iBSc Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering

About the iBSc

This integrated / intercalated* BSc degree is designed to introduce medical students to the fundamental physical principles underpinning modern healthcare technology. As technology plays an increasingly dominant role in medicine, doctors are finding that an understanding of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering is becoming essential. The programme provides an understanding of the benefits and limitations of equipment doctors encounter daily in hospitals, and in medical research where improvements in patient care often depend on the development of new equipment or computer software. Because medical imaging forms a large part of the programme, our degree may be particularly relevant for medical students considering careers in radiology, interventional radiology or surgery.

* Note that this programme is officially called an Integrated BSc for UCL medical school students and an Intercalated BSc for external students from other medical schools. We will refer to the course as the iBSc and may informally use intercalated and integrated interchangeably. 

Aims and objectives

The aim of this iBSc programme is to fill a void in the majority of MBBS degrees which typically contain little or no medical physics or biomedical engineering material. Elsewhere in Europe, where Medicine courses are longer, Medical Physics is considered to be an essential part of the curriculum. For example, in Italy, 100 hours of Medical Physics is taught during their six-year course.

Although most module options are the same as those offered to final-year Medical Physics MSci/BSc and Biomedical Engineering MEng/BEng students, no significant background knowledge beyond A-Level Physics and Mathematics (or equivalent standard) is essential. It is strongly recommended, but not required, that students have already studied physics and mathematics up to A-level (or equivalent standard). Students without A-Level Mathematics (or equivalent) can still take the course, although some additional background reading will be required.

Our students are supported with informal tutorials every week which enable them to discuss matters arising from the course material and to supplement their background knowledge of physics and mathematics. Having completed integrated degrees, several of our past students have elected to pursue PhD degrees within our department before returning to medical school.

Here's why members of our community chose to become Medical Physicists.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course is degree programme entirely in the Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, located primarily in the Malet Place Engineering Building.

Students are not overburdened with lectures (an average of 9 hours per week), giving adequate time to understand the technical issues and fundamental principles through background reading, problem sheets, and a research project. The iBSc students share most of their modules with a mixture of student cohorts from Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Physics and Electrical Engineering, which provides a stimulating environment with a blend of relevant backgrounds akin to that encountered in hospital care and medical research. The total number of students in each class is generally quite small (typically less than 30), which provides an informal, friendly atmosphere, with more opportunities for personal contact with teaching staff than many medical students have previously experienced.

Students will be required to take six lecture modules, plus a project selected from those offered each year by the many research groups working in the Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering Department and UCL Hospitals. The six lecture modules will be chosen from the list given below, including the two medical imaging modules and an introductory mathematics module which are compulsory. There are no pre-requisites for individual course modules.

Recommended Textbooks

• T. S. Curry, J. E. Dowdey, and R. C. Murry, Christensen's Physics of Diagnostic Radiology, Lea & Febiger: Philadelphia, 4th Edition, 1990. ISBN 0-8121-1310-1. This excellent book is written especially for, and by, diagnostic radiologists. It describes the methods which form the basis of the compulsory medical imaging modules (MPHY0016, MPHY0018 and MPHY0019), but in an intuitive and non-mathematical manner. The friendly and often humorous style of the book makes it a pleasure to read. IBSc students will find that the non-technical descriptions of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), for example, are of tremendous value.
• J. Pope, Medical Physics: Imaging, Heinemann: Oxford, 1999. ISBN 0-435-57094-3. This inexpensive book was written in order to assist A-level students with their study of the Medical Physics option. It describes the basic principles of all the major medical imaging techniques.  
• S. Webb, The Physics of Medical Imaging, Taylor & Francis; 2nd Edition, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0750305730. This book covers all the major areas of medical imaging in some detail and is a recommended text for some modules. 
• Alan Jeffrey, Essentials of Engineering Mathematics, Chapman and Hall/CRC; 2nd edition, 2017. ISBN-13: 978-1138442573. This is a useful resource for students needing to find out more about new mathematical concepts introduced during the year, or remind themselves of material they may already have encountered at A-level. 
• K. A. Stroud and D. J. Booth. Engineering Mathematics, Palgrave. 5th Edition 2001. ISBN 0-333-91939-4. The 6th edition of this book is also now available (ISBN 1-403-94246-3). This is the textbook recommended for the compulsory mathematics module MPHY0017. All iBSc students are likely to require reminding of certain mathematical concepts or formulae throughout the year, and this book is likely to be of some help for all modules during the year.

Student Awards

iBSc students are regularly featured in our annual Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Student Awards, which recognise the highest-achieving students in the department each year and celebrate their success.

In 2021 and 2023, consecutively, the Sidney Russ Prize for Best Finalist Undergraduate Student was awarded to iBSc students Gabriel Ide and Talha Atcha. iBSc students are also prominent on the Dean’s List each year, a record of the top 5% graduating cohort (based on classification) across UCL Engineering.   

(Image: iBSc student, Talha Atcha, being handed his certificate for winning the Sidney Russ Prize for Best Finalist Undergraduate Student at the December 2023 Student Award Celebration by his project supervisor, Dr Michela Esposito. Prize winners also receive £100.)