Medical Dosimetrist

[bbas]

Anyone have any info on this career: job outlook, salary, etc? I've never heard of it until recently, but it sounds like it would be an interesting and rewarding career.

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[Mulletfluf]

Anyone have any info on this career: job outlook, salary, etc? I've never heard of it until recently, but it sounds like it would be an interesting and rewarding career.

Medical dosimetry is a great field. Check out: medicaldosimetry.org and mdcb.org. Both sites should answer any questions you may have about the field. The job outlook and salary are great at the moment. I think within a few years the demand may be greater with the decreasing number of on the job training positions available. Feel free to send me a pm if you have any other questions.

 

[RAMPA]

Anyone have any info on this career: job outlook, salary, etc? I've never heard of it until recently, but it sounds like it would be an interesting and rewarding career.

you could go to xray school, then do an additional year of training to be a radiation therapist (while earning $$ as xray tech), and then get trained to be a CMD (while earning $$$ as a radtherapist).

shoot look at http://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=700&ji=1797175&sn=I

 

[Mulletfluf]

you could go to xray school, then do an additional year of training to be a radiation therapist (while earning $$ as xray tech), and then get trained to be a CMD (while earning $$$ as a radtherapist).

That is the traditional way of moving through the ranks. Many people have become dosimetrists through this route and its still a viable option. However, I have some concerns about going through this route. First, you want to be a dosimetrist not a radiographer. Why spend time/money going to x-ray school when you have no interest in remaining in the field? I have several reasons for saying this: rarely in therapy do you have to worry about setting film technique, patient positioning is different, and all the anatomy/rad protection is going to be covered in therapy school anyway.

In think it would help if we had some background information. Do you have a degree? If so, in what?

Look at http://www.jrcert.org/cert/Search.jsp. They have a list of all the approved radiography, therapy, and dosimetry degree and certificate programs.

 

[bbas]

Hey,
thanks for the information. I'm currently a junior majoring in health science and biology. I'm mainly interested in the program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philly (http://www.jefferson.edu/jchp/di/ap_md_rtt.cfm), but I don't think it is an accredited program. Since there only seems to be two accredited programs in the country, I'm guessing that either this is a relatively new field or the demand is currently not that high.

 

[Mulletfluf]

Thanks for the background information. Since you will already have a BS, I wouldn't be as opposed to a certificate program. In my opinion, I would be inclined to go the degree route over the certificate in a perfect world. But I doubt you'd benefit much from a second BS, so in the end it might just be a wash anyway.

To be honest, I didnt even know that Jefferson had a medical dosimetry program. The website indicates that the program was started in 2004, so its still a young program. I think it would be wise to speak with the program director prior to applying. Some things you should inquire about would be: CMD board pass rates, number of students per year, program requirements, and student responsibilities. Ask if you will have exposure to IMRT planning, brachytherapy, radiosurgery, etc. Ideally, the key is to be well rounded in all things dosimetry. When you call and talk to the program director see if they'd let you shadow a dosimetrist for a day or two just to get a feel for the job.

There are a few reasons why there are only two accredited degree programs in the US. First, class sizes are so small that its hard for schools to fund programs. Second, even fewer schools/centers have the infrastructure to support a dosimetry program. You need a program director, instructors, and hands on time on treatment planning equipment. This is not to say that non-accredited programs aren't as good as accredited ones, just that they dont meet the standards of the JRCERT.

The MDCB is going trying to eliminate on the job training positions eventually, especially since they are so few and far between these days. Also with the fact that there is only two accredited degree programs, job demand/salary is going to be high for many years to come.

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other questions