Purpose

The Radiological Health Science (Pre-Medicine) plan of study is designed to prepare students for a post-graduate (M.S. or Ph.D.) degree in Medical Physics or Radiation and Cancer Biology or entry into medical school. The pre-medicine plan of study is an excellent choice for those students aiming to enter medical school and who are interested in medical specialty areas such as radiation oncology, nuclear medicine and radiology. In addition to a core science curriculum and introductory and fundamental radiological science courses, students are able to tailor their plan of study to their areas of interest through the selection of approved electives in physics, mathematics, statistics, chemistry, biology, and the radiological sciences. Students that successfully complete the Pre-Medicine plan of study and meet the admission criteria are eligible to apply for admission into the School of Health Science's accelerated Master of Science (M.S.) or Ph.D. in Medical Physics.*

IMPORTANT: Responsibility for completing the graduation requirements is solely that of the student. All students must complete 32 credit hours of 300 level or higher courses at Purdue for graduation. A grade of "C" or higher must be earned in HSCI 312, HSCI 514, HSCI 540, HSCI 570, HSCI 572, and HSCI 574

* Acceptance into +1 (M.S.) year or Ph.D. program in Medical Physics, as well as medical school, is highly competitive. To be considered for the graduate program in Medical Physics program, students must meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School and complete an application to the graduate school (see http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/). All students are strongly encourages to assess and discuss their academic performance on an annual basis with their advisor from the Health Sciences Office of Student Services (OSS).

IMPORTANT: To be eligible for American Board of Radiology (ABR) certification in radiologic physics, you must hold a bachelor's degree in physics or applied physics and a M.S. or Ph.D. in Medical Physics^†. Other undergraduate physical science or engineering degrees (e.g., Purdue Radiological Health Sciences) will be considered by the ABR if the courses equivalent to a minor in physics have been completed (including general physics with calculus and upper level courses in, for example, electricity and magnetism, atomic physics, nuclear physics, modern physics, quantum mechanics, or mechanics). For additional information about ABR certification, please see http://theabr.org/.

^† - Students with graduate degrees in radiologic physics, physics, or other relevant physical science or engineering disciplines may apply for ABR certification until 2012.

Approved by the School of Health Sciences Faculty on Friday February 13, 2009.
Effective for all new and change of degree objective (CODO) students as of fall semester 2009.

NOTE: University Regulations, Part 2, Sec IV, subpart B, section 2 require that all students must complete 32 hours of 300 level or higher courses at Purdue for graduation. Responsibility for completing graduation requirements is solely that of the student.