Radiation oncology jobs involve treating cancer with radiotherapy. Physicians, physicists, and therapists are needed. Radiation oncologists prescribe treatment, physicists design and engineer treatment systems, dosimetrists calculate radiotherapy doses, and radiation therapists administer treatment. Medical physicists can also design new medical equipment. Dosimetrists work closely with physicians and radiation oncologists to provide the proper dosage of radiation therapy. Radiation therapists administer treatment using a linear accelerator.
Radiation oncology jobs are available for physicians, physicists and therapists. Radiation oncology jobs involve treating cancer through the use of radiotherapy. Treatment is often given along with chemotherapy or surgery.
Doctors are referred to as radiation oncologists. Physicists in this field, working to design and engineer treatment systems, are more specifically called medical doctors or radiation physicists. Therapists who calculate radiotherapy doses are called dosimetrists. A radiation therapist administers the actual treatment.
Patients come to the radiation oncologist through other oncology specialists. Patients can suffer from a variety of different cancers that oncologists treat. Radiation oncologists act as consultants to physicians and prescribe appropriate treatment through radiation therapy. Radiation treatments work by damaging cancer and healthy cells. Only healthy cells are able to repair and reproduce themselves, but cancer cells cannot reproduce and die.
Radiation oncology jobs for medical physicists can be found in healthcare, medical research, and hospital engineering. These professionals use their understanding of physics to apply technical expertise in diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy, non-ionizing radiation, and nuclear medicine. They plan radiation treatments through medical imaging, providing oncologists with vital information about the patient’s illness.
Medical physicists may also design radiation equipment installations for hospitals and work to test the equipment to ensure it works properly. They will also ensure you take proper precautions against radiation hazards. Medical physicists can also design new medical equipment in the field of medical research.
Dosimetry is a field of radiation oncology work that requires a broad understanding of cancer patient care. Dosimetrists work closely with a physician and radiation oncologist to provide the proper dosage of radiation therapy to a cancer patient. Dosimetrists may also work closely with medical physicists on radiation protection, machine calibration, and quality checks on radiation oncology equipment.
Dosimetrists must be able to calculate the correct dosage and delivery site for radiation therapy. The prescribed dose and the patient’s charts must be examined and the calculations are verified through a system prepared by the medical physicist. This requires a thorough understanding of radiobiology, physics and human anatomy.
Radiation oncology jobs also include radiation therapists who administer treatment by positioning the patient and beaming radiation to a specific location on the body. The equipment used by the radiation therapist is called a linear accelerator. The radiation therapist will also maintain the patient’s treatment record and report to the radiation oncologist.
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