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Medical physics 2

obligatory course

COURSE DATA

Credits: 2
Lecture: 2 hours/ week – course code: AOK-KUA509 – assessment: end-semester examination

  • Thursday 8-10, Large Education Centre, György Ivánovics lecture hall

Seminar: 2 hours/ 2 weeks
Obligatory textbooks:

  • S Damjanovich, J Fidy and J Szöllösi (eds): Medical Biophysics. Medicina, 2009. 

Suggested textbooks:

  • Paul Davidovits: Physics in Biology and Medicine. Fourth edition. Academic Press, 2013.

Year/semester: 1st year, 2nd semester

The requirements of the Institute, syllabus, topic lists and educational handouts are available on this website.

AIM OF THE COURSE

In accordance with the widespread involvement of physical principles and methods in almost all areas of medical sciences, this compulsory course offers an introduction to applications of physics in medicine and clinical research.

The syllabus is designed to cover the fundamentals of physics indispensable in physiology, medical diagnostics and therapy, by providing theoretical and practical knowledge essential for students of medicine. The course provides students with an understanding of certain phenomena in the physiology of the human body (resting potential, action potential, bioelectricity), of diagnostic methods (X-ray images, CT, MRI, ultrasonic diagnostics, etc) and of therapeutic processes (laser, light, radiation or heat therapy, etc) by showing the underlying physical principles.

The 2 hours/week physics lecture is accompanied by 2 hours/fortnight seminars.

There is a five-grade written examination covering the material of lectures, seminars and the relevant chapters of the obligatory textbooks at the end of the semester.

 

Syllabus of the lectures

 

  1. Electricity, magnetism and electromagnetism.
  2. Bioelectric phenomena.
  3. Quantum physical phenomena in life (and medical) sciences.
  4. Spectroscopy (optical, with an outlook to general spectroscopy). Atomic physics. Atomic spectra. Electromagnetic radiation. Luminescence.
  5. X-rays: general properties, use in diagnostics. Absorption of X-radiation. Producing X-rays, interaction with living substances.
  6. Nuclear physics. Radioactivity. Nuclear radiation, dosimetry.
  7. Practical application of radioactive isotopes. Particle accelerators in medical practice.
  8. Principles of the laser. Medical applications of lasers.
  9. Medical imaging techniques: ultrasound, CT, MRI/NMR, PET, infrared diagnostics.
  10. Physical basis of therapeutic methods: laser-, light, radio- and heat therapy; therapeutic use of electricity.
  11. Physical methods in physiological research: microscopy (optical-, scanning-, electron-), mass spectrometry.
  12. Molecular and cellular diagnostics: sedimentation, electrophoretic methods, flow cytometry

 

Syllabus of the seminars

 

      1. Electricity.
      2. Magnetism, electromagnetism, bioelectricity.
      3. The electromagnetic spectrum. Spectroscopy. Lasers.
      4. X-rays.
      5. Nuclear physics; radioactivity.
      6. Imaging and therapeutic methods.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE COURSE

Attendance of the lectures is strongly recommended; downloading the lecture slides cannot substitute for the participation at the lecture. We perform attendance checks regularly.

The lectures are complemented by biweekly seminars whose aim is to help students reach a deeper understanding of the lecture material. Attending seminars is obligatory and active participation is expected. In duly justified cases (disruptive behaviour, blatant passivity or lack of preparedness) the seminar instructor has the right to refuse the student’s further participation and register the student as absent.

Students can have no more than two absences with leave from the seminars. Seminar absences are to be made up for according to the directions of the instructor.

To check if students are prepared, we shall set a short test at the beginning of each seminar. The basis of the seminar tests is the material covered in the previous seminar and the topic list and sample questions available in the CooSpace scene of the course. All seminar tests consist of 3 multiple-choice questions (each worth 1 point) and a single calculation task (worth 2 points).

Only students who have gained the approval of the instructor for their seminar work and achieved at least 20% in the seminar tests (that is, 6 points out of the semester total of 25 points) are eligible to take the examination. If a student fails to meet this, they must take a seminar resit, in which the passing mark is 50%. Failing thee resit means they cannot register for an examination and have to repeat the whole course.

The seminar totals will be converted to examination points as follows:

  • 0–5 points: resit must be taken to be able to register for an examination
  • 6–9 points: 1 examination point
  • 10–13 points: 2 examination points
  • 14–17 points: 3 examination points
  • 18–21 points: 4 examination points
  • 22–25 points: 5 examination points

 

EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

The course is worth 2 credits, awarded on the basis of an end-semester examination. Students take a computer-aided multiple-choice test examination at the end of the semester. Students have to sign up for the examination through the Neptun system. Repetition of examinations is according to the general regulations of the Study and the Examination Requirements of the University.

At the examination a maximum of 35 points can be achieved, to which the 5 points obtainable from the seminars are added, making a total of 40 points. Grades of the examination are determined as follows:

  • 0–20 points: failed (1)
  • 21–25 points: passed (2)
  • 26–30 points: accepted (3)
  • 31–35 points: good (4)
  • 36-40 points: excellent (5)

Students who are registered as present at at least 50% of the attendance checks will receive the better mark when lacking just one point: eg, get a passed (2) for 20 points.