different paths I could follow, but I gained actual experience that I could use to follow my chosen path in the future.”
“The co-op is a valuable experience for anyone looking to gain insight on career paths and opportunities in medical physics beyond just the clinical route. Currently much of our field emphasizes graduate school, then residency, then work in the clinic, which can pose a problem for those looking to pursue other routes and increase competition for a limited number of spots. By offering the co-op students have the option to engage with industry and gain valuable experience and skills that can’t be found in the traditional route.”