Certified Medical Dosimetrist

Stanford Health Care•Stanford, CA

9d•$82 - $108•Hybrid

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Chief Dosimetrist, Clinical Chief Physicist, and Director-Radiation Oncology Operations, the Certified Medical Dosimetrist develops optimized radiation treatment plans for cancer patients under the direction of the radiation oncologist. Plans aim to deliver the prescribed dose to the tumor while minimizing exposure to normal organs and preserving healthy tissue and organ function. The role uses medical dosimetry, mathematics, medical physics, science, critical thinking, and specialized computer equipment and technology to calculate radiation dose distributions and design treatment fields. Plans may include external radiation and radioactive elements used in interstitial brachytherapy. The dosimetrist works with radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists to implement treatment plans and advises on patient immobilization, setup reproducibility, devices, and field arrangements. The role also supports patient care, radiation safety, treatment-planning and equipment quality assurance, brachytherapy, education of students and residents, clinical research, continuing education, and quality improvement. The position is hybrid, with an onsite primary schedule and remote days allowed as operational needs permit. The schedule is day shift, eight hours.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited college or university.
Meet the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board eligibility criteria currently in effect to sit for the CMD certification examination within two years of appointment, through a combination of education, training, and experience; alternatively, qualifying employment as a Senior Dosimetrist with Stanford Health Care as of 08/31/14.
CMD - Certified Medical Dosimetrist certification.
Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, clinical oncology, tumor pathology, radiobiology, radiation physics, and radiation safety.
Knowledge of medical dosimetry techniques and procedures.
Knowledge of technical aspects of radiation oncology and medical physics, and ability to develop treatment plans and communicate them to radiation oncologists and radiation therapists.
Knowledge of healthcare informatics, including resources, devices, and methods to acquire, store, and retrieve data.
Proficiency with personal computers and business software applications, including treatment-planning applications.
Good communication and interpersonal skills for exchanging information with patients, family members, the treatment team, and outside entities.
Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ability to operate treatment-planning systems and perform quality assurance on them.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and consult the Radiation Oncologist and Medical Physicist as needed.
Knowledge of radiation safety principles and practices and current Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other regulatory-agency rules and regulations.
Ability to interpret criteria and develop treatment plans under relevant treatment protocols.
Mathematical skills, including algebra, trigonometry, and introductory calculus.
Ability to visualize objects in three dimensions.

Responsibilities

Design optimized patient treatment plans using computer or manual computation and appropriate beam geometry to deliver the prescribed radiation dose while sparing critical structures.
Identify and contour normal and dose-limiting structures using images from one or more data sets, and register CT, MRI, and PET image data sets.
Create and transfer reference images and localization markers for portal verification and treatment delivery, including DRRs, CBCTs, and other IGRT methods.
Supervise, perform, or assist with simulations and tumor localization using imaging devices such as CT, MRI, and PET.
Supervise, perform, or assist in planning and implementing compensation filters, custom shields, wedges, and other beam-modifying devices.
Supervise, perform, or assist in planning and implementing moulds, casts, and other immobilization devices.
Advise radiation therapists on implementing treatment plans, including the use of immobilization devices, compensators, wedges, field arrangements, and treatment or imaging parameters.
Calculate the prescribed dose accurately, document pertinent information in patient records, and verify calculation accuracy by an approved method.
Provide technical support to the Medical Physicist for radiation safety and protection, qualitative machine calibrations, and quality assurance of treatment plans and radiation oncology equipment.
Operate treatment-planning computers and perform quality assurance under the direction of the Chief Dosimetrist.
Supervise, perform, or assist in specific patient or beam dosimetry methods as directed by the Chief Dosimetrist.
Assist with brachytherapy procedures through treatment planning and dose calculations; may assist with receiving, loading, and shipping radioactive materials.
Use radiation monitoring devices to measure radioactivity and perform assays.
Teach applied medical dosimetry to students, radiation therapists, and residents.
Participate in clinical research, continuing education, and quality improvement processes.
Perform other related and incidental duties as needed or assigned.