Medical Physics as A Tool for Classroom Engagement

Jessica M. Fagerstrom¹

¹Northwest Medical Physics Center, Lynnwood, WA 

American Association of Physics Teachers Annual Winter Meeting, Portland, OR (2023).
* Invited presentation *

Physics education research has indicated that students who perceive curricula as relating to real life applications are more engaged with learning materials, and medical physics may provide an absorbing anchoring context. Medical physics is an evolving and expanding field in which concepts in physics and engineering are applied to challenges in medicine. Medical physicists perform critical job functions in healthcare every day, but many physics students complete their entire course of study without learning about the existence of the field. Medical physics, as an applied science, offers an abundance of real-world examples for wide ranging concepts in physics courses. For example, an introductory unit on basic concepts in nuclear physics could be brought to life by a discussion of radioisotopes and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Students learning about electromagnetic radiation may bolster their engagement by learning about radiation therapy used to ablate lung tumors.