In recent times, India has been witnessing an exponential increase in the use of radiation and radioactive sources in medical applications. Nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person's specific organs or to treat them. Apart from diagnosing the diseases, the radioisotopes can be used for treating them. Application of radiotherapy to treat cancer using ionizing radiation to weaken or destroy particular targeted cells is well-known.
There are currently about 350 radiation therapy centres in the country and the number is increasing rapidly. Radiation therapy is a complex treatment process requiring a team of professionals which includes oncologists, physicians, medical physicists, radiation technologists, nurses, and so on. Would you like to become a medical physicist ?
A medical physicist is basically a physicist who specialises in the area of radiation physics and allied sciences. He has the responsibility to ensure safe and effective delivery of radiation to the patient to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic result as prescribed by the physician. His job is not only to ensure that the patient receives the correct radiation dose but also to protect other professionals around such as doctors, technicians and nurses from hazardous radiation.
Any medical institution in our country has to get a licence from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to use radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. One of the licensing conditions is that the institution should have on its permanent roll a qualified medical physicist and a Radiological Safety Officer approved by AERB.
Qualifications
How does one become a medical physicist? In the early days of radiation application, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) provided the necessary training to physics graduates. In order to meet the ever increasing demands for medical physicists, many institutions have now come forward to teach the medical physics course. The syllabi for these courses are reviewed by AERB to ensure that the radiation safety and regulatory aspects are covered adequately.
The following qualifications are prescribed by AERB for Medical Physicist. A postgraduate degree in physics from a recognised university followed by a Post M.Sc. diploma in radiological/medical physics from a recognised university or a basic degree in science from a recognised university with physics as one of the main subjects followed by a postgraduate degree in radiological/medical physics from a recognised university. In addition, one has to do an internship of minimum 12 months in a well-equipped radiation therapy department approved by AERB.
There are about 20 institutions in different States that offer these courses. There have been instances when institutions have started courses without seeking the approval of AERB. Students desirous of applying for medical physics courses should check the AERB website (http://www.aerb.gov.in/AERBPortal/pages/English/t/forms/regforms/radiotherapy/medphycourse.pdf) to make sure that the courses have the necessary approval.
One can join government or private hospitals as a medical physicist. Every year, a few medical physicists join Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and AERB for R&D work or training and regulatory assignments. The salaries are on par with scientists recruited through Officers’ Training School of Homi Bhabha National Institute of DAE. Like many other technical professionals, medical physicists do get lucrative offers from countries abroad. It is heartening to see more women choosing this career in recent times.
If one is service oriented, he/she can provide clinical and scientific advice and resources to solve myriad diverse physical problems that are encountered in patient treatment. If one has an aptitude for research, the profession provides immense opportunity, particularly because the science and technology used in cancer care changes rapidly. As many of the hospitals are also teaching institutions, medical physicists can also take up teaching assignments at various levels.
The writer is former director, Radiological Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. arsundar@gmail.com
