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To continue with the success achieved by the Physics Department in establishing graduation projects outside the University, six female students from the department started their academic research and practical training at the Research Centre in King Faisal Specialist Hospital. They started working at the Research Centre from the beginning of the second semester of this academic year 1436/1437 AH, under the supervision of H.E. Dr. Raed Hussein Al-Hathlool, Vice-Dean of Development and Quality and faculty member in the Physics Department.

This project is the second of its kind in the Department and College after the success of the Department first project in which ten female students from the Department have completed their graduation projects during the first semester of this academic year 1436/1437 AH at the National Center for Nanotechnology in King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, under the supervision of Dr. Raed Al-Hathlool from the Physics Department and Dr. Marzouk Al-Shammari from KACST(News Link)

The preparation for this project has started in the first semester of this year on the initiative of H.E. Vice-Dean of Physics Department, Ms. Mervat Al-Zumia. A delegation from the Department headed by Ms. Mervat and a group of female students visited the Research Centre (News Link). This was followed by bilateral meetings between Dr. Raed Al-Hathlool, as a representative of the College and Physics Department, Dr. Refaat Al-Mazrou and Eng. Saad Jamaan from the Research Centre. Thanks to Allah, these efforts have been successful.

In an interview with Dr. Raed Al-Hathlool on the College website, he thanked H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al-Babtain, the Dean of the College of Science, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Al-Qaoud, Head of the Physics Department, and H.E. Ms. Mervat Al-Zumia, Vice-Dean of the Physics Department, for encouraging and supporting this project. Dr. Al-Hathlool also thanked H.E. Dr. Sultan Al-Sudairi, the Executive Director of the Research Centre, H.E. Dr. Refaat Al-Mazrou, Deputy Chairman of the Biomedical Physics Department, and H.E. Eng. Saad Jamaan, Business Office Coordinator and researcher in the Centre Biomedical Physics Department, as they gave all the support and assistance and helped overcome obstacles to make this project successful and beneficial for the Department female students. Dr. Raed also thanked Dr. Shada Wadi Al-Rumhi and Dr. Muhanna Areeb, the supervisors of the students from the Research Centre, for agreeing to supervise students.

It is worth mentioning that this project will last throughout the second semester of this academic year 1436/1437 AH. The participants in this project are six female students from the Department who were nominated based on their GPA and their commitment to research, according to the deputy-head of the Physics Department Ms. Mervat Al-Zumia. The total training hours for the female students in the Research Centre will be about 50 training hours, as well as additional educational hours outside the Centre.

The female students of the Physics Department, who participated in this project and became the second batch of female students with graduation projects outside the University, are: Afnan Al-Salman, Hessah Al-Zahrani, Shorooq Al-Nifee`i, Shaikhah Al-Hajri, Awatif Al-Anzi, and Maryam Al-Qudhaibi.

Dr. Raed mentioned that the research topics dealt with in the Research Centre are:

1.      Comparison between brachytherapy radiation treatment and external beam radiation treatment.

2.      Calibration of ionization chambers in 60Co gamma unit: Quality assurance and comparative study.

3.      Calibration of radiation protection contamination meters: Establishment of optimum procedure.

It is worth mentioning that the female students' researchers have been trained in the security and safety of medical research laboratories before starting this project in order to ensure their safety and the safety of researchers, research laboratories, and patients.

Moreover, the application (Google - Classroom) was used to track the academic progress of the researchers in the project, and to coordinate between the Physics Department and the Research Centre.  The female students will be trained to use a number of programs in order to analyze the results and graphics and to solve mathematical equations, including: (Origin) and (Excel). They will also be trained on how to write research papers and research reports, and how to write, manage and create an index of references using (Endnote).

On the other hand, the Physics Department aims with this project to make a positive impact on the academic and practical journey of the female students, and to achieve the clear benefits the Department is aiming at; some of which are:

·         * Increasing information in Physics and applying it in reality.

·         * Considering time management and managing projects professionally.

·         * Gaining experience in dealing with the members of the research team and working as a team.

·         * Benefiting from collective work which is the defining feature of the graduation project as each project consists of two female students who cooperate to complete a specific work.

·         * Learning new technical skills, such as research writing skills and public speaking skills.

·         * Gaining experience from dealing with advanced research devices in the laboratories of the Research Centre, unlike the graduation projects at the University which are usually theoretical projects due to the poor research facilities.

·         * Learning how to read scientific papers and use data analysis software.

The staff of the Physics Department have prayed that this rich experience will benefit everyone, give the female students an experience which will open up great prospects for them after graduation, and offer an opportunity to other female students to join similar projects in subsequent semesters. The Department also expressed its thanks to all those in charge of the program and all those who contributed to the success of this initiative, especially H.E. Dr. Ahmad Al-Qaoud, Head of Physics Department, H.E. Ms. Mervat Al-Zumia, Vice-Dean of Physics Department, and Dr. Raed Al-Hathlool, the supervisor of the project, for their support and efforts in overcoming any obstacles in order to make this unique experience successful. Thanks also go to the supervisors from the Research Centre in King Faisal Specialist Hospital, especially Dr. Shada Wadi Al-Rumhi and Dr. Muhanna Areeb, the supervisors of the female students. The Physics Department also extended its thanks to Dr. Refaat Al-Mazrou and Eng. Saad Jamaan, who had an outstanding contribution to the success of this project.

Finally, the Department thanked the female students' researchers of the Physics Department for their efforts in representing and promoting the Department and for their seriousness and discipline from the first day of this project, and wished them a bright future.