Full Speed Ahead

American Association of Medical Dosimetrists' membership growth

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Learn why the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists is hoping the shortage of medical dosimetrists is decreasing as this increasingly popular profession is growing.

Furthermore, the AAMD is a proactive organization that represents the professional medical dosimetrist. The interests of medical dosimetrists are represented to other organizations allied within the radiation oncology field, and the healthcare community, in general, via highly qualified liaisons and the board of directors. In addition, the AAMD works to advance the profession through public relations, education, various committees and sponsorship of regional and national seminars and workshops, among other ways.²

The membership is very active and prides itself in the many endeavors it has undertaken since its incorporation in Oregon in 1975. It is dedicated to advancing the practice of medical dosimetry.

Growth of the Professional Membership

The AAMD proves to be an effective influential organization which provides powerful support to its membership. And this support can only improve with growth.

Organizational memberships are key to professional growth in any field. So, when you become a member of the AAMD, you are joining with other like-minded professionals to support the growth and development of the field. Membership provides the means to contribute to your knowledge base through continuing education, stay abreast of the latest advancements in medical dosimetry and network.

It is of great benefit to be connected to a powerful network of dosimetrists to share information, news and opportunities and to meet with your professional colleagues and discuss solutions to any day-to-day problems. You can also access other members who may have experienced the same difficulties. Region meetings and the annual convention are just two examples of networking opportunities within the AAMD that allow members to stay connected with colleagues.

An organization, such as ours, relies on the willingness of its membership to put as much effort into it as they wish to receive in return. We enjoy a high member renewal rate because the members are involved and receive value for their time and money.

Since its inception in 1975, the AAMD has grown to more than 2,100 members.

Again, some of the benefits of maintaining membership in the AAMD are receiving Medical Dosimetry, the professional journal of the field, and Fanlines, the society's semi-annual newsletter. The association also provides its members with an annual salary and workforce survey, job listing service, online directed journal readings to assist with continuing education, monitoring of state and federal legislation that impacts the profession and reduced registration fees at the annual meeting.

The Shortage of Medical Dosimetrists

According to the 2002 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Radiation Oncology Workforce Study, the average medical facility had a shortage of 0.5 dosimetrists. In addition, the 2003 AAMD Salary and Workforce Survey said that 44 percent of respondents felt their institutions were understaffed in dosimetry.³

In the 2004 AAMD survey, 37 percent of respondents described staffing as slightly or very understaffed – a drop from 44 percent in 2003. In the 2005 AAMD survey, 34 percent of respondents described staffing as being slightly or very understaffed; this was a drop from 37 percent in the 2004 survey and from 44 percent in the 2003 survey.

Since the beginning of radiation therapy, the medical professionals joining the field have grown as exponentially much as the technology and patient numbers. Data from the American Cancer Society has indicated that one in two men and one in three women have a risk of developing cancer during their lifetime. And more patients with cancer means more patients needing treatment and, therefore, more members of the dosimetry team.

As part of this radiation therapy team, the medical dosimetrist, in collaboration with radiation oncologists and medical physicists, generates radiation dose distributions and dose calculations to design radiation treatment plans that will deliver a prescribed dose of radiation to a defined anatomic area.

Furthermore, dosimetrists apply knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathology, radiobiology and physics to a computer planning software to devise a plan of treatment as prescribed by the physician. The medical dosimetrist accepts great responsibility for designing this treatment plan, while considering patient positioning and immobilization issues and dose-limiting structures. This plan must also deliver adequate dose to the tumor while sparing normal tissue. When the medical dosimetrists have a great plan for treatment, they must then communicate this information to the treatment staff.

The Path to Dosimetry

Many dosimetrists have worked as radiation therapists and then, with very extensive training, have become dosimetrists. It is now possible to graduate from a "formal" school of medical dosimetry as well as receiving "on the job" (OJT) training. The formal programs are one to two years in length and the OJT programs should be a minimum of two years of full-time training under a certified medical dosimetrist and/or medical physicist.

The more our field explodes with technological advances, the more involved the training for medical dosimetrists becomes. We now have to know positioning and immobilization, CT scanning, fusion techniques for different modalities, different treatment planning softwares, 3-D intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiation therapy, low-dose rate radiation therapy, high-dose rate radiation therapy and more. It can sometimes become quite overwhelming.

This also is the reason why it has become nearly impossible for a radiation therapist to cross-cover for a dosimetrist and vice versa. The line between radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists has become increasingly more differentiated.

This is not only a challenging time for dosimetrists, but an exciting time. Our career is one filled with new challenges every day. We have sophisticated technology to devise very precise treatment plans now to better serve the needs of our patients; but, this also means more sophisticated planning usually takes more time. More patients coupled with more time and technology equals more dosimetry staff.

The technological advances also mean more training and more continuing education to keep abreast of the new developments. But, given the diversity and ever-changing technology of the job, lifelong career satisfaction is achievable.

What Does This Mean for Staffing?

The education committee of the AAMD continues their efforts to increase the number of accredited programs in medical dosimetry. They secured a grant from ASTRO's Education and Development fund to subsidize approved programs seeking accreditation through the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. There appear to be more students graduating from the medical dosimetry programs that are operating across the country.

More effort was put forth in the recruiting of medical dosimetrists in 2005 than 2004, according to the AAMD survey.

Approximately 19 percent of facilities employing medical dosimetrists paid sign-on bonuses in the range of $2,000-$10,000 in 2004 and 2005, which helps with the recruiting process. Some also offered relocation expenses. Few adjust salaries and benefits. Still, other facilities will offer OTJ training to therapists with agreement they will stay on for a specified amount of time when training is complete and/or certified medical dosimetrist status is earned.

The 2005 AAMD survey showed almost 6 percent budgeted for medical dosimetry and vacant full-time equivalent medical dosimetry positions down from 8 percent in 2004.

Overall, although the severe shortage we had several years ago is improving, we must continue to move in an upward direction with staffing of medical dosimetrists, as well as physicists, therapists, nurses and radiation oncologists.

Conclusion

The field of medical dosimetry will always be abounding with opportunity. The many advances in treatment planning increase the demand for qualified medical dosimetrists.

We must continue to implement solutions to workforce issues within the radiation oncology medical specialty. We must also continue to recruit and graduate well-trained, highly skilled dosimetrists from our schools. The future demands expected as a result of the aging population should be addressed, as well as the continually increasing technological complexity of radiation therapy planning and delivery.

Maybe the numbers don't represent a serious shortage of medical dosimetrists at this time but, we must continue efforts to build the accredited schools and work with government agencies to provide funding and grants for our allied health professions so the shortage doesn't grow.

It is of both personal and professional benefit to belong to the AAMD so as to contribute your expertise and resources by volunteering on the many committees. These committees range from education to government and finance, both regionally and nationally.

We need your help in shaping the dramatic changes in the medical dosimetry practice which are underway. Please take time to complete the AAMD application now.

Visit the AAMD Web site at www.medicaldosimetry.org.

References

1. American Association of Medical Dosimetrists Mission statement
2. American Association of Medical Dosimetrists Web site www.medicaldosimetry.org
3. Statistical references from the reports of the annual AAMD salary surveys from 2004-2006

—Susan Cagle, BS, CMD, RT(R)(T), is co-chair of the membership committee for the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (www.medicaldosimetry.org) and director of medical dosimetry services at Physics & Computer Planning Inc. in Charlotte, N.C.. Questions and comments can be directed to editorial@rt-image.com.