Radiation Therapy Staff

Jonathan Jackson, Ph.D.

Qualified medical physicists work directly with the physician in the planning and delivery of radiation treament. They oversee the work of the dosimetrist, and help ensure that complex treatments are properly tailored for each patient.

Qualified medical physicists are responsible for developing and directing quality control programs for equipment and procedures. They are responsible for making sure the equipment works properly. Medical radiation physicists also take precise measurements of radiation beam characteristics and complete other safety tests on a regular basis.

Qualified medical physicists have completed four years of college. They also have had two-to-six years of graduate school and typically one-to-two years of clinical physics post-doctoral training. They are certified by the American Board of Radiology or the American Board of Medical Physics.

Dosimetrists

Dosimetrists carefully calculate the dose of radiation to ensure the tumor gets the proper amount of radiation. They develop a number of treatment plans that can best destroy the tumor while sparing the normal tissues. Many of these treatment plans are very complex. Dosimetrists work with the physician and the medical physicist to choose the appropriate treatment plan for each patient.

Many dosimetrists start as radiation therapists and then, with very intensive training, become dosimetrists. Others are graduates of one-to-two-year dosimetry programs. The Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board certifies dosimetrists.