Jeremy Corwin’s path to owning a diagnostic imaging physics company began with earning a B.S. in physics from Seattle University on an Army ROTC scholarship in 1993. Although he was keen to spend the next seven years serving his country as a helicopter pilot, his commanding officer had other ideas, insisting he become a radiation health physicist. Ultimately, that decision served him well. After being discharged from the military, he discovered there was a shortage of medical health physics services in the Northwest. He and his wife, Laurie, conducted their own market survey and plunged forward in 2000 to start a company — Corwin Health Physics in Centralia, Washington.
Corwin obtained his Master of Science in Radiation Health Physics online from Oregon State in 2011. “One of the things I really like about this program is that they teach the classes as if you’re actually sitting in the classroom,” Corwin said. “I benefited from seeing what my instructors wanted rather than just reading textbooks and taking tests.” In fact, he found it so valuable that he’s encouraged several other people in his company to continue their graduate studies and certifications online through Oregon State Ecampus. According to Corwin, giving employees an opportunity to grow their careers and build relationships has been a fulfilling part of the journey. “It’s about selecting people with character, working as a team, and using those strengths when communicating with our clients,” said Corwin.
The need for qualified medical physicists has increased significantly in the United States, while the opportunity to become licensed is difficult due to the lack of adequate accredited residency programs. “I think we’ve accomplished something pretty amazing,” Corwin said. “There are only 20 companies in the nation accredited to provide a diagnostic imaging residency program, and we are the only one located on the West Coast.”