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Medical Physicist

Do you want to become a Medical Physicist? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Medical physicists apply the principles of physics to patient care. They often work as part of a team with other clinical scientists, doctors and technologists. Their work is concerned with:

• equipment that forms images of the body, such as radiography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging; this helps in the diagnosis of disease and injury
• equipment that is used to treat patients
• electronic equipment used to take physiological measurements, eg involving hearing, heart performance and breathing.

The work of individual medical physicists can vary widely. It can include:

• researching, designing and developing new equipment
• setting up new equipment, testing it and preparing it for operation
• solving clinical problems by applying computing and mathematical modelling
• advising medical staff on the results of patient tests
• having patient contact in some areas of work.

Medical physicists in the National Health Service (NHS) usually work a 37 hour week, from Monday to Friday. In some jobs on-call evening or weekend work can be necessary. Most work in hospitals, including work on wards, in clinics and laboratories. Others work solely in laboratories and workshops.

Salaries range from at least £16,828 a year for a trainee in the NHS, to £66,396 a year for a medical physicist who manages a scientific department or a major departmental section.

Medical physicists should be:

• strong in science and able to use computers
• able to cope with high levels of responsibility
• good at working in a team, with strong problem-solving skills
• interested in science and computing, with a concern for the well-being of patients.

Most medical physicists work in the NHS. Others work for private hospitals, medical equipment manufacturers, research organisations and government organisations.

Entry to this work requires a degree in a subject such as physics, electrical engineering, electronic engineering, computer science or computer engineering. Equivalent qualifications might be accepted. There is no upper age limit for entry.

Initial training in the NHS takes two years, before a further two years' specialist training.

The highest grade in the profession is Grade C. In this grade, medical physicists are in charge of a scientific department or have made a distinguished contribution in their field.

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