Caitlin Allen

Service Journal – Professional

Clinical Practicum III
Hidden Gems in Healthcare – Medical Dosimetry
On November 15, I had the opportunity to sit as a panelist for a webinar hosted by the University
of California – Los Angeles’ (UCLA) career center. The meeting was a part of a series developed to
introduce UCLA’s pre-health students to the lesser-known fields in healthcare. The panel consisted of
professors, students, and graduates from 3 programs: Grand Valley State University, Suffolk University,
and the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. The 1.5-hour virtual conference included an introduction
from UCLA’s Career Center’s host, presentations by the 3 dosimetry program directors, and a Q&A
portion at the end.

The presentations by the program directors were informative not only for the prospective students
but for me as well. They each spent time describing what medical dosimetry is, what a day-in-the-life of a
dosimetrist looks like, and what a career path may look like. Additionally, they went into detail about the
length of their degree programs and what the admissions process is. I found it interesting how unique
each program is. One program accepts only 8 students per cohort and is strictly in-person learning. Others
can accommodate larger class sizes and offer online distance-learning. As I’m learning in the clinical
setting, there are several different approaches you can take to yield similar treatment planning goals. The
various options for obtaining a medical dosimetry degree are no different. Prospective students can find a
program that best fits their learning, geographical, and financial needs.

My participation in this event was during the Q&A portion. The host asked the four students &
graduates to provide insight into why we chose the field, what we enjoy most about it, and what
challenges we face among other things. I shared my experience as a radiation therapist that led me to
dosimetry and was surprised to hear the very different backgrounds my peers had prior to landing in
dosimetry. It was also funny to hear that we have similar grumbles about some of the administrative tasks
such as billing and coding. We all agreed that the thing we like most about the field is the opportunity to
continue learning and growing as technology and medicine evolves over time.

I am glad I was able to participate in this event because it gave me a platform to work on my
presentation skills and the chance to promote the field. It is also a great avenue for networking among
healthcare providers and program affiliates. UCLA is providing a great resource to their students by
offering a series like this one.
 The webinar was recorded by the host to be uploaded to the UCLA Career Center’s YouTube
page (https://www.youtube.com/@UCLACareerCenter/videos). Below is a note of appreciation from the
host.