Many medical procedures directly apply concepts from the physics classroom to the clinic, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, optical coherence, radioactivity, and high-energy physics. Medical physicists ensure that treatments using physics-based techniques are performed as effectively and safely as possible by linking technological advances with clinical assessment and quality management.
As a therapeutic medical physicist, I specialize in the use of high-energy x-rays and particles to treat disease. This is commonly performed using a linear accelerator (external beam photon radiotherapy/particle therapy), or radioactive sources (brachytherapy). My current clinical foci are high-precision cranial radiotherapy and total body irradiation.

This seminar will provide an introduction to the field of Medical Physics, with a focus on therapeutic applications and a physicist’s responsibilities in a radiation medicine clinic. I will offer my perspective on what makes working in this field unique and rewarding, discuss possible career pathways, and highlight current avenues of research.