Sutter Health Affiliate Physics Residency – Resources
The faculty of the UC Davis – Sutter Physics Residency Program represents the foundation and strength of our program.
All our faculty have appointments at Sutter Medical Foundation to provide clinical support to radiation oncology practice. The faculty comprises a broad range of expertise within radiation oncology physics and has broad teaching expertise and access to a wealth of clinical physics equipment and training resources.
The faculty and staff interact regularly through:
- clinical physics operation meetings
- seminars
- case conferences
- departmental meetings
- Sutter Radiation Oncology Advisory Group (ROAG)
- physics Residency Committee meetings
- annual retreats of the Department’s faculty
The faculty and physics resident interact regularly through:
- clinical physics rotations
- didactic lectures
- seminars/conferences
- monthly physics resident meeting with the program director and co-director
- personal appointments with any faculty to discuss clinical rotation, and/or personal problems
- departmental social activities
In addition to the scheduled meetings, the physics residents also are informed that they have access to the program director, program co-director and Sutter physics director to discuss any sensitive personal or training problems.
Sutter Radiation Oncology has four centers located in the greater Sacramento area (Sacramento, Roseville, Auburn and Cameron Park) and is actively engaged in delivering state-of-the-art radiation therapy.
Main treatment equipment includes:
- Seven matched Varian TrueBeam Linacs with Millenium MLC
- Varian BrachyVision HDR
- Elekta Gamma Knife ICON
- AlignRT
- BrainLab ExacTrac
Simulation and treatment planning systems include five Philips large bore 4D CT-simulator, Philips Pinnacle Evolution TPS, Varian Eclipse TPS, Varian BrachyVision workstations and GammaPlan.
The department’s main information management system is MOSAIQ.
A full range of radiation measurement equipment and specialized phantoms are available. A partial list if provided below.
- Multiple Standard Imaging MAX 4000 and Super MAX 4000 electrometers
- Multiple PTW Farmer type ion chambers
- PTW Parallel-plate ion chambers (Roos)
- Sun Nuclear Edge Detector (diode)
- HDR 1000 Plus Well Chamber (Standard Imaging)
- PTW 3D tank
- SNC 1D tank
- MOSFET – Best Medical Portable
- RIT film dosimetry system
- Radiochromic film dosimetry system
- Multi-diode Array Systems (Sun Nuclear ArcCHECK)
- Sun Nuclear IC Profiler
- Radiation survey meters
- Digital barometers and thermometers
- Rando anthropomorphic phantom (The Phantom Company)
- Multiple water, solid water, polystyrene phantoms of varying sizes
- Catphan Model 600 (The Phantom Laboratory)
- Multiple 3D printers
Procedures are in place that (1) allow the physics resident reasonable access time to the clinical equipment, (2) provide physics residents sufficient training and technical support to ensure safe and proper use of equipment, and (3) ensure equipment is left in the proper state for clinical use.
The Physics Residency Program provides an office cubicle space at Sutter Sacramento Radiation Oncology location for each physics resident in the program. All residents are provided a computer connected to our LAN, telephone access and standard office supplies. Residents have access to department photocopiers. The Physics residents are also given a UC Davis library account for electronic access to journals and journal searches.
Ample space is available for resident advisory meetings, didactic lectures, exams, seminars and oral examinations. The department conference room is typically used for these functions and is equipped with a whiteboard, overhead video projectors, and computer or computer connections for PowerPoint presentations.
Additional office space or space is available at other Sutter Radiation Oncology locations, if needed.
Physics Resident Funding
Physics resident positions are funded by Sutter Medical Foundation. Current funding levels are consistent with UC Davis funding levels as below:
- Physics Resident Year 1: PGY 2
- Physics Resident Year 2: PGY 3