Work under world renowned leader - Medical Dosimetrist - UPMC St. Clair in Mt. Lebanon, PA

Job Description

Job Description

We are looking for a full-time, board-certified Medical Dosimetrist to become a part of our team at the Cancer Center associated with our organization. The selected candidate will collaborate with a local team consisting of two physicists, another dosimetrist, and two radiation oncologists, utilizing Varian TrueBeam and IX linear accelerators, all supported by an integrated ARIA/Eclipse system. Treatment methodologies at our facility include 3DCRT, IMRT, VMAT, SBRT, respiratory gating, and deep inspiration breath hold. This role is backed by a larger network of over 30 dosimetrists within our organization, offering a competitive salary and benefits package. Our location is in a picturesque suburb south of Pittsburgh, providing easy access to parks, dining, shopping, and some of the finest school districts in Pennsylvania.

Job Summary:

The medical dosimetrist will be tasked with creating clinically optimal treatment plans for patients undergoing radiation therapy, working closely with radiation oncologists, radiation therapy technologists, and medical physicists. Responsibilities include participating in CT simulations, radiation treatment planning, quality management for radiation oncology patients, and effective communication with the clinical team throughout the treatment planning and implementation phases.

Responsibilities:

• Support the radiation therapy technologist (RTT) during the treatment simulation process, which includes the use of ancillary treatment devices, patient immobilization techniques, and other positioning methods as required for simulation and treatment. Assist in the fabrication of these ancillary devices.
• Contour and delineate clearly identifiable normal critical structures and expanded planning structures using various imaging modalities.
• Conduct rigid and deformable image registration for multi-modality image sets.
• Utilize principles of radiation physics in treatment planning, including but not limited to: 2D treatment planning, 3D conformal treatment planning, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), 4D treatment planning, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and brachytherapy planning.
• Apply knowledge of radiobiology regarding dose tolerances, time-dose fractionation calculations, hypofractionation, BED, and EQD2 calculations, among other applications in the radiation therapy process.
• Perform accurate radiation dose calculations, both manually and via computer, considering the effects of beam modifying devices, irregular fields, gaps for adjacent fields, and off-axis calculations.
• Engage in special treatment procedures, including but not limited to total body irradiation (TBI), total skin electron irradiation (TSEI), and intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT).
• Assist with quality assurance procedures as directed by a qualified medical physicist.
• Conduct or assist with patient-specific radiation measurements, including diodes, optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLD), ion chambers, thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLD), or film measurements as directed by the medical physicist.
• Support high dose rate (HDR) and low dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy procedures, including patient setup, simulation, and treatment planning.
• Participate in quality management in line with departmental policies, national guidelines, and accreditation standards.
• Perform routine chart checks according to departmental policy.
• Engage in charge capture and generate documentation for billing in accordance with departmental policies.
• Contribute to clinical research aimed at developing and implementing new techniques in radiation therapy.
• Participate in educational initiatives, providing instruction and training to new staff members, physician residents, physicist residents, RTT trainees, and medical dosimetrist trainees.
• Foster an environment of care, concern, and support for patients, visitors, medical staff, and colleagues.
• Carry out miscellaneous job-related tasks as directed by supervising medical physicists.
• Uphold high ethical standards in interactions with patients, students, trainees, and colleagues.
• Assist in acquiring patient data through computer-generated datasets from medical imaging devices such as CT, PET, MR, etc., or through manual methods like physical measurements and wire contours, integrating this data into radiation treatment plans, calculations, and treatment devices.
• Ensure accurate transfer of patient and treatment plan information to clinical systems, including but not limited to record and verify systems, imaging guidance systems, surface guidance systems, treatment delivery systems, and electronic medical records.
• Maintain a strong commitment to accuracy, attention to detail, and safety. Employ critical thinking skills in radiation treatment planning, plan evaluation, and in identifying and resolving equipment issues and treatment discrepancies.
• Create clinically optimal treatment plans using knowledge of anatomy and physiology, radiation biology and oncology, radiation safety and protection, mathematics, radiation therapy techniques, physics, and technology. Communicate effectively with the radiation oncologist during the treatment planning process and collaborate with the medical physicist and radiation therapy technologists for plan implementation.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree is preferred.
• Completion of a Medical Dosimetry educational program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT).
• Certification by the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB) is required.
• Board-eligible candidates must achieve board certification within two attempts during the first two consecutive years of employment.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

Certification as a Medical Dosimetrist (CMD) or board eligibility is required. Candidates must maintain sufficient continuing education credits to uphold certification. CPR certification is required based on AHA standards, which includes both a theoretical and practical skills demonstration within 30 days of hire. Candidates should have consistently demonstrated strong overall performance in annual reviews and exhibit expertise in radiation treatment planning for both simple and complex cases.

• Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Certified Dosimetrist

Our organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran