Medical Physics is an applied branch of physics concerned with the application of the concepts and methods of physics to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. It is allied with medical electronics, bioengineering, and health physics.
Medical physicists are concerned with three areas of activity: clinical service and consultation, research and development, and teaching. On average, their time is distributed equally among these three areas.
Medical physicists contribute to the effectiveness of radiological imaging procedures by assuring radiation safety and helping to develop improved imaging techniques (e.g. mammography, CT, MR, ultrasound). They contribute to the development of therapeutic techniques (e.g. prostate implants, stereotactic radiosurgery), collaborate with radiation oncologists to design treatment plans, and track equipment and procedures to make sure cancer patients receive the prescribed dose of radiation to the correct location.