You’re interested in radiotherapy, delivering treatment that can prolong or ultimately save the lives of cancer patients. But do you know about the range of specialist areas that will be open to you once your course is complete?
1. Leadership/Management
As you develop in your Radiotherapy career there will be opportunities to progress into a role of leadership and managing wider health contexts, such as periods of change and transformation of service delivery. You will develop skills that will allow you to act with confidence and autonomy within your own scope of responsibility.
2. Review radiographer
You can develop advanced knowledge and understanding in Radiotherapy, informed by current practice and research in the field of Cancer treatment to help Multi-Disciplinary Teams plan deliver and evaluate patient treatments.
3. Region specific radiographer
With an advanced level of knowledge, you can specialise in the treatment of specific areas of the body and the particular cancers associated with them. The clinical practice in planning and treating the head and neck, thorax, and pelvis, will enable you to practice advanced specialised techniques contributing to the management of the cancer.
4. Treatment planning
You can become a specialist in the planning, dosimetry and verification of treatment plans. Although this removes you from clinical contact to more computer-based practice, this provides vital information for the successful application of radiotherapy treatments.
5. Macmillan radiographer
You can become involved in a more holistic way by providing patients with more information and support around their individual treatment. This means also being part of not only the treatment team, but involving the patient and their family and other support teams.
6. Research
A broader approach related to “pursuing excellence” and “practice-led, knowledge applied” would allow you to develop your research ideas, leading you to challenge and critically evaluate the existing evidence base in your area of expertise.
7. Teaching
Following postgraduate study at Master’s level you could eventually be eligible to become a lecturer in all aspects of radiotherapy or of specific specialisms.