Medical Physicist, Full-Time, Days

About the role

The Medical Physicist at Northwestern Medicine plays a crucial role in the Radiosurgery/Radiation Oncology/Prentice Radiation Oncology departments. They collaborate with radiation oncologists to develop and verify radiation treatment plans, ensuring high-quality and safe patient care.

Responsibilities

• Develops and verifies radiation treatment plans for external beam, Radiosurgery, Hyperthermia, and Brachytherapy procedures.
• Produces digital reconstructed radiographs as required for documentation of radiation fields.
• Affixes to Physics V in completing Electronic Medical Record documentation related to physics department.
• Determines and implements optimal methods for field shaping as per the Radiation Oncologist's prescription, using custom blocks or multi-leaf collimators.
• Performs and verifies the accuracy of treatment calculations, prepares patient charts, and documents treatment deliveries accurately.
• Constructs or assists in the preparation of immobilization devices, treatment aids, and shielding blocks, including lifting objects up to 40 pounds.
• Creates and oversees the implementation of complex treatment plans, such as IMRT, IGRT, CBCT, Gating, Arc therapy, Tomotherapy, etc.
• Assesses in vivo dosages using TLDs, diodes, mosfets, film, etc., and records the results appropriately.
• Informs physicians of assessment results and takes necessary actions when required.
• Carries out weekly physics quality control and quality assurance processes, documenting findings accurately.
• Maintains supply needs of the physics section/departments, ensures smooth workflow in Dosimetry, and promotes a positive work environment.
• Maintains competencies and complies with continuing education requirements of credentialing agencies.
• Assists in the commissioning of new equipment, development of new treatment techniques, and other appropriate physics duties.
• Executes mandatory regulatory measurements, inventories, and logs in a timely manner as legislated.
• Assists physicians and other medical personnel in esoteric special patient procedures.
• Measures, experiments with machine parameters, and calculates output of treatment units, requiring the use of devices weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Plans, verifies, and implements accurate radiation dosage for Radiation Oncology patients.
• Performs and analyzes pertinent functions for quality control of radiation devices, and provides documentation.
• Participates in defining needs, parameters, and budgets for new equipment.
• Assists with research into new modalities and uses of present treatment methods.
• Assists with special procedures as needed (e.g., Brachytherapy, Gamma Knife, HDR, Radiosurgery, etc.).
• Identifies quality issues and brings them to the attention of the Manager, Physics V, and Quality Committee as appropriate.
• Assists in the design and implementation of measurement tools and process improvements.
• Collects and monitors data for key quality indicators and process improvement plans.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD Degree in Medical Physics or equivalent.
• Registered with Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety as an approved Therapeutic Radiological Physicist.
• Demonstrated excellence as a Radiation Physicist in Therapeutic Radiology.
• Strong teaching experience.
• Excellence in independent clinical research resulting in publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Preferred

• Faculty Appointment at Northwestern University Medical School.
• Five years previous supervisory experience.