What are the responsibilities and job description for the Therapeutic Medical Physicist (Advanced Level) position at Veterans Health Administration?
Basic Requirements : United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education : Master's degree or higher in a physics, science, or engineering discipline recognized by an accredited college or university with at least 30 semester hours in medical physics, health physics, radiological science, physics, engineering, chemistry, or biology; or an equivalent foreign degree and coursework substantiated by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Board Certification : Persons hired or reassigned to TMP positions in the VHA must be board certified in the field of therapeutic medical physics by an approved certifying body. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. Approved Certifying Bodies : The American Board of Radiology (ABR) in any of the following field titles : Therapeutic Medical Physics Therapeutic Radiologic or Therapeutic Radiological Physics Radiologic Physics or Radiological Physics The American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP) in the subfield of Radiation Oncology Physics. The Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM) in the subfield of Radiation Oncology Physics. English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Grade Determinations : In addition to the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of 1 year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Grade Determinations : GS-14 Therapeutic Medical Physicist : Experience : In addition to the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of 1 year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Assignments : For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Employees at this level who are not supervisors are able to carry out assigned tasks independently in all areas of radiation therapy requiring TMP competencies which substantially exceed the full performance level and require advanced knowledge in all areas of radiation therapy. Regardless of the nature of the specific assignment, the work must be of sufficient scope and complexity to meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform at this grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs : Advanced expertise and experience in the safe and efficient use of all radiotherapy devices for external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Highly developed expertise with commissioning linear accelerators and treatment planning systems for complex clinical use, to include project management, performance testing, data acquisition, beam modeling, and validation testing. Advanced knowledge (treatment simulation, planning, dosimetry, and treatment methods) of the scientific, clinical, and technical applications of one or more specialized procedures including, but not limited to, high dose rate brachytherapy, low dose rate brachytherapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, stereotactic radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, total body irradiation, advanced image-guided therapy, and adaptive therapy. Advanced expertise in acceptance testing, clinical commissioning, and (when applicable) calibration procedures for a variety of ancillary radiation oncology delivery, imaging, dosimetry, metrology, and computational systems Preferred Experience : Knowledgeable user and subject matter expert in the use of the Pinnacle, Eclipse and Cyberknife Precision treatment planning systems, Experiences with Varian Truebeam and Accuray Cyberknife linear accelerators Experience with GE Discovery RT CT simulator Experience with Varian Respiratory Gating for Scanners [RGSC] Experience with Sun Nuclear QA equipment and software. Expert in the following special procedures : stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and surface-guided radiation therapy. Experience with providing support for clinical research trials, including submission of radiation plans, DICOM datasets as needed. Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https : / / www.va.gov / ohrm / QualificationStandards / . The full performance level of this vacancy is GS14. Physical Demands : Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment : Work is performed in an office / clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
