A radiology physicist is a person who specializes in radiologic physics. Within the discipline of radiologic physics (also known as medical physics), there are three focus options: therapeutic radiological, diagnostic radiological or medical nuclear physics.
Definition
Radiologic physics combines radiology and physics. Each focus area deals with both the physical application of X-rays and other radiation, as well as the equipment used in such procedures.
Education
To become a radiological physicist requires intense training. The first step is to graduate from an accredited graduate school program. Accredited schools can be found through The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs. A master's degree takes two years to complete, while a doctoral degree adds two years of study and two to three years of research.
Certification & Residency
Once you've finished your graduate degree, you'll need to be certified by the American Board of Radiology. You'll earn a general certification first, followed by a radiological physics certification. Starting in 2014, you will also be required to complete a residency. Medical physics residencies are three-year programs.
Tags: radiologic physics
