Physics For Biomedical Careers

This workshop will focus on applications of physics and science in medicine/health-related professions and ways of conveying this information to high school students who consider careers in these fields. The first part of this workshop will concentrate on the post-secondary career choices available to students interested in physics and science with applications and impact in medicine and therefore beyond the traditional MD degree. It will provide examples of different career paths and science-based training required for these careers and discuss the different post-secondary programs in Ontario that could lead to these careers. The second part of the workshop will concentrate on demonstrations and activities that teachers could do in their classroom to highlight the relevance of physics in biomedical-related fields.

1. Dr. Tetyana Antimirova is an Associate Professor, a current Undergraduate Program Director at the Department of Physics and a Science Teaching Chair at Ryerson University. Her current interests include Physics Education Research, Curriculum Development, Science Education and Outreach. Her current work is focused on the impact of technology (clickers, real-time data acquisition and analysis, video-based motion analysis, computer simulations and online homework/tutoring systems) on students learning in large introductory physics courses. She also studies the impact of high school physics experience on the learning outcomes in the university introductory physics courses. Tetyana is current OAPT representative to AAPT. Tetyana credits her interest in physics and her career choice to her high school teachers.

2. Dr. Ana Pejovic-Milic is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics at Ryerson University. She developed and launched in 2005 undergraduate program in Medical Physics, which in a short period of time received recognition for its innovative approach in multidisciplinary post-secondary education and while still growing, the program keeps attracting higher quality students. Dr. Pejovic-Milic has expertise in medical physics, with a strong research program in medical applications of specialized analytical methods to measure accumulation of trace, minor and/or toxic elements in human tissues and organs, in vivo or ex vivo.