Asst. Professor - Physics jobs in the United States

SUMMARY

This is a non-tenure track, clinical faculty appointment at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor for a Qualified Medical Physicist to provide service and expertise in the Section of Nuclear Medicine Physics in the Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging.  The department provides medical imaging physics support to the primary campus of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Area Locations (HALs), and remote affiliate sites.  This position primarily requires independent clinical and scientific effort in the physics of diagnostic imaging and therapy related to Nuclear Medicine.  The technical emphasis of the position will be direct participation in the development and management of programs focused on quality assurance of nuclear medicine imaging and therapy, patient procedure quality assurance (including acquisition and post-processing protocols) as well as patient and staff radiation safety.  This will involve expertise in the evaluation and integration of imaging systems, radionuclide treatment planning and dosimetry, continuous quality improvement and consultation in imaging protocols for diagnosis, intervention and therapy, consultations regarding patient safety, site and equipment acceptance testing, and ongoing quality control, including annual system testing.  Research efforts are expected to align closely with discovery and innovation in these patient care activities.  Participation in graduate and post-graduate educational programs is also expected. 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

1.     Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Medical Physics from a CAMPEP accredited program with either completion of a CAMPEP accredited residency or 2-        year experience in clinical Nuclear Medical Physics, or

2.     Ph.D. or an equivalent degree in a related field and 3 years relevant experience in clinical Nuclear Medical Physics, and

3.     American Board of Radiology certification in Nuclear Medical Physics or American Board of Science in Nuclear

4.     Eligible to obtain a Texas License in Medical Nuclear Physics, and 

5.     Eligible for Institutional Class I medical privileges in their specialty area.

6.     Applicants with board certification in Diagnostic Medical Physics and with Nuclear Medicine physics experience will be considered.

SPECIFIC SKILLS                                                                                        

1.     Aptitude and experience in nuclear medicine research and development commensurate with the academic title sought with evidence from peer-                reviewed scientific publications.

2.     Knowledge of, and clinical experience in, all aspects of nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation (single-photon and PET imaging and non-              imaging instruments, radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals, internal dosimetry, radiation protection) as well as standard radiation                                  detection/monitoring and electronic test equipment.

3.     Familiarity with DXA imaging modality and scanners desirable.

4.     Experience and programming aptitude for image processing and data analysis software (e.g., MATLAB, IDL, R, Python, etc.)

5.     Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written, as well as ability to work in a clinical environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

 Clinical 80%

1.     Equipment Quality Management

A. Develop, validate, perform, and provide oversight of acceptance and periodic testing procedures and analysis/report templates for nuclear             medicine instrumentation (including acquisition and display devices) to align with quality, safety, accreditation, and compliance goals and               communicate these results in a written report.

B. Work with faculty & staff on nuclear medicine imaging system specification, siting and lifetime management.  This includes review of suite               shielding designs, equipment layouts and safety considerations.  Requires ability to read architect blueprints, write specifications, technical           evaluation of bids & recommendations.

C. Adapt these activities to hybrid scanners such as SPECT/CT, PET/CT and PET/MR.

2.     Patient Imaging Procedure Management

A. Interpret, troubleshoot, and provide technical recommendations on issues that may arise in the imaging chain (patient, scanner, protocol,              technologist, acquisition & reconstruction, post-processing, image transfer and storage, visualization, etc.) for continuing quality management        and improvement.

B. Work with faculty, staff and vendor representatives on technical development, operationalization, and ongoing harmonization and quality                assurance of routine and advanced acquisition and post-processing protocols across multiple and continuously evolving platforms.

C. Clearly and professionally document and communicate issues and solutions to faculty and staff stakeholders as well as vendor                               representatives.

D. Develop and communicate training material supporting advanced and special procedures in the form of electronic media, in-service                       presentations, or direct assistance.

3.     Safety Management

A. Function as a nuclear medicine radiation safety expert for the institution.

B. Provide a critical review of the nuclear medicine safety program for accreditation.

C. Assist faculty and staff with management of patients that may have conditions requiring special consideration for risk assessment, technical          parameter or equipment selection, or protocol modification & oversight.

D. Compute radiopharmaceutical dose estimates for adult and pediatric patients.

E. Perform dosimetric analysis for internal radionuclide therapy treatment planning.

F. Perform calculations for release of radioactive patients in compliance with NRC and Agreement State regulations.

G. Design and evaluate nuclear medicine hot lab and inpatient and outpatient therapy suite shielding.

H. Assist the clinic with implementation of the ALARA principle for personnel radiation exposure.

I.  Support nuclear medicine safety committee activities including development of safety policies and procedures and training materials.

J. Provide nuclear medicine safety in-services and annual training of the faculty and staff.

Research, Education, Extramural and Administrative activities 20%

1.     Participates in clinical research groups and provides physics support for nuclear medicine equipment used for research throughout the institution.  These duties require effective communication with collaborators, understanding novel imaging techniques, and ability to adapt the image acquisition and processing to a variety of different conditions.

2.     Participates in the nuclear medicine training of graduate students, residents, fellows, and technologists.  Participation in the CAMPEP accredited              Medical Physics Graduate Program offered through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Imaging Physics Residency program is            expected.

3.     Participates in CME and in-service sessions for faculty and staff.

4.     Participates in institutional, administrative and faculty committee meetings and activities.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

1.     Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION:

Received: Supervision and evaluation will be given by the Chief of the Section of Nuclear Medicine Physics.

Given: Physics technologists, Medical Imaging Technologists, and/or Imaging Physics Residents & Fellows.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Clinical, research, and educational duties all require effective written and verbal communication, remaining calm in a sometimes-stressful environment, and providing sound decisions in a timely fashion.  The performance of these tasks occasionally requires accurate positioning of phantoms of up to 60 pounds on imaging tables at heights of up to 54 inches above the floor.  Performance of these tasks may occasionally require travel to remote facilities. This position may also involve some exposure to high magnetic field, radiation and high voltage environments and exposure to infectious disease is possible. The position requires the ability to effectively communicate with all levels of patients, staff and faculty, the ability to think and perform independent research, and the ability to review, analyze and interpret highly complex technical documentation and data.

Work Location: Hybrid

This position has a target base salary of $ 170,000 to $ 206,000 and is eligible for incentive compensation, comprehensive health, wellness, time off, savings, and retirement benefits, as well as relocation support, as applicable.