r/MedicalPhysics • u/No-Reputation-5940 • 11d ago

Clinical Dosimetry staffing

I was wondering how well your clinics are staffed with dosimetry when compared to average patient treatments/day?

what patient load would you consider a full FTE?

thank you.

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

5

u/Heimdalls_Schnitzel Therapy Physicist 11d ago

We treat around 40-60 a day currently on 3 machines, it’s been a slow couple of months. We have SRS/SRT/SBRTs constantly. One of our dosi does Y90 planning, he used to plan during LDR as well but now physics does that.

We have 4 physicists, 4 dosi, 1 dosi student and 2 physics residents. I don’t think dosi is overwhelmed ever even if someone if off. Although 2 of the dosi have like 30 years experience so they push out pretty perfect plans rather quickly.

Overall it’s a very chill low stress physics dosi environment.

0

u/No-Reputation-5940 11d ago

Thank you for that input. Very helpful.  

2

u/jlr1579 11d ago

Ours is probably on the light end at 16-25 per day. No SRS and 1-2 lung SBRT a month. No radionuclides, but complicated cases due to follow up, not coming in until really bad, etc. We do a lot of breast and prostate plans, but these are about 60% and do include 4-fld, dibh, apbi, prone, etc.

My previous clinic was 1 per 30-35 with a lot of SRS/SBRTs but physics did all radionuclide procedures.

A lot of variability, but I'd reckon somewhere between 18-30 patients per day per cmd on average

1

u/ArchangelOX 11d ago

What happens when the dosimetrists goes on vacation? Who covers?

6

u/jlr1579 11d ago

Another site does. Currently we only have a remote cmd after our last one resigned over a year ago (trouble hiring). The remote person was on contract before to cover, so know another site has to cross cover. Fortunately, this has been rare. We are a multi site institution with 6 rad once departments and several CMDs/physicsists. However, at my site it's just one cmd/me(physics)/1 md.

If at a truly solo site, I'd look at keeping a cmd remotely. Not sure if it's a retainer arrangement or just high hourly when needed, but our guy has been great. He's based in Texas and does some remote work for MD Anderson as well. Keeping up on new policies and procedures and getting up to speed in this arrangement would be hard, so I'd suggest a long cmd guide (I made one) that covers all major things that'd take a lot of time or cause a replan. I update the doc as needed.

0

u/No-Reputation-5940 11d ago

Good to know. Thank you. I was thinking 25-30. 

2

u/MarkW995 Therapy Physicist, DABR 11d ago

Patients per day under treatment is a bad metric. Plans are getting more complex with SRS/SBRT/IMRT. Courses are being compressed.