This article highlights some of the Career Opportunities with a Medical Physics Degree. Read further for full information.
What is Medical Physics?
Medical physics is a discipline that merges the knowledge of physics and medicine; it is a field where in medicine, one uses the knowledge of physics to develop the various aspect of treatment.
Career Opportunities with a Medical Physics Degree
It is common knowledge that graduates and aspiring students want to know about the career opportunities available in their field of study. Laboratories, medical research units, and hospitals are the only places a person with a medical degree can work.
The areas of specialization in medical physics include
- Therapeutic medical physics
- Diagnostic medical physics
- Nuclear medical physics
- Medical health physics
- Magnetic resonance imaging physics
The post will highlight some of the careers available for those interested in medical physics.
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Research Associate
- Medical Technologist
- Nuclear Medicine Technologist
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Medical Technologist
A medical technologist is a healthcare professional who tests the samples and body fluids collected from patients for diagnosis.
Duties of a Medical Technologist
- Perform, assess, and keeps track of laboratory tests following established protocols.
- Decide which methods and necessary additional steps.
- Maintain a close eye on the workflow and makes the necessary adjustments to finish the task on time.
- Examine the results for clinical relevance, validity, and suitability.
- Adhere to the rules outlined in the test results communication and reporting policy.
- Perform and record instrument and equipment maintenance, repair, and calibration. Identifies warning signs of test or instrument malfunction; assesses; applies the necessary adjustments.
- Follow a defined process while performing, recording, and reviewing quality control and assurance.
- Take remedial action as necessary after evaluating quality control findings.
- Check to make sure samples are labeled correctly and fit for testing.
- Collect specimens from newborn, child, and adult patients under an established methodology.
- Assists in developing education and training protocols; instruct students, residents, and new team members as assigned.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
A nuclear medicine technologist is responsible for diagnostic tests involving nuclear image testing. They conduct a treatment using radioactive substances using a controlled method.
Duties of Nuclear Medicine Technologist
- Performs high-quality dynamic, static, SPECT, and PET/CT imaging techniques using patient population-specific criteria to provide the referring physician with the necessary diagnostic patient information.
- Receive, prepare, administer, and store radiopharmaceuticals and radionuclides. Maintain the safety and integrity of the agents used.
- Performs different non-imaging methods following departmental guidelines to retrieve the needed information.
- Ensure that gamma cameras, computers, and other auxiliary equipment (such as thyroid probes, well counters, video imagers, and PET/CT cameras) function properly through quality control processes.
- Handles radioactive materials safely per departmental NRC and state requirements to ensure minimal radiation exposure to self and others.
- Performs quality and compassionate patient care to ensure patient cooperation, safety, and satisfaction.
- Maintain proper safety standards
- Operates required equipment necessary to produce scans using established guidelines and CT protocols.
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Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Clinical laboratory scientists perform most of their operations in the laboratory; they assist physicians by helping them carry out a test on samples from the patient to ascertain the cause of the disease.
- Uses aseptic procedures to carry out tasks, including cryopreserving components and removing the plasma from red blood cells.
- Help in the bone marrow harvesting process.
- Receive clinical specimens, examines them, and record the inspection. Confirms that the labeling is correct and comprehensive.
- Perform daily QC and standard equipment cleaning and maintenance following laboratory SOP and record these actions.
- Keep precise records of component processing.
- Follow the lab manager’s instructions when it comes to particular tasks.
- When necessary, offers on-call coverage during off-duty hours.
- Participates in initiatives aimed at improving performance and helps the laboratory achieve all requirements for accreditation and regulation.
- Identifies issues and, if required, starts troubleshooting processes to assess failures and other issues. Notifies the manager or supervisor and, if necessary, contacts the manufacturer for extra support or field service help.
- Assist with validating new equipment, new methodologies, and procedural protocols.
- Responsible for performing equipment maintenance, quality control, and calibration of HPC equipment and properly documenting actions taken based on the approved schedule.
Research Associate
A degree in medical physics can be a starting point to becoming a research associate. A research associate conducts research on the subject matter in a particular field; they choose the methods and resources used in the study.
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Duties of a Research Associate
- Report on innovative inventions’ viability, validity, and benefits to examine innovative products, testing, and methods.
- Highlight the changes in research aims, methodologies, or methods,
- Design safety procedures and research protocols
- Gather, prepare, disassemble, study, and dissect specimens or tissue to be used for observation.
- Collect statistical data and analyses laboratory test results
- Keep notes, a journal, or a computer database to complete computations for research test results.
- Perform a variety of non-routine testing, investigations, and assays
- Provide teaching and training to medical students, residents, and interns
- Observe and screen patients’ records in the research.
- Collect and analyze complex data and keeps a database on a computer
Postdoctoral Fellow
A postdoctoral fellow conducts research after obtaining a doctorate. They create a research plan and ensure that the study’s methods and resources pooled together are targeted, answering a bone of contention.
Duties of a Postdoctoral Fellow
- Develop and carry out research protocols, develop and put into place safety measures, and modify new processes, techniques, or equipment to suit research procedures.
- Oversee reagent quality control analysis, animal care, and reagent preparation.
- Compile, prepare, and analyze research data; maintain a complete journal.
- Outline experiments and log research data.
- Administer a computer database for research data
- Assemble, display, and tabulate data for use in research presentations and paper production;
- Using graphics and statistical software, analyze and present data.
- Manage research operations and supervise other lab personnel.
- Teach volunteers, fellows, residents, and students as required.
- Search relevant scientific journals for further information to help in the research.
- Assist with maintaining the overall upkeep of the laboratory and ordering and acquiring supplies and equipment.
Final Notes on Career Opportunities with a Medical Physics Degree
Medical physics is a growing field in healthcare that combines two distinct bodies of knowledge: medicine and physics. It describes how physics knowledge can be used to treat diseases more effectively. Most jobs in the field are in the research or clinical departments.
Before you go, apply for Available Jobs.