Professional Physicists - Medical

Medical physicists apply physics to medical applications, such as radiology, medical imaging and radiotherapy.

Job title:
Medical Physicist

Educational background:
B.A. in physics
M.S. in physics
Ph.D. in experimental atomic physics

What do you do?
I work in a hospital. Specifically I work in the Radiation Oncology Department of our Cancer Center, where we treat cancer patients with radiation therapy. I am responsible for measurements to make sure our radiation equipment is always working properly, for checking patient plans to make sure everything is calculated correctly, for trouble-shooting and problem-solving whenever a machine is down or a physician wants to tackle an unusual patient case. I work with physicians, dosimetrists, therapists, and nurses.

Why did you decide to pursue a physics-related career?
I was always good at math and interested in physics. I enjoyed the challenge of physics work and the satisfaction of understanding difficult concepts.

How has your physics background helped you in your career?
A physics degree is absolutely necessary for a job as a medical physicist. A undergraduate degree in physics is the first step. A master's degree in medical physics is a possible second and final step before getting a job in a clinic or hospital. I took a nontraditional pathway into the job by getting a Ph.D. in physics first. A Ph.D. is useful for advancing in the field and if you want to work at a university hospital where residents are trained.

How have you balanced family and career commitments?
While I feel my job is very important to me and a big part of who I am, I never wanted it to be the only thing that defined me. I am happily married to a non-scientist, have 2 wonderful dogs and a cat, and am expecting our first child soon through adoption from Vietnam. I work in an environment where there are open hours and closed hours. Often I do need to wait until after clinic hours to get access to the equipment that they've been using all day to treat patients, but when I go home, I leave my job at work. I enjoy having my weekends and evenings mostly for living the rest of my life!

Do you have any advice for college students who are interested in pursuing careers in physics?
Please look into medical physics. It's a great way to apply your physics knowledge and problem-solving skills to help real people with cancer. Your skills and contributions will be valued by the physicians and others you work with. The working hours are reasonable and the pay is good.