As a Medical physicist one can be involved in
one of these three main areas: research and development, teaching and clinical health care services.
A clinical medical physicist’ responsibilities
include commissioning, maintaining and safe use of equipment including linear
accelerators, simulators and computed tomography scanners used for diagnosis
and treatment. Regular tests of equipment performance such as acceptance test,
quality assurance test and quality control test are performed to ensure the
effective and safe delivery of radiation in order to achieve the best
diagnostic or therapeutic outcome.
Therapeutic
Medical Physicist deals
with developing equipment used for treatment, simulation and radiation
dosimetry. This also includes develop procedures for commissioning, maintaining
and safe use of equipment are used for radiation therapy, radiation detection
and medical imaging. Radiation oncology medical physicist should
communicate and work effectively with physicians, nurses and engineers who are involved
in a safe and accurate radiation delivery for cancer treatment.
Diagnostic
Medical Physicist deals
with developing equipment using radiation for diagnosis and radiation
dosimetry.
Nuclear
Medicine Physicist deals
with safe handling and use of radionuclides for diagnosis and treatment of
disease.
Medical
Health Physics deals
with safe use of ionising radiation used for diagnosis and therapeutic
purposes. “Whilst applicable and the responsibility of each specialty,
Radiation Safety can be a separate role within itself. All other professionals
rely on the medical physicist for radiation safety matters, advice and
policy." (Ref: ACPSEM )
