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Career as a Medical Physicist or Radiation Physicists- 28-Jan-2014
Medical physicists or radiation physicists ensures safe and effective delivery of radiation in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient, as prescribed by a specialized physician.
Medical physicists protect the patient from over-exposure to radioactive materials, make sure that the equipment is running properly and is being utilized correctly, and help with the positioning of the patient for the best result.
Duties of Medical Physicists or Radiation Physicists are generally divided into two disciplines: Diagnostic Radiology (Imaging) and Radiation Oncology.
Diagnostic Radiology physicists handle quality assurance of all diagnostic devices used in radiology departments, primarily CT, MRI, and x-ray imaging systems.
Radiation Oncology Physicists' duties are generally divided in three groups:
Beam measurements and quality assurance: Beam measurement and QA includes calibrating the radiation therapy equipment and ensuring the equipment functions correctly and safely. They ensure that the correct doses are delivered to the patients, and the equipment can be operated safely by the personnel. Then, they also deal with developing new treatment modalities and equipment.
Treatment Planning: Treatment planning means calculating the doses and dose distribution in the patients body, using sophisticated treatment planning systems.
Patient positioning: Patient positioning is to prepare the patient for treatment using systems and methods that will allow for patient comfort, stability and reproducibility.
Education and Certification to become a Medical Physicist:
Base qualification of a Master's Degree that include subjects like medical physics, anatomy and biology is mandatory.
M.Sc. (Medical Physics), M.Sc.(Radiation Physics) are good scope for futher studies to equip to be Medical Physicist or Radiation Physicists after a UG degree in Physics.
After MSc Physics it is also possible to do Diploma in Radiological Physics(Dip.R.P).
Diploma in medical radioisotope techniques (DMRIT), can be carried out after completing B.Sc. (Chemistry/Physics/ Life Sciences/ Biotech./ Biochemistry/ Microbiology/Biophysics), B.Sc. (Nuclear Medicine Technology) or B.Sc. (Medical Radiological Technology).
Ultimately, after MBBS too, it is possible to do Diploma in Radiation Medicine (DRM).
Basic important skills for Medical Physicist:
It is important to posses good understanding of radiation physics, including the principles of all kinds of radiation used in the medical arena.
Good interpersonal skills are higly important, as medical physicists need to interact with a large team of radiation oncologists, therapists, nurses and dosimetrists, in addition to interacting with downhearted patients.
The greater side of this job is that you provide hope for someone to receive cure for cancer.
The darker side of this role is that you work with very sick people that often may not have good prognoses or any significant life expectancy. It is certainly going to be challenging to provide hope to the one who has lost hope. Any single mistake by a medical physicist can certainly impact many patients' lives, so its an emotionally tough job.
Medical Physicist or Radiation Physicists earn equivalant to a speciality doctor. As on 2014, salaries range anywhere between Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,20,000 per month depending on the number of years of experience beyond proper certification.
