Career Advice
COMP Career Catalyst (C³) Seminar Series
The COMP Career Catalyst (C³) Seminar Series is a professional development series designed for highly motivated students and trainees who are interested in enhancing their knowledge and developing skills for success in graduate school and to accelerate a future in Medical Physics. These sessions aim to provide various skills in communication, leadership, and professionalism for improving career prospects, learning about opportunities in Medical Physics, and building a network with like-minded students, trainees, and experts in Medical Physics across Canada and beyond.
The C³ seminar series involves virtual sessions on the first Friday of each month from 3-4pm EDT. Each session will include a 30-minute presentation or workshop from invited expert speaker(s) followed by 30-minutes for interactive and open-discussion for students to connect, engage, and network.
You can join our direct email list for the latest COMP SC communications and events in the upcoming academic year.
If you have any further questions, please reach out to C³ Coordinator, Claire Park anytime. We're looking forward to meeting you!
- COMP Students Council C³ Team
Past Sessions
April 2022 - Opportunities in Industry
This session explores opportunities in industry, the different pathways into a career in industry, and perspectives on the transition from graduate school and residency to a job in industry.
- Dr. Corey Zankowski, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Varian Medical Systems, Founder & CEO Redesign Health
- Tyler Blackwell, Medical Physicist at Radformation
- Dr. Elizabeth Orton, Medical Physics Product Specialist at Adaptiiv, PhD (2015) Medical Physics at Carleton University
- Kirsten Cardinell, Field Service Engineer at iThera Medical GmbH, MSc (2019) Biomedical Physics at Ryerson University
March 2022 – Advancing EDI in Medical Physics
This session shares some exciting work being done to advance EDI in medical physics within the education, training, and career pipeline and in the clinic.
- Dr. Titania Juang, Assistant Professor, Assistant Vice-Chair (AVC) of Diversity & Inclusion, and Associate Division Director for Quality Assurance, UC San Diego (UCSD)
- Dr. Shirin A. Enger, Associate Professor, McGill University
- Meghan Koo, CAMPEP PhD Student, Medical Physics, Ryerson University
- Soleil Hernandez, PhD Candidate, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
February 2022 – Therapy and Diagnostic Imaging Physics
This session provides a high-level overview and describes the differences between therapeutic medical physics and diagnostic imaging physics, including the pathway, residency, certification process, day-to-day clinical duties and responsibilities, research, and much more!
- Dr. James Robar, Professor & Chief of Medical Physics, Dalhousie University
- Amirh Johnson, Diagnostic Medical Physicist, Kaiser Permanente, California, USA
- Dr. Christiane Sarah Burton, Diagnostic Medical Physicist, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital CAMPEP Diagnostic Imaging Residency, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University (2020) PhD, Western University (2016)
- Dr. Khadija Sheikh, Proton Physicist, Johns Hopkins University, Associate Program Director, Medical Physics Residency CAMPEP Therapy Residency, Johns Hopkins University (2020) PhD, Western University (2016)
- Dr. Azeez Omotayo, Medical Physicist (Imaging & Health Physics) CancerCare Manitoba PhD, University of Manitoba (2020)
December 2022 – Leadership in Medical Physics
This session discusses how to develop skills to advance your career.
- Dr. Annie Hsu, Associate Head of Medical Physics at Sunnybrook Hospital
- Dr. Ara Alexandrian, Assistant Professor, Medical Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
- Dr. Leigh Conroy, Medical Physicist, Princess Margaret Cancer Center
- Dr. Andrew Santoso, Assistant Professor, Medical Physics, University of Colorado
November 2022 – Academic vs. Clinical Medical Physics
This session outlines the similarities and differences in the pathways to becoming an Academic and Clinical Medical Physicist.
- Dr. Magdalena Bazalova-Carter, Professor, University of Victoria
- Dr. Erika Chin, Clinical Medical Physicist, BC Cancer
- Dr. Susannah Hickling, Radiotherapy Physicist, CancerCare Manitoba, Mayo Clinic Radiation Oncology Clinical Medical Physics Resident (2021)
- Dr. Lydia Wilson, Instructor, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2021)
October 2022 - Medical Physics Residency Applications
This session has expert tips and tricks from Canadian and USA Program Directors
- Dr. Andrea McNiven, Director of Physics Education, Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University of Toronto
- Dr. Sonja Dieterich, Professor and Physics Residency Co-Director at the University of California Davis
- Open panel discussion with Medical Physics Residents: Dr. Svetlana Kuznetsova (UCSD) and Dr. Nathan Murtha (Tom Baker Cancer Center)