Dosimetrists

The medical dosimetrist is a member of the radiation oncology team who has knowledge of the overall characteristics and clinical relevance of radiation oncology treatment machines and equipment, is cognizant of procedures commonly used in brachytherapy and has the education and expertise necessary to generate radiation dose distributions and dose calculations in collaboration with the medical physicist and radiation oncologist.  Dosimetrists are board certified and participate regularly in Continuing Medical Education Programs.  The dosimetrists work closely with the physicists.

After the physician has consulted with the patient on their plan of treatment, the Radiation Oncologist will write a prescription dose to a defined tumor volume. The dosimetrist will then design a treatment plan by means of computer and/or manual computation that will deliver that prescribed radiation dose and field placement technique. When designing a plan, dosemtrists also take into consideration the dose-limiting structures. These structures could include the eye when treating the brain, the heart when treating the lung or the spinal cord when it is included in the area of treatment.