Re: Below Radiation Oncologist What?

[bourland@roentgen.mayo.EDU (Dan Bourland)]

Greetings -

In radiation oncology, the non-MD folks include physicists, machine fixers (engineers)
radiation biologists, Lab technologists, and therapy technologists (also nurses, secretaries). Physicists are PhD and MS folks - 1 to 2 years of classes each. Engineers might have an
BSEE, or MS in biomedical eng., or might just be an AA in electronics, followed by OJT and
a 2 month class on how to fix linear accelerators.  Biologists are PhDs, but they need folks
in the lab who know how to culture things and analyze data - typically are BS folks, but
some MS folks.  Usually grad students running around, too.  Therapy technolgists are AA
(hospital program - 3 years total) or BS (4 or 5 years) and the people who actually put
patients on the table and turn the machine on.  Oh yes - computer scientists are there also,
depending on the type of institution (like academic).  C, Unix, C++, with X windows knowledge
are the hot items.  

Hope this helps.

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  Dan Bourland, PhD,  Mayo Clinic
  Div. of Radiation Oncology			Internet: bourland@mayo.edu
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