Medical Physics:

   work description: Medical Physicist (radiation therapy)
    skills used
      Working knowledge of ionizing radiation interactions with matter.
      General knowledge of linear accelerators.  Human anatomy including
	radiation dose tolerances of various organs. 
    Computer literacy (networking, mild programing, multi platform environment)
   specific retraining for physicists
	how long 2 years
	how much full time
	licensing/degrees Board certification by either American Board of 
	  Medical Physicists, or the American Board of Radiology

   placement:
      resources on web: 
      journals with ads:  Journal of Medical Physics
      relevant conferences: 
	Annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine
      relevant placement agencies:
	AAPM Placement Service (203)545-3786
      other
      list of specific places one can apply to
	Joint Center for Radiation Therapy
	300 Longwood Ave
	Boston, MA 02115

	MD Anderson
	Texas
	
	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
	New York
	
	Netherlands Cancer Institute
	Amsterdam
	
	Malinkrodt Cancer Center
	St. Louis, MO

	Stanford University Hospital
	Palo Alto, CA

	


   what sort of person could one ask to find out more about career, what
   could one read, if one didn't know anyone personally in this field?
   is there anyone specific to ask?

	Find a medical physicist in the department of radiation therapy 
	or neuclear medicine or diagostic radiology in any large teaching
	hospital.

	Look at:
	1) The physics of radiology  Johns and Cunningham
	2) The physics of radiation therapy Khan

    goals, aims of work
	Provide physics resource to treatment planners, physicians to enable 
	quality treatment of cancer patients.  Responsible for quality
	assurance program for linear accelerators, brachy therapy programs,
	treatment planning software, etc.  Sometimes must serve as radiation 
	safety officer.  In research institutions, responsible for research
	(development) of technologies to improve treatment quality, safety, 
	and efficiency.  Some interaction with patients when physicians or 
	therapists need consult to plan a patient's treatment.

    what sorts of things do people do all day?
	Check patient treatment plans for quality and consistancy
	Maintain documnetation of treatment procedures and machine 
	  calibration data
	Conduct research in applicable areas.

    what kinds of backgrounds,training do people in the field have?
	Ph.D. in physics or related fields.
    
    

    how many people one interacts with daily, long term
      how many doing similar things, how many doing others
    Depends on size of department, but interaction is essential to 
	producing a good product for the patient.
 
   is there a community-if so, who is in it,
      local/international, very specialized, what do they consider
      their role to be for people in it, in the world at large?


   environment:
      hours presumably 40h/week but more like 50
      flexibility usually very flexible except that the clinic must have
	coverage during working hours.
     location-- World wide

     how much travelling
	practically none
   how much moving within same career to different jobs
	self driven.
   how much colleagues moving around
	not too much
   how much turnover
	low in good places
   is there a standard career track with some sort of security at end?
	Historically, job security has been very good.  Health system changes
	may challenge this feeling.
   what does person getting most respect and encouragement/prestige in this job
   look like?  ideal person for this i.e. type of person best suited for this?
   types of people who will have a hard time if they want to do this?
	intraverts, bad communicators
   is a need for this sort of job going to grow, or are they retrenching,
   or is it unclear?
	Declining need due to more physicists entering the field

   

   health benefits
	good
   other benefits
	401k, 403b etc
   best things about it:
	get to do some good for some sick people
   worst things about it:
	can't always save a childs life.



(from D. Gladstone)