Radiation Therapist also designated as Radiographer is a health professional who deals with the radiation therapy. Therapeutic radiographers play a crucial role in the treatment of cancer as they are the only qualified professionals who can deal with the radiotherapy. The main role of the radiation therapist is to use the highly advanced computer system which operates the equipment called accelerators. These accelerators are used to damage the cancer cells and their ability to divide and grow within the body of the affected patient. It is the responsibility of the therapist for quality assurance of the radiation treatment.
Radiation Therapist Eligibility
Educational Qualification
The minimum qualification to become a Radiation Therapist is a Bachelor of Science in Radiotherapy Technology (RTT) degree.
Age Limits
The minimum age limit to become a Radiation Therapist is 18 Years.
Radiation Therapist required Skills
Being a Specialized professional there are various skills required to become a successful Radiation Therapist. Some of those are:
- A radiation therapist must have great analytical skills as sharp operation monitoring is required from a radiation therapist for analyzing the gauges, dials or other indicators for making sure that all the machines are working fine.
- A radiation therapist must have a technical bend of mind to become a good equipment selector. A good therapist is able to select the appropriate equipment for a particular job.
- A radiation therapist must have a great amount of patience as he may have to work for long hours that too in trying conditions.
- He must have good reading skills required to understand the written sentences and paragraphs in the job-related documents.
- Good communication skills must be there so that the required information can be conveyed to the listener effectively.
How to become a Radiation Therapist?
To become a Radiation Therapist, one has to follow the given steps:
Step 1
Aspiring candidate must have passed 10+2 with Mathematics/Biology, Physics, Chemistry and English as main subjects, with a minimum of 50% marks in the mathematics/Biology, physics and chemistry have taken together.
Step 2
After completing secondary school, the aspiring candidates have to go for a Bachelor of Science in Radiotherapy Technology (RTT) course. The duration of the course is 4 years inclusive of a 1-year internship.
Step 3
After getting a Bachelor’s degree in Science Radiotherapy Technology or related courses. The aspiring Radiotherapist can look for some job in Private Medical or Paramedical Hospitals as well as Public Sector or enrol for a Master’s degree i.e Master in Radiation Technology to get expertise in the area.
Some of the Institutes offering courses for the Radiation Therapist
- Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Punjab.
- AJ Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Karnataka.
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi.
Radiation Therapist Job Description
The job description of a Radiation Therapist included to operate the Electonic medical Instruments like linear accelerators, to project the concentrated radiation therapy to the region of a patient’s tumour. Radiation Therapist also needs to keep the record of the patient treatment such as test results, the amount of radiation used, the area being treated etc. They have to enter the data in the computer and set controls to operate and adjust equipment and regulate dosage. Besides these specialised tasks, a radiation Therapist also has to photograph the treated area of the patient and process film.
Radiation Therapist Career Prospects and Job Opportunities
The Radiation Therapist is one of the most promising career options in the paramedical field. Even employment prospects are good enough within the country and overseas also. In India, radiation therapist can work in the private sector by joining Private Medical or Para Medical Colleges as well as research Centre working in the field. There are also good job opportunities for Radiation Therapist in Government Medical Hospitals as a number of new multispecialty Hospital are coming up owing to the government’s emphasis on increasing health facilities across the country. Radiation Therapists with higher qualifications in the filed can join the education sector by getting positions in Medical Colleges and research centres.
Radiation Therapist Salary
A fresh Radiation Therapist can except around Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000 in the private sector. However, the salary of a Radiation Therapist in the government sector is more say around Rs.25,000 to Rs.35,000 with other perks and facilities. There is a great demand for Radiation Therapist in the overseas medical field. He can earn up to Rs.75,000 to Rs.1,00,000 per month there.
