TP02-ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MEDICAL PHYSICIST

Faiz M. Khan, Ph.D.

            Roles and responsibilities of medical physicists in a radiation oncology department will be discussed.  Typical duties include clinical service, teaching and research.  In the clinic, the most important responsibilities involve equipment calibration, commissioning, quality assurance and radiation protection.  Although treatment planning is often relegated to medical dosimetrists, the physicists should actively participate in the planning and delivery of patient treatments.  The ultimate responsibility of a medical physicist is to insure that the prescribed dose and treatment are accurately delivered to all patients.