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Hospital Radiation Physicist
UCI Series Concepts
Class Specifications - H.55
Supervising Hospital Radiation Physicist - 8046
Hospital Radiation Physicist - 9240
Assistant Hospital Radiation Physicist - 9241
April, 1973
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SERIES CONCEPT
Hospital Radiation Physicists perform, supervise, or administer highly
specialized duties in physical measurements involved in radiation
therapy, isodose measurements, depth and distribution dose measurements,
absorption of dose, exposure, and dose rate affects in a hospital or
outpatient facility; and perform other related duties as required.
Incumbents perform tests of diagnostic value, investigations of a
research nature and administration of radioactive material for
therapeutic purposes; resolve theoretical and practical problems of
measurements of ionizing radiations under clinical conditions; study the
diagnostic use of X-rays; advise on the control of radiation hazards;
study and recommend appropriate protective measures; assure that certain
standards are maintained with regard to dosimetry and radiation hazard
control; assess and plot distribution of radiation dose; calibrate
radiation-producing and detecting equipment including nuclear medical
apparatus and measure radiation output of treatment sources and
generators; design, test and repair radiation dosimeters and associated
equipment; calculate and assess shielding requirements associated with
radiation sources; provide all dose-calculation services necessary for
patient treatment and diagnosis with external, interstitial,
intracavitary and distributed internal sources; provide consulting and
collaborative services for other departments using radiation in any
form; and provide all instruction in radiation physics to residents in
radiology through formal lectures and on-the-job training.
CLASS CONCEPTS
Supervising Hospital Radiation Physicist
Incumbents supervise the work of other Hospital Radiation Physicists.
Work is performed under the direction of the Department Chairman.
Typically at this level, incumbents plan, organize and supervise a
medical physics program in a hospital and outpatient facility
including the evaluation of ongoing projects, staffing and budget
needs and long-range goals and objectives; collaborate on intra and
interdepartmental research projects; provide consulting services to
other departments; initiate and maintain independent research
projects; organize and supervise mechanical and electronic services to
the Department of Radiology and others; design and test equipment;
provide instruction in radiation physics for residents, medical students
and other personnel; organize and supervise minor research and
development projects concerned with equipment instrumentation and
techniques; and supervise the work of other technical personnel.
Hospital Radiation Physicist
incumbents perform the most difficult technical duties under the
direction of a Department Chairman or higher level Physicist. This is
the full professional level in the series. Typically at this level,
incumbents specify and supervise the installation of all radiation
producing and detecting equipment including nuclear medical apparatus;
design and test shielding for all equipment and supervise fabrication of
necessary accessories; supervise resident treatment planning,
calculation and measurement of interstitial irradiations and dose to
internal sources; collaborate on Interdepartmental research projects
requiring both clinical and experimental dosimetry; provide consulting
and collaborative service to other departments regarding specifications,
purchase, commissioning and operation of equipment; interpret results
obtained from equipment including ultrasonic devices, PH and oxygen
tension instruments, pressure transducers, body fluid pump, thermography
and holography; provide instruction in radiation physics for residents
at formal lectures and in on-the-job training; participate in
instruction of physics to medical and allied health personnel;
organize the operation of monitoring services, licensing, and liaison
activities with the State Department of Health; provide institution-
wide service in the field of Health Physics.
Assistant Hospital Radiation Physicist
This is the entry level and incumbents perform duties under the
supervision of a higher level Physicist. Typically at this level,
incumbents perform duties in a specialty area of radiation therapy,
diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation safety or other
branches of medical physics at the discretion of a higher level
Physicist. In dosimetric service, provide and maintain all dose
measurements required by the radiation therapy division; calibrate
radiation producing and detecting equipment; test radiation shielding
around radiation producing equipment; provide and maintain standards
for measurement of radioactivity required in the nuclear medicine
division; calibrate clinical radiopharmaceuticals; calibrate radiation
detecting equipment including energy calibration of single and multi-
analyzers; investigate radiation hazards. In patient service, provide
dose calculations and measurement necessary for patient treatment with
external, interstitial, intercavitary and distributed internal sources,
including production of normal standard isodose plots, calculation and
measurement of interstitial irradiations, measurement and calculation of
dose from internal sources; work with radiotherapy personnel in
clinical dosimetry; provide equipment calibration and calculation in
patient diagnosis. In other radiation services, provide calibrations
and dose calculations for experimental and in vitro radiation.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Supervising Hospital Radiation Physicist
A Bachelor's degree in physics with two years of specialized training in
radiation physics, or a master's degree in radiation physics; and seven
years of experience including three years of increasing responsibility
in planning, organizing and supervising a radiation physics unit; of a
Ph.D. degree in physics or physics applied in biology or radiation and
four years of experience including two years of increasing responsibility;
or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Hospital Radiation Physicist
A Bachelor's degree in physics with two years of specialized training in
radiation physics and five years' experience; or a Master's degree in
radiation physics with five years of experience; or a Ph.D. in physics
or physics applied to biology or radiation and two years of experience;
or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Assistant Hospital Radiation Physicist
A Bachelor's degree in physics and two years of specialized training in
radiation physics; or a Master's degree in a related field.
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