!!! IMPORTANT NOTE: As of 2012, non-ionizing questions will be part of the "core" group of questions, so expect 50 point non-ionizing questions from this point on!!!!!! This was voted on at the 2012 mid-year meeting in Dallas.

Welcome to the CSU Student Branch of the HPS exam review class! If you have questions on course content or technical questions, contact your mentor or the course director, Dr. Tom Johnson via email: tj@colostate.edu, or phone (970)491-0563. If you have a pressing question, call my cell , 301-213-6785, especially on weekends. Leave a return number as I am sometimes not near a cell tower!

Make sure to check out the student study session videos under web links! (the links are way at the bottom)

All topics will be accessible after the last class, and will remain available to all students until the day AFTER the CHP exam.

Some files may be labeled DCE-0800, which was the previous course number. Please follow these links and files although they may not be labeled EDLL 2005. We are constantly updating our videos and files as we change our predictions as to what is important and as things in the field of health physics change. This class is dynamic, so the areas that are changing will have additional videos and files that could be in slightly different formats. We want YOU to pass the exam and have the best information available, so things will change from year to year and sometimes month to month!

Please note that this class will require INTENSIVE study on your part in order for you to pass the CHP exam. A minimum of 300 hours of study will be needed, which means homework assignments will take about 20 hours each week.

You should perform all assignments as if they were the actual exam, including listing your assigned "unique ID number" proveded by the ABHP (after acceptance to the exam). Your answers should show all work and be neat and organized. If you practice now, it will be second nature during the exam. Make sure to select a calculator now that is acceptable to the ABHP; use it all the time so you are familiar with it before taking the exam.

Video Options
The video for class can be viewed two different ways

1. Streaming on demand
Classes are available as streaming video. Windows Media Player is required and a broad band internet connection is required. You will be able to view the class, fast forward, or reverse. You will need to maintain an internet connection for the entire time you are viewing the video. A link to each week's class will be found in each of the class folders (below) and identical links to just the videos under the Web Links tab (on the left). Make sure your browser is set up to accept pop-ups. Some facilities block streaming videos! Another frequent problem is your security settings, if it asks if you would like to still view the video although it is not secure, please click on yes.

2. Download

Classes are available for download as an mpg4 file playable with Quicktime, (available here), or you can download it to a video iPod for playback. After downloading, you can play the file without a connection to the internet. Note: file sizes will be quite large (around 130 MB per one hour class), and you should expect that it will take some time to download. This method of viewing classes is ideal for airplane travel and playing back on your computer, or viewing at other locations where internet access is limited. Links to each week's download(s) will be found in the "Web Links" tab. If you encounter difficulty clicking on the link, the actual link is displayed on the right, try copying and pasting it directly into your browser to get to the download.

Each week your homework assignment is located under the "Homework" tab on the left. Please check it. You are not required to hand in homework, but it will help with the materials.

The Quiz for each week is under the "Part 1 Quizzes" tab on the left.

Many students find it useful to play back the videos at 1.5 or 1.8x speed, and slow it down or rewind over parts that are particularly useful or difficult.

You will need Adobe Acrobat to view the presentation materials, and you should have the appropriate materials available before each class period to take notes and so you can follow along with the instructor.

There are two types of handouts for each class - one handout will contain the full size slides that are used in the video, the other handout (usually labeled handout or B&W) will have six slides per page. Note that the equations may be in grayscale in the handouts, so they do not print well. This is your chance to write the equation down, it will help you to remember the equation and make sure you really know all the terms in the equations.

How to use this class
The best (suggested) way to use this class is to do the following each week

1. Download the notes and slides for the topic. Print out the handouts with six slides per page and have the color ones open on your monitor for easy viewing (just in case something is hard to read on the video).

2. Download and/or stream the video for the week. Many students will view the video at 1.5 to 1.8 times normal speed. You can adjust the playback speed on some software, but not all. Back up and re-view parts of the video that are new or confusing. Take notes on the printed handouts page.

3. After finishing the video, go to the "Homework" tab and find the homework for the week. Make sure to read the recommended materials, then do the homework. You should do the part two problems even if you are only taking part one. It will help with your understanding of the materials.

4. Take the online quiz for the week under "Part 1 Quizzes". You should take the weekly quiz even if you are only studying for part two since they frequently have multiple guess problems on part two as well as part one! Make sure to keep track of your time, since only 3 hours are allotted for the 150 questions on the exam. You may take the online quiz as many times as you like, so feel free to do so. Our questions are only "guesses" as to what is on the exam based on the topic area and our experience. We do NOT have access to any of the questions on the "real" exam and do NOT want any "inside" information. The questions are developed based on the topic areas that the ABHP lists on their website, and what we believe to be important subject areas. This maintains our integrity and yours! Besides, we have been told that we are quite good at determining what is important!

5. Repeat the above for each week. If you follow this schedule, you will have plenty of time to go back and review areas where you were weak. Try answering 150 questions in one sitting (in 3 hours) if you are planning on taking part one. It is not as easy as it seems. For those taking part two, take a complete exam from a year you have not yet practiced with and do it in 6 hours. Again, it takes some practice and stamina just to answer all the questions at once.

6. Post questions/comments on the discussion board and email me or your mentor (my email is tj@colostate.edu). We will try to answer them as rapidly as possible!

Good Luck to everyone!