Alumni

"The residency at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper gave me exactly the type of experience a clinical Medical Physicist needs: depth of knowledge through rotational learning modules, repetition of procedures, and independence to practice in a responsible way. The program is structured for a resident to follow patients from simulation through treatment. This gives valuable insight into the consultation process the physicians endure that is unique to a program like MD Anderson's at Cooper. Through this process: planning, chart checks, and machine QA became daily independent habits rather than isolated handheld events. I was also fortunate enough to work on two commissioning projects during my training, hands-on experience that most residents never get, and that I've drawn from often in my first career position. What I appreciated most, though, was the trust. As the faculty saw I was ready, they gave me genuine independence to work as a physicist, especially in my second year. That transition from trainee to colleague meant I left Cooper confident I could walk into any clinic and contribute on day one. In my current role as a Medical Physicist with Colorado Associates in Medical Physics, I feel confident being a sole physicist in a clinic and speaking up to contribute during group discussions. I'm grateful to the faculty at Cooper for their mentorship and the high standard they held me to during my time as a resident."

"From my first interview with Cooper, I knew that the physics team at Cooper would be a zesty bunch and where I wanted to be! Residency is not a walk in the park, but the RadOnc team at Cooper was there throughout the way offering guidance, advice, and constant roasts. Everyone went the extra mile to ensure that I got to see everything and anything which could not have been more beneficial for my training. It was comforting knowing that the physicists just wanted to push you to be the best physicist you could be having some fun along the way. The structure of the program enables you to strengthen weaknesses in didactics topics, perform multitudes of projects relating to your future career or within your personal interest, and allows you to act as a full clinical physicist. One of the strongest attributes was the opportunity to cater the program to you and pave your own path to becoming a physicist! The responsibilities given to me as a resident allowed me to become confident and competent in the clinic allowing my transition to my first job to be smooth. Cooper's partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston makes the residency more dynamic by seeing the differences between a mid-sized clinic to one of the largest clinics and all the special procedures that we did not have at Cooper. I will forever cherish my residency experience at Cooper and remember all the wonderful game nights, great meals shared, children book readings, endless laughs and all the animal pictures. This group is one to remember and was one of the hardest goodbyes. They helped shape me into who I am today and with that I can't be more appreciative!"

"I was introduced to Cooper in grad school and ended up doing my masters thesis in their 3D Dosimetry lab. While I was there, I met some of the team and decided to do my clinical practicum with them. During this time, I was able to meet the rest of the team. Everyone I met was amazing and very involved in helping me learn and grow as a physicist. When it came time to apply for residency, I knew that Cooper would be a great place to spend the next 2 years. As soon as I matched, they invited me to happy hours and annual QAs. They immediately made me feel like part of the team. Throughout my 2 years of residency, all the physicists, MDs, dosimetrists, and therapists went above and beyond to help me experience as much as possible. Residency goes by a lot faster than you can imagine and it’s so important to be surrounded by people who not only want you to succeed, but also take time out of their busy day to help you succeed. There were definitely some tough moments throughout the 2 years, but the team had my back every step of the way. Between the clinical projects, tons of didactic sessions, and real clinical experience, I came out of residency feeling like a completely different person. I gained more confidence and a giant breadth of knowledge and experiences to rely on throughout my career. I was also given a lot of responsibilities (like POD shifts, chart checking, and covering procedures) that helped me learn how to make decisions on the fly and gave me the chance to actively contribute to the clinic. When my time as a resident was over, the transition from resident to staff physicist felt seamless. I didn’t have that fear of suddenly going from practice to performance, because there was nothing that I hadn’t already been given the opportunity to do. I was equipped with the tools to approach unknown situations with confidence and taught how to problem solve in those moments where the answer isn’t clear. The best part of residency, however, was the people. They helped me develop skills and knowledge, but they are also just genuinely awesome people who I enjoy spending time with. So much so that I jumped at the opportunity to stay after residency. If you match here, you will feel listened to and valued, and you’ll be surrounded by the kindest and most intelligent people imaginable. Come to Cooper! You will not regret it!"

"When I interviewed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, I could tell there was something truly special about this medical physics residency program. The last two years of residency showed me just how lucky I was to match with this program. The program is small enough to be flexible to meet the needs of individual trainees but large enough to offer a diverse set of equipment and treatments. An outside rotation at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, helps distinguish the residency at Cooper. Our residents are given the opportunity to visit MDACC to learn about procedures and equipment that they otherwise might not see at Cooper, in New Jersey (for example: total body irradiation, total skin electron therapy, and proton therapy, to name a few). The faculty were always happy to share their knowledge when it came to didactic lessons. Mini-projects that were paired with certain didactic topics give residents hands-on learning experiences. Residents also have the opportunity to make a real impact in the department through clinical improvement projects. Residents are encouraged to leverage their skills and interests when deciding what projects to complete. Most importantly though, the outstanding staff at Cooper are what set the program apart from every other residency program. There is a great sense of camaraderie amongst the physics team, which makes them a pleasure to work with. They are incredibly supportive of trainees, and they know how to challenge you and advance your knowledge of medical physics. In my last months of residency, I felt I was equipped to leave Cooper and enter a new clinic after residency, where I could confidently deliver safe, high quality patient care. At the same time, I wasn’t ready to leave Cooper, because I knew how much I was going to miss the people I enjoyed working with every day."

“When thinking about my time at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, I relate it to this quote: 'Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it is the middle that counts the most.' The beginning of residency was a challenge. My anxiety prevented me from excelling. However, the team at Cooper helped me work through my weaknesses and pride myself on my strengths, and it was because of their dedication and commitment to my success that I am now a confident and capable medical physicist. That being said, you have more to look forward to in this residency program than just the training. Be ready for all the laughs and tears, the ice cream, the enormous love of cats, the dad jokes, the chicken parm pizza, the Webex story time meetings, the happy hours, the board game nights, the meaningful conversations and so much more. As I begin the next chapter of my life, I look back and can’t begin to describe the gratitude I have for Cooper’s physics team. It was difficult to leave such an amazing group of people. The physics group and many others in the department hold a special place in my heart. They have become not only my friends, but also my family. I am proud to be an alumnus of the medical physics residency program at Cooper."

"Coming into residency, in cliché fashion, I didn’t know what to expect. Although everyone’s experience will be a bit different, I feel like I can provide some insight. You’ll probably be grilled and question your knowledge chops at a flustering frequency. You’re more than likely to have some exhaustingly early mornings and long nights. You might end up thinking you broke a piece of equipment and frantically call a physicist over the weekend, constantly apologizing for bothering him on his day off even though he keeps reassuring you it’s okay. Or even worse, you might actually break some equipment. And certainly, you’ll be working with an amazing team that will educate, challenge and support you. This group has a wealth of knowledge and is more than happy to share their expertise. While you take in all the experience, everyone will constantly push you to become the poised medical physicist they know you can be. Eventually you’ll stare down oral exams with an aura of less despair and a little more confidence. As you progress through your training, there will always be an opportunity to have a voice in the program to cater to your growth. Cooper’s residency program is a young one that will continue to thrive. I know that now and for years to come, I’ll proudly say that I’m an Alum of Cooper’s Medical Physics Residency Program."