Medical physicist
Research new techniques and develop medical equipment for hospitals. Make sure it's safe and works well.
About the job
A day in the life – Medical physicist
What it's like
Do you have a passion for physics? Imagine using it to fight cancer, improve diagnoses and develop new medical technology.
You'd work with advanced equipment used in hospitals to diagnose and treat patients. This equipment can be dangerous to use. Your job would be to make sure it's effective, looked after and that other medical professionals know how to use it correctly.
As a medical physicist, you'd specialise in one of five areas:
Radiotherapy
You'd look after radiotherapy equipment and help plan and deliver treatment for cancer patients. You'd use targeted radiation beams to fight tumors in a safe and effective way.
Nuclear medicine
You'd use radioactive substances to help diagnose and treat patients. Using specialist equipment, give patients small amounts of these substances. You'd then take images and measurements to see what's happening inside the body.
Radiation protection
You'd make environments where radiation is used safe for staff and patients. This involves working with equipment to measure radiation levels and giving advice to staff.
Non-ionising imaging
You'd work with safe imaging techniques used by healthcare professionals to monitor and treat patients. These include ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging.
Imaging physics
You'd work with imaging techniques that use radiation. These include x-rays, computed tomography (CT) and nuclear medicine imaging.
Hours
You'd usually work around 37.5 hours a week. You may have to work evenings or weekends as part of an on-call rota, depending on your role.
Environment
You'd be based in a hospital, clinic or laboratory setting and you may need to travel to other hospitals to meet with other scientists. You'd wear protective clothing and take other safety measures when working with hazardous substances and radiation.
Travel
You may need to travel to other hospitals to meet with other scientists.
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Related industries
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Life sciences Healthcare
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- understanding
- taking initiative
- developing a plan
- researching
- observation
- problem solving
- written communication
- working with technology
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Computing Science
Engineering Science
Human Biology
Physics
Skills for Work: Engineering Skills
Skills for Work: Laboratory Science
Foundation Apprenticeship: Engineering
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You'll need an honours degree in either:
Physics
Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
This will allow you to apply for a trainee role as a medical physicist.
What you need to get into a degree course will differ depending on the subject. To enter an honours degree in Physics, you'll likely need five Highers at AAABB, often in one sitting. You'll also need National 5 qualifications including English.
The Scottish Wider Access Programme can offer routes to degree courses for adults with few or no qualifications.
When you're in a trainee role, you'll complete the Scottish Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Training Scheme (SMPCETS). This is a three year programme that involves a master's degree, hospital training and specialism training.
Competition for courses and graduate programmes is fierce. Some research experience or work experience in a hospital's medical physics department would be useful.
Courses accredited by the Institute of Physics or one of the engineering bodies, such as the Engineering Council or Institution of Engineering and Technology, lead to membership of professional bodies. This can help further your career.
Once you complete your training, you’ll register as a clinical scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
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