Therapeutic Medical Physicist

Veterans Health Administration • Washington, DC

6d • Onsite

About The Position

Therapeutic Medical Physicists work in Radiation Oncology to protect patients and others from harmful or excessive radiation, ensure accurate patient dosimetry, measure and characterize radiation used for radiotherapy, determine delivered dose, assess and monitor image quality, and develop and direct quality assurance programs.

The role applies physics principles and accepted protocols to ensure the correct quality, quantity, and placement of radiation during radiological procedures. The physicist plans, delivers, verifies, and monitors radiotherapy quality assurance at all levels of complexity; recommends treatment modalities and techniques; and evaluates the quality, safety, and accuracy of radiation treatments. The position plans and directs external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy programs from simulation and treatment planning through treatment delivery, including technically difficult procedures and cases requiring solutions beyond established rules.

The physicist oversees treatment planning, designs and approves plans, validates patient-specific treatments, monitors treatment data in medical records, consults with radiation oncologists on difficult cases, and develops policies and procedures for advanced modalities such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and brachytherapy. The role also operates and documents the medical physics quality assurance program, supports regulatory compliance within the Radiation Safety Officer's program, safely operates radiation oncology equipment, and provides safety education to radiation oncology team members. The position requires subject matter expertise in the Eclipse treatment planning system, Varian delivery system, and quality assurance equipment and software.

The scheduled work is Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. The full-performance level is GS-13; selection may be at GS-12 or GS-13. The full-time employment type is inferred under the instructions because no alternative employment type is stated.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Master's degree or higher in physics, science, or engineering from an accredited college or university, with at least 30 semester hours in medical physics, health physics, radiological science, physics, engineering, chemistry, or biology; or an equivalent foreign degree and coursework substantiated by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
• Current board certification in therapeutic medical physics from an approved body: the American Board of Radiology, American Board of Medical Physics, or Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine. A limited GS-12 entry-level exception may apply to board-eligible candidates under a supervised temporary appointment of no more than two years.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• For GS-12, knowledge of external beam radiotherapy devices and clinical applications; independent judgment in calibration and commissioning; knowledge of electronic data handling and software; safe equipment operation and quality assurance; treatment-planning principles and algorithms; brachytherapy systems and sources; shielding and radiation protection; and multimodality medical imaging.
• For GS-13, at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to GS-12, plus expertise in radiotherapy device operation, complex equipment troubleshooting and QA, HDR and LDR brachytherapy, shielding and radiation safety, calibration and commissioning, CT simulator testing, 3-D and advanced treatment planning, and multimodality imaging for planning and verification.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Subject to urinalysis drug screening, background/security investigation, and a probationary period if required.
• Must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Training-Service Agreement and Mobility Agreement required.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Physical ability to perform the listed demands, including heavy lifting and carrying of 45 pounds or more, pushing, pulling, reaching, walking, standing, bending, and coordinated hand use.

Responsibilities

• Plan, deliver, verify, and monitor quality assurance for radiotherapy at all levels of complexity.
• Recommend appropriate radiation treatment modalities and techniques for patients.
• Evaluate the quality, safety, and accuracy of radiation treatments and ensure prescribed dose is correctly and completely delivered.
• Safely operate radiation treatment planning and delivery devices.
• Implement technically difficult radiation therapy procedures and develop knowledge-based solutions to issues without established rule-based solutions.
• Plan and direct external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy programs from simulation through planning and treatment delivery.
• Provide technical oversight for developmental therapeutic medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, and radiation therapists.
• Oversee radiation therapy treatment planning; design and approve treatment plans.
• Monitor the accuracy of treatment data recorded in patient medical records.
• Consult with radiation oncologists on difficult treatment cases.
• Perform patient-specific treatment validation measurements.
• Develop medical physics policies and procedures for advanced treatment modalities, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and brachytherapy.
• Develop, operate, and document the medical physics quality assurance program and ensure regulatory compliance within the Radiation Safety Officer's radiation safety program.
• Safely operate radiation oncology equipment and educate radiation oncology team members on safety issues related to radiotherapy planning and delivery.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to eligible employees and their families.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level