ERIC EJ940578: Medical Physicists and Health Physicists: Radiation Occupations

2011·1 MB·English

by  ERIC

Medical physicists and health physicists:
Radiation occupations
D
id you know that physicists help save types of physicists apply their disciplines are
lives? Physicists aren’t found only in described below.
lecture halls and laboratories. Some
use their knowledge of physics principles to Medical physicists
work in medicine and health.
Medical physicists combine an understanding
Physics is the study of matter and energy of physics, specifically as it concerns radia-
and the ways in which the two interact. Some tion, with an understanding of human biology.
physicists use their expertise in physics to They are involved in the diagnosis and treat-
focus on radiation. These specialists, called ment of patients, as well as in research and
medical physicists and health physicists, work education.
to help people or protect the environment.
Medical physicists are concerned with the
Medical physicists work with physicians,
safe and effective use of radiological pro-
assisting patients who need imaging technol-
cedures—the application of radiation to the
ogy and radiation treatment in hospitals and
human body. These procedures are used to
other medical facilities. Health physicists
prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Examples
protect people or the environment from the
include medical-imaging technologies, such as
potential hazards of radiation in a variety of
X rays, and radiation therapy, in which radia-
settings.
tion is used to kill malignant cancer cells.
Keep reading to learn more about these
The application of radiation to the human
two types of physicists. The first section
body entails risk. For example, radiation
describes what medical physicists and health
that is used to kill cancer cells can damage
physicists do on the job. The second section
healthy cells, too. Medical physicists, work-
provides information about employment and
ing with other healthcare professionals, ensure
wages. And the third section covers skills,
the safety and effectiveness of radiological
training, and certification. Sources for finding
more information are at the end of the article.
Jeffrey
Physicists at work in
LaPointe
medicine and health
Physicists devise theories and conduct
research to further the knowledge of matter
and energy. This knowledge may be used in
practical applications, such as developing new
technologies. Typically, physicists specialize
Jeffrey LaPointe
in a particular subfield of physics, and some
is an economist
physicists combine physics with other disci-
in the Office of
plines in their work.
Occupational
Medical physicists and health physicists
Statistics and
are two such specialists who combine physics
Employment Pro-
with other disciplines. Because of their train-
ing in physics and human biology, medical jections, BLS. He
physicists and health physicists understand can be reached
radiation and its effects on the human body. at [phone]
Additionally, health physicists have expertise or lapointe.
in how radiation interacts with the envi- [email protected].
ronment. The ways in which both of these
Summer 2011 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 17
procedures by verifying the appropriate type, medical physicists are responsible for ensur-
dosage, and application of radiation to the ing that the technologists who operate medi-
body. cal imaging equipment follow proper safety
Physicists who help in medicine may be precautions and procedures. And to ensure
employed at a hospital or other healthcare that medical images show clearly what is
facility or in a solo or group practice for prac- being evaluated, these workers also review the
titioner-clients. Medical physicists employed quality of the images.
by a healthcare facility perform different Along with assisting in diagnosis, medical
types of work depending on the facility’s size physicists involved in medical imaging may
and on the number of physicists on staff. A help physicians in the treatment of disease.
smaller facility may require physicists to work For example, some medical physicists might
in a wider range of activities. use imaging technologies to guide neurosur-
Medical physicists most commonly work geons during brain surgery.
in one of three areas: diagnostic radiology, Therapeutic radiology. Most medi-
radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine. Other cal physicists work in therapeutic radiology,
medical physicists focus on research, teaching, also called radiation oncology. Therapeutic
or consulting. radiology is the process of treating cancer by
Diagnostic radiology. Medical physicists projecting high-energy radiation at targeted
involved in patient diagnosis are concerned cancer cells to shrink and eliminate tumors.
with technologies, such as magnetic resonance In this area, medical physicists work as part of
imaging (MRI), that produce images of the an oncology team that implements a treatment
body’s internal structure. These technologies plan.
