Diagnostic Medical Physicist (M89500)

Diagnostic Medical Physicist (M89500)

Department of Radiology - VCU Health - Richmond, VA

Summary: We are seeking a board-certified or board-eligible diagnostic medical physicist to join our team in providing support for all major imaging modalities at VCU Health, a large academic medical center located in Richmond, Virginia, along with two community hospitals (VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital and VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital) and affiliated outpatient imaging centers.

Department Summary: The mission of the Department of Radiology is to create a world-class department by providing optimal care in a patient-centered environment, providing sub-specialty expertise, providing top quality imaging and therapeutic procedures, and to advance medical education and research, with a vision to create a department that is recognized as top tier nationally and internationally.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Division of Diagnostic Medical Physics in the Department of Radiology at VCU Health is seeking a clinically oriented Diagnostic Medical Physicist to join our team of 3 diagnostic imaging physicists and 1 nuclear medicine physicist. The successful candidate will provide comprehensive imaging physics support across VCU Health’s hospitals and outpatient sites and contribute to our clinical, educational, and quality/safety missions. Academic rank and compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Responsibilities:

• Clinical / Quality / Regulatory
  • Provide diagnostic medical physics support for all major imaging modalities, including:
    • General radiography, fluoroscopy, interventional radiology, and mobile C-arms, CT, Mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), MRI, and ultrasound
  • Perform acceptance testing, commissioning, and periodic performance evaluations of diagnostic imaging equipment in accordance with state and federal regulations, ACR/MQSA/TJC requirements, and institutional policies. 
  • Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance programs for imaging systems, including oversight of technologist-performed QC and use of enterprise QC management tools.
  • Support and advise clinical staff on radiation safety, imaging protocols, CT dose optimization and tracking, fluoroscopic dose management, and MRI safety.
  • Perform shielding design and evaluation for new or renovated imaging suites and verify compliance with applicable national standards and Virginia regulations. 
  • Prepare and maintain documentation to demonstrate compliance with:
    • The Joint Commission (TJC)
    • ACR accreditation programs (CT, mammography, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine/PET, as applicable)
    • FDA, MQSA, and state (VDH) regulatory requirements.

• Education / Training
  • Participate in the didactic and clinical education of:
    • Diagnostic radiology residents
    • Graduate students in the CAMPEP-accredited Medical Physics program
    • Medical physics residents (as applicable)
    • Technologists and other clinical staff (e.g., modality-specific QC, dose optimization, and radiation safety in imaging). 
    • Contribute to curriculum development and formal course teaching in diagnostic medical physics as appropriate.

• Research / Scholarly Activity
  • Collaborate with radiology, medical physics, and other departments on clinically focused imaging and radiation safety research projects, quality improvement initiatives, and protocol optimization studies. 
  • Mentor residents, fellows, and graduate students in scholarly projects when feasible.
  • While this is a primarily clinical position, opportunities exist to participate in funded or unfunded research consistent with departmental priorities and candidate interest.

• Service
  • Participate in departmental, School of Medicine, and health-system committees related to imaging quality, radiation safety, and accreditation. 
  • Contribute to professional organizations and continuing education activities as appropriate.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree (M.S.) in Medical Physics, Radiological Physics, or a closely related discipline. 
• Board certification in Diagnostic Radiological Physics / Diagnostic Medical Physics by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) or equivalent upon hire, or board eligible with the expectation of achieving certification within 2 years of hire. 
• Demonstrated clinical experience in diagnostic medical / imaging physics in a hospital or health-system environment, including routine QA, acceptance testing, and regulatory/accreditation support. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
• Eligibility for permanent employment in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. or D.Sc. in Medical Physics or related field. 
• ABR certification in Nuclear Medical Physics or equivalent, and/or substantial experience supporting nuclear medicine and PET imaging programs (strong plus, but not required).
• MQSA-qualified medical physicist with experience in mammography and DBT clinical programs.
• Experience with ACR accreditation processes for CT, mammography, MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine, and familiarity with state and federal regulatory requirements for diagnostic imaging equipment. 
• Experience with enterprise radiation dose monitoring, CT protocol management, and radiation safety program support.
• Programming and data-analysis skills (e.g., MATLAB, Python, or similar) for protocol optimization, dose tracking, and image quality assessment.

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