Case studies: Radiation protection practitioner: Andrew

Andrew graduated with a degree in physics with medical physics from the University of Sheffield.

In the final year of my degree I looked at various options for the next step in my career. These included either continuing in academia or entering the world of employment and applying the skills I had developed at university. At this time I read an advertisement for a radiation protection graduate training scheme, which was being run by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and based in Wiltshire. The scheme sounded appealing in that it would allow me to apply the scientific skills from my degree while at the same time develop my knowledge in other areas. The two-year training scheme covered all the technical and scientific elements that are required for a radiation protection practitioner, in addition to the legislative and practical aspects of the role. This was supplemented with personal development training, for example in presentation and communication skills, which made for a varied and challenging two years. Towards the end of the scheme I was given the opportunity to undertake short secondments to other government organisations, in order to experience the application of radiation protection principles in a variety of contexts.

Having completed the training scheme I have since been providing radiation protection advice to a variety of customers, predominantly in the defence environment. Most radiation protection practitioners specialise in particular aspects and I have focused on the provision of advice to users of medical X-ray equipment, including computed tomography (CT) scanners. Many of our customers are based overseas, as well as in the UK, so this has involved much travel to some interesting foreign locations! In addition to this specialist area of radiation protection I have had opportunity to formulate and deliver radiation protection advice in a variety of contexts and this, along with support for my continued professional development, will allow me to shortly apply for certification as a Radiation Protection Adviser as well as gain Chartered status. I also have a role as an emergency responder, which involves continued specialist training, participation in exercises and periods of being on-call.

Overall the job has been extremely varied; I have undertaken work and visited locations that I would never have anticipated before I joined the organisation, which has certainly ensured that the job remains interesting. This is coupled with opportunities for managerial or technical career progression. As such I am now combining my technical role with managing a small team of radiation protection professionals. A career in radiation protection is worth considering for anyone who wishes to apply their scientific skills to a variety of interesting situations, communicate concepts to a diverse range of people and develop new skills at the same time.