Medical Physicist

Job overview
Medical physicists are concerned with the application of physics in medicine.

What do people do in this occupation?
Medical physicists are concerned with the medical application of physics to assist in both the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

They seldom have direct contact with patients. The most important applications of medical physics are:-

• Radiotherapy
  In radiotherapy, ionising radiation such as X-rays, gamma rays, high energy electrons and neutrons are applied in treating malignant and sometimes benign conditions.

Medical physicists are responsible for planning the radiation treatment of the patient and ensuring that the prescribed dose is accurately delivered.

• Nuclear medicine
  Radionuclides are used in nuclear medicine to diagnose diseases.

The distribution and concentration of these radio-active compounds can be determined using a scintillation camera.

This allows the study of the anatomy and functioning of internal organs.

Medical physicists ensure that a high standard is attained by the establishment of quality management programs on equipment and radiopharmaceuticals.

They also assist with quantitative imaging techniques.

• Radiology
  A number of imaging techniques are used in diagnostic radiology.

These include conventional X-ray, computed tomography, ultra sound and magnetic resonance imaging.

All of these techniques have basic physics foundations.

Proper adjustment of equipment ensures that optimal image quality is achieved and more accurate diagnosis will follow.

Image manipulation techniques form an integral part of medical physics.

• Radiation protection
  Excessive use of radiation is dangerous to man.

For this reason strict legislation controls the use of radiation.

Medical physicists take responsibility in the hospital for all sources of potentially harmful radiation and ensure that patients, members of the public and radiation workers are protected from unnecessary exposure.

• Research and teaching
  Most medical physicists are associated with academic centres where they play an important role as part of medical research teams.

Medical physicists can be found helping in basic research, doing mathematical modelling, developing new techniques as well as equipment and even assisting in clinical trails.

Lectures in physics are given to virtually all medical and paramedical students.

• Emerging fields
  While most medical physicists are involved in one or more of the above fields there are a number of more exotic possibilities.

The rapid development of technology impacts greatly on medical services.

Health informatics is an example where the proliferation of information technology affects the way in which the health professionals operate.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Medical physicists must be able to accept responsibility and work independently.

The ability to judge accurately, to act quickly and decisively under stress is important.

What qualifications are needed?
A BSc degree with majors in physics is a basic qualification, to which will be added postgraduate studies in particular branches of physics.