allow physicians to see abnormalities and to Medical physicists review plans developed
monitor various processes, such as blood flow. by dosimetrists, workers who calculate the
The medical physicist’s role is to ensure that amount of radiation to be used in treatment.
such technologies are used both safely and Physicists verify that the treatment plans are
effectively. safe and effective, based on their knowledge
Medical physicists are often responsible of physics and human biology.
for the equipment used in medical imaging. Like medical physicists involved in imag-
This might include testing, managing inven- ing, those involved in treatment oversee the
tory, and supervising the maintenance, repair, safe application of radiation. Duties include
and calibration of equipment. Additionally, confirming that machinery is calibrated
18 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Summer 2011
correctly and delivering the correct dosage human body and the environment, and what
of radiation. Additionally, medical physicists doses of radiation are dangerous.
make sure that the patient is placed—and What health physicists do is determined,
remains—in the proper position. in large part, by where they work.
Nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine is Hospitals. At hospitals and other medi-
used for both imaging and treatment after cal facilities, health physicists help to protect
patients have received small amounts of workers, patients, and visitors by ensuring that
radioactive materials—called radiopharma- facilities using radiation sources are doing so
ceuticals—whether orally, intravenously, or safely. These health physicists are responsible
by inhalation. In imaging, special cameras for evaluating radiation safety procedures,
detect the radiopharmaceuticals and display monitoring possible radiation exposure, and
information based on biological changes that ensuring that the facility complies with gov-
occur when disease is present. In treatment, ernment regulations on radiation safety.
radiopharmaceuticals act specifically on the Nuclear power plants. A health physi-
area being treated. cist at a nuclear power reactor may regularly
As part of a nuclear medical team that review data related to radiation levels. These
includes physicians and technicians, medi- health physicists also analyze laboratory
cal physicists evaluate the physical aspects results to make sure that the reactor is operat-
of nuclear medical applications. Medical ing safely and complying with federal regula-
physicists use their knowledge of the possible tions.
effects of radiation on patients and medical Other responsibilities include choosing
personnel to develop accurate estimates for and maintaining equipment used to detect
the lowest effective dosage. These physicists radiation and to protect workers and the envi-
may also have expertise in interpreting images ronment from excessive amounts of radiation.
and in analyzing data produced during admin- These physicists may help to train workers
istration of nuclear medical procedures. or supervise technicians, chemists, or others
Other areas. Medical physicists may also working at the reactor. Additionally, these
participate in medical research, teach or train health physicists may also write emergency
medical professionals, or work as consultants. plans and respond to radiation accidents.
As researchers, medical physicists con-
centrate in one of a variety of areas, including
issues related to radioactivity, medical appli-
cations of computers, and developing imaging
equipment and technologies. As educators,
medical physicists instruct or train other
medical physicists, medical students, and
other healthcare workers who treat cancer. As
consultants, medical physicists might partici-
pate in any of these activities or advise clients
about issues related to medical physics.
Health physicists
Health physicists help protect people and
the environment by ensuring that hospitals,
nuclear power plants, and other industries
use radiation safely. They may also work as
instructors or train others in radiation safety.
Like medical physicists, health physicists
understand radiation, how it can affect the
Summer 2011 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 19
Employment and wages
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
does not collect employment and wage data
for medical physicists and health physicists
specifically. However, BLS collects employ-
ment and wage data for physicists as a whole.
According to that data, in May 2010, there
were about 16,860 physicists employed nation-
wide—and they had a median annual wage
of $106,370. That’s considerably higher than
the median annual wage of $33,840 that BLS
data show for workers across all occupations
in May 2010.
Data available from industry organiza-
tions provide employment and wage estimates
for both occupations, but these data may not
be precise. For example, the Health Physics
Society estimates that there are more than
6,500 people working in health physics in
the United States, a number that may include
technicians and others in addition to health
physicists.
