Mason Smith

Background

About Mason Smith

Full-time graduate student at the University of Kentucky studying M.S. in Radiological Medical Physics with a focus in clinical therapeutic medical physics, working and training alongside board-certified therapeutic medical physicists, board-certified radiation oncologists, therapeutic medical physics residents, radiation oncology residents, radiation therapists, and nurses. This graduate program places great emphasis on not only theoretical backgrounds and formulations but also on practical implementations of clinical medical physics.Medical physics is a passion of mine, and I am proud to represent not only the University of Kentucky but also the NCI-designated Markey Cancer Center’s Department of Radiation Oncology. As much of an art as it is a science, medical physics strives to improve patient outcomes by marrying modern medicine with modern physics and modern technologies. In particular, therapeutic medical physicists work alongside radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, and other healthcare practitioners to not only design custom-tailored treatment plans but also to ensure that this form of precision medicine is delivered with state-of-the-art precision. Furthermore, it is the goal of every physicist to escalate doses to malignancies while minimizing the doses delivered to healthy tissues. Great importance is placed on, but certainly not limited to, compassion for all patients, critical thinking skills, collaboration with other practitioners, quality assurance of medical linear accelerators and treatment plans, and continuing education efforts through involvement in local and national conferences and research developments.