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"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." Alex Bredikin is a medical physicist at Virtua Health, Moorestown, NJ |
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“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." Panagiota Sea is a medical physicist at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY |
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"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." Kiet Huynh is a medical physicist at Inova Health System, Fairfax, VA |
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Kiet T Huynh, MS