Radiation therapist

A radiation therapist, therapeutic radiographer or radiotherapist is an allied health professional who works in the field of radiation oncology. Radiation therapists plan and administer radiation treatments to cancer patients in most Western countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, most European countries, and Canada, where the minimum education requirement is often a baccalaureate degree or postgraduate degrees in radiation therapy. Radiation therapists (with master's and doctoral degrees) can also prescribe medications and radiation, interpret tests results, perform follow ups, reviews, and provide consultations to cancer patients in the United Kingdom and Ontario, Canada (possibly in Australia and New Zealand in the future as well). In the United States, radiation therapists have a lower educational requirement (at least an associate degree of art, though many graduate with a bachelor's degree) and often require postgraduate education and certification (CMD, certified medical dosimetrist) in order to plan treatments. Radiation therapists use advanced computer systems to operate sophisticated radiation therapy equipment such as linear accelerators. The therapist works closely with the Radiation oncologists, Medical Physicists and other members of the health care team. They effectively design and treat the course of radiation treatment, in addition to managing the patient's well-being. Radiation Therapists primarily treat cancer although other disorders and conditions can be managed through the care of radiation therapists. After the radiation oncologist has consulted with the patient and a decision has been reached that the application of radiation will benefit the patient, it then becomes the radiation therapist's responsibility to interpret the prescription and develop a treatment plan for treatment delivery. The process of producing the final plan rests with a group of specialized radiation therapists called dosimetrists.