Radiation therapy as practiced at the Washington University’s Department of Radiation Oncology is personnel-intensive and can be highly customized and individualized for each patient, requiring extensive quality assurance (QA) and constant oversight to prevent catastrophic treatment delivery errors. It is subject to extensive and time consuming documentation imposed by current standards of practice and regulatory bodies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). The Clinical Staff Physicist provides the essential administrative, organizational, and technical expertise that keeps the clinic functioning smoothly, safely, and at a state-of-the-art technical and clinical level in a technically complex environment.

We are looking for self-motivated clinical staff physicists to join our team to help forward the mission of the radiation oncology department. Successful candidates will share our physics group’s strong core values (Patient Care, Integrity, Teamwork, Community, and Advancement).

This position will primarily serve the Department of Radiation Oncology at Springfield Memorial Hospital (SMH).

SMH is a 500-bed, non-profit teaching hospital with a rich history dating back to 1897. It is one of two hospitals in the Springfield metropolitan area, accredited by The Joint Commission, and recognized as a Magnet hospital. SMH is also home to the Memorial Center for Learning and Innovation, a cutting-edge 72,000-square-foot educational facility.

The Department of Radiation Oncology at SMH possesses three Varian TrueBeam Linacs including a recently installed unit with system version 3.0 and another set for replacement at the end of 2024, two Siemens CT Simulators, and a Flexitron HDR Afterloader. Advanced features include HyperSight, advanced respiration management system, VCD option, 4D/gated CBCT, etc.  Brainlab ExacTrac Dynamic 6.0 has been installed with surface guidance and other advanced features for SRS/SRT, DIBH, and other treatment strategies. A comprehensive range of radiation treatment services are provided for patient treatment, including External Beam Radiation Therapy, 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (3DCRT), IMRT, Brachytherapy, SBRT, and SRS/SRT.

Job Description

This position offers opportunities to engage in clinically-oriented research projects independently or with guidance from senior physicists. The medical physicist team includes four physicists and one clinical practice assistant, with the potential addition of a resident in the future. The clinical practice responsibilities for these positions encompass providing essential administrative, organizational, and technical expertise to ensure the clinic operates smoothly, safely, and at the forefront of technical and clinical advancements. These positions offer valuable opportunities to gain clinical experience, management and leadership skills in all aspects of radiation therapy. We strongly support individual career development plans based on candidate experience and career goals. These positions also offer the potential for highly productive clinical practice-oriented research collaborations with our clinical and cancer biology colleagues, university-wide collaborations across various departments, and inter-university research partnerships with other institutions.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Basic calibration and quality assurance testing (equipment varies by location).
• Determination of radiation dosimetry parameters for treatment units, simulators and brachytherapy radiation sources.
• Calculation of radiation dose distribution for patients undergoing treatment.
• Monitoring or measuring the dose delivered to selected patients.
• Maintaining dosimetry standards pertaining to radiation dosimetry systems.
• Space planning and radiation shielding design for new facilities, modalities, and equipment.
• Radiation safety surveys for facilities and personnel.
• Clinical oversight of technical personnel (dosimetrist).
• Consultation with radiation oncologists regarding special clinical physics considerations for individual patients.
• Development, maintenance and implementation of calibration and quality assurance programs for all external beam treatment machines, simulators, treatment planning systems, and brachytherapy equipment/sources.
• Development, maintenance, and implementation of quality control procedures.
• Development, maintenance, and implementation of physics and dosimetry protocols.
• Responsibility for the release of treatment machines into clinical services after maintenance, and for documenting that any alterations caused by the maintenance and repair schedule do not affect the treatment unit standards promulgated in the AAPM code of practice.
• Serving as a liaison to equipment manufactures for installation, acceptance testing, and verification testing and making recommendations concerning new equipment acquisitions and upgrades of hardware and software.
• Interpreting test results and advising clinical staff on optimal equipment use.
• Overseeing compliance with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, licensing, Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), and other regulatory requirements governing personnel and general public safety and other issues; and attending Radiation Safety Committee meetings.
• On-site contouring or normal anatomy and processing of multimodality imaging, including image registration, deformations, and processing of respiratory motion correlated images.
• On-site treatment planning, with equipment varying by location.
• These positions could potentially cover clinical service remotely at SMH to some extent.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in medical-physics-relevant field.
• Able to demonstrate analytical reasoning.
• Able to perform mathematical computations.
• Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Candidates with experience in Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) are prefered.

Required Qualifications

• M.S. degree in physics or related science.
• Certified or eligible for certification by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Medical Physics.

Salary Range

We offer a competitive base salary commensurate with experience along with an attractive sign-on bonus.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include a criminal background check, and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screening, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations, and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screenings.

Benefits Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO/AA Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity and especially encourages applications by those from underrepresented groups. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

Diversity Statement

Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.