Therapeutic Medical Physicist

Veterans Health Administration • Northport, NY

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Therapeutic Medical Physicist (TMP) works in the Radiation Oncology service at the Northport VA Medical Center. The role applies principles and accepted protocols of physics to ensure the correct quality, quantity, and placement of radiation during radiological procedures. The advanced-level TMP manages advanced radiotherapy techniques and initiatives, collaborates with radiation oncologists on clinical protocols, directs special projects, and serves as a subject matter expert in areas of recognized expertise.

The TMP plans, delivers, verifies, and monitors quality assurance for radiotherapy at all levels of complexity. The position recommends treatment modalities and techniques, evaluates the quality, safety, and accuracy of planned and delivered treatments, and safely operates radiation planning and delivery devices. It plans and directs external beam and brachytherapy programs across simulation, treatment planning, and treatment delivery, and provides technical oversight to developmental TMPs, medical dosimetrists, and radiation therapists.

The role oversees treatment planning, designs and approves plans, monitors treatment data in patient records, consults with radiation oncologists on difficult cases, performs patient-specific validation measurements, and develops policies and procedures for advanced modalities. It also develops and documents the medical physics quality assurance program and ensures regulatory compliance within the Radiation Safety Officer's radiation safety program. The TMP educates radiation oncology team members on safety related to radiotherapy planning and delivery.

The position requires expertise with the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system, Varian TrueBeam delivery system, and Sun Nuclear and PTW QA equipment and software. Advanced-level expertise in stereotactic body radiation therapy for prostate, brain, spine, lung, and other body sites is also specified. Work schedule is intermittent; telework is ad hoc only, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• Master's degree or higher in a physics, science, or engineering discipline 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 certifying body: ABR in a listed relevant field, ABMP in Radiation Oncology Physics, or CCPM in Radiation Oncology Physics.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• At the GS-14 advanced level, at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Advanced expertise in safe and efficient use of radiotherapy devices for external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy.
• Highly developed expertise commissioning linear accelerators and treatment planning systems for complex clinical use, including project management, performance testing, data acquisition, beam modeling, and validation testing.
• Advanced knowledge of scientific, clinical, and technical applications of one or more specialized procedures, including brachytherapy, stereotactic treatments, IMRT, VMAT, total body irradiation, advanced image-guided therapy, or adaptive therapy.
• Advanced expertise in acceptance testing, clinical commissioning, and, when applicable, calibration of radiation oncology delivery, imaging, dosimetry, metrology, and computational systems.
• U.S. citizenship is required, with non-citizens eligible only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Must be subject to and complete required background/security investigation and online onboarding requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA Health Care Personnel requirement.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Must meet applicable education recognition requirements; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript documentation.
• Current VHA employees in this occupation may qualify under the described grandfathering provision.

Responsibilities

• Manage the development and implementation of advanced radiotherapy techniques and special initiatives.
• Collaborate with radiation oncologists to develop new clinical protocols and direct projects involving clinical applications, research, or quality assurance.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in therapeutic medical physics, including areas supported by national recognition through research and peer-reviewed publications.
• Plan, deliver, verify, and monitor quality assurance for radiotherapy at all levels of complexity.
• Recommend treatment modalities and techniques, evaluate the quality, safety, and accuracy of radiation treatments, and safely operate radiation planning and delivery devices.
• Implement technically difficult radiation therapy and develop knowledge-based solutions to issues without rule-based solutions.
• Plan and direct external beam and brachytherapy programs spanning treatment simulation, planning, and delivery.
• Provide technical oversight for developmental TMPs, medical dosimetrists, and radiation therapists.
• Oversee treatment planning; design and approve plans; monitor treatment data in patient records; consult on difficult cases; and perform patient-specific treatment validation measurements.
• Develop medical physics policies and procedures for advanced 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.
• Operate radiation oncology equipment safely and educate radiation oncology team members about radiotherapy planning and delivery safety.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family, subject to eligibility based on position type.
• Selected applicants may qualify to receive credit for prior federal or military service toward annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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