Day in the life of a (trainee) radiotherapy physicist

I've had a very busy day today full of an eclectic mix of tasks so I thought it might be a good day to do a bit of "day in the life of"/ reflecting. It's also Healthcare Science week so the perfect opportunity to share! 07:20 Arrive at work. I'm "on the early" which means … Continue reading Day in the life of a (trainee) radiotherapy physicist →

Future life tips

Creating a new category to add my thoughts on management, leadership and teaching so I can document best practice and have a place to refer back to it in the future! Today's pointer is about the importance of being an open and welcoming senior member of staff. If you want (very) junior members of staff … Continue reading Future life tips →

Ion chamber change

This week's excitement involves an ion chamber change on one of our Linacs. The ion chamber is an integral part of the Linac.... Our old ionisation chamber being removed from the Linac head. Fun fact- the blue cable ties are more radio-resistant than the black and white cable ties and so don't become as brittle … Continue reading Ion chamber change →

Ode to brachytherapy

It's my second month in my specialist placement and so I've moved on from a dosimetry rotation into a brachytherapy rotation. Seeing a brachytherapy operation in my rotational placement was the first time I thought "maybe I want to be a radiotherapy physicist" and so this was a big deal for me! Brachytherapy uses sealed … Continue reading Ode to brachytherapy →

Radiotherapy Physicist Week 1

My new desk detritus! I'm one whole week into my career as a radiotherapy physicist! I've got my professional hedgehogs mug, my bunnies 2020 calendar, my homemade diary cover and I am ready to smash it! I have learnt an astonishing amount in just one week, from the uses of in-vivo dosimetry to the use … Continue reading Radiotherapy Physicist Week 1 →

Cheeky London skyline view

It's a tough life testing dental x-rays on the 25th floor! Who needs the Shard's viewing platform? 😉

First doubts

It's taken 5 months but today I've experienced my first doubts about my suitability for the role of a medical physicist in the NHS. As medical physics experts, the team run various training courses. I've sat in on one for non-medical referrers of medical imaging (e.g. for podiatrists who refer patients for x-rays) and one … Continue reading First doubts →

Got a desk and a cute mug!

I am ready for the world of work!