Skills, training,
Industry. Health physicists who do envi- and certification
ronmental work might help decontaminate
areas affected by radioactivity. Their duties Both medical physicists and health physicists
may include collecting environmental samples usually need at least a master’s degree in a
and analyzing the samples in a laboratory to subject that demonstrates solid understanding
detect radioactivity. of general physics. Generally, the more spe-
Health physicists also work for regula- cialized their work, the more education they
tory agencies that help to establish rules need. Jobs that are primarily technical usually
for the manufacture, use, and disposal of have fewer training requirements.
radioactive materials. In occupational safety, In addition to knowing physics, medical
health physicists ensure that employers follow physicists and health physicists must under-
safety requirements. Researchers study how stand the effects of radiation on the human
radiation affects matter to establish radiation- body. Knowledge of other disciplines is also
protection standards and to aid in designing required.
radiation-detection equipment. Other requirements for medical physicists
Education. Some health physicists teach. and health physicists differ. For example,
Colleges and universities hire health physicists some states require licensing. And employers
to instruct people or perform research or both. require all medical physicists and some health
Health physicists may train other health physi- physicists to be certified.
cists, medical personnel, nuclear plant work-
Medical physicists
ers, or others who need to understand the risks
of radiation exposure—and how to prevent Medical physicists need to know biology,
excessive amounts. physiology, chemistry, and electronics. And
20 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Summer 2011
because medical physicists work with physi- in libraries and career centers or online at
cians and other medical staff, they should www.bls.gov/ooh.
have good interpersonal skills. For information about medical physics
Minimum educational requirements for and medical physicists, contact:
medical physicist jobs usually include either American Association of Physicists
a master’s degree or doctorate in physics, in Medicine
medical physics, or a related field. This is One Physics Ellipse
usually preceded by an undergraduate degree
College Park, MD 20740
in physics, although some students’ bachelor’s
[phone]
degrees are in other natural sciences or engi-
[email protected]
neering. After obtaining a graduate degree,
www.aapm.org
medical physicists complete a residency train-
For information about the medical physi-
eeship or a postdoctoral program at a hospital
cist certification, contact the following organi-
for 2 years.
zations:
Some states require licensing of medical
American Board of Medical Physics
physicists, and all employers require certifica-
P.O. Box 487
tion. Certification requirements vary by spe-
Barker, TX 77413
cialty but usually involve some combination
of education, experience, and testing. Specific [phone]
requirements are available from professional [email protected]
medical physicist organizations. www.abmpexam.com
American Board of Radiology
Health physicists
5441 E. Williams Blvd.
Health physicists must learn biology, chem- Suite 200
istry, and electronics, along with mathemat- Tucson AZ 85711
ics and statistics, biochemistry, and genetics. [phone]
Depending on where they work, health physi-
www.theabr.org
cists may need knowledge in other areas, such
American Board of Science in
as air and water sampling techniques or medi-
Nuclear Medicine
cal and industrial uses of radiation. Health
3000 Spout Run Pkwy.
physicists should also have strong analytical
D-401
and communication skills.
Arlington, VA 22201
Most health physicists have at least a mas-
[phone]
ter’s degree, but not all jobs in professional
[email protected]
health physics require one. Relevant studies
www.snm.org/absnm
may be in health physics or in another scien-
For information about health physics and
tific or engineering field that offers opportuni-
health physicists, contact:
ties for gaining practical experience in radia-
tion safety. Health Physics Society
Not all employers require health physicists 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd.
to be certified. But some employers, such as Suite 402
nuclear utilities, may either prefer or require McLean, VA 22101
certification for hiring health physicists. [phone]
[email protected]
For more information www.hps.org
And for information on the certification
The Occupational Outlook Handbook of health physicists, see the American Board
describes physicists in its profile “Physicists of Health Physics website at www.hps1.org/
and Astronomers.” The Handbook is available aahp/boardweb/abhphome.html.
Summer 2011 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 21