Keeping Track of X-Ray Exposures

by Alex A. Kecskes

If you're worried about getting too much radiation exposure during your medical exams, you might want to talk to your Medical Dosimetrist. They're the little-known but growing group of healthcare workers who calculate radiation doses. There's little room for error when it comes to radiation exposure. Too much can have a major impact on a patient's health.

A relatively new field, Medical Dosimetry only has a few thousand members covering the entire U.S. The increasing emphasis on early cancer detection has given rise to more x-ray procedures and its consequent emphasis on careful monitoring.

A typical Medical Dosimetrist develops radiation treatment plans and reviews patient cases with radiation oncologists, oncology nurses, medical physicists and radiation therapists. Using advanced 3-D computers, dosimetrists create treatment plans that focus higher doses of radiation to a tumor while reducing doses to sensitive nearby organs and tissues.

Most Medical Dosimetrists start out as radiation therapists/technologists. Others enter the profession through academia, as graduates of a one- to two-year dosimetry program. Still others enter by completing considerable on-the-job training. The challenge posed to dosimetrists is that the technology and treatment modalities are constantly evolving.

Medical Dosimetrists need not be licensed or certified. However, many Medical Dosimetrists voluntarily become certified through the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board.

If you're a medical professional looking for a challenging career change, you might consider becoming a Medical Dosimetrist. They need rises every time a new cancer facility opens its doors.

For an additional perspective, check out this video:

For more information on health careers, visit http://www.healthcarejobsite.com/