Since the discovery of the x-ray over 125 years ago, scientists and medical professionals alike have harnessed the power of the atom to heal and protect. This book brings together an all-star cast of high-profile and award-winning scholars, introducing the general readership to an often unnoticed yet societally vital profession - medical physics. This collection of personal short stories offers an informal, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of these esteemed professionals, encapsulating their transformative "aha" moments within a whimsical hodgepodge of instructive and inspiring anecdotes. They even pass on words of wisdom discovered from their diverse experiences throughout the academic, clinical, and commercial worlds. The wealth of information packed into these vignettes runs the gamut from practical career advice to lighthearted tales of humorous misadventure, providing a tremendous overview of the breadth and depth of medical physics as a career and discipline while imparting sage advice that extends well beyond the field. In his Foreword to this book Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, provides his strong endorsement of the life-saving work carried out by medical physicists and the profession as a whole.
From the general public to the budding student in search of career guidance, as well as young and seasoned practicing professionals, these thought-provoking, witty, and simply entertaining "untold stories" encourage the reader to reflect on and ponder the many enduring lessons born from unexpected life-turning events.
"If this capsule history of the Nobel Prizes related to medical physics piques your curiosity about the field, you may want to dip into Van Dyk's book ? which brings the story of medical physics to the present day with contributions from 22 leading medical physicists from around the world. Happy browsing!" (Rajeev Bansal, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol. 65 (1), February, 2023)
"[This] book is a collection of real-life stories told by award-winning medical physicists. ? As the titles ? suggest, a medical physicist is perhaps more than history, more than clinical service, more than research, more than protection of the public, more than teaching and more than commercial developments. Hopefully, readers of this book will leave with a fuller grasp of what medical physics is - and perhaps even be inspired to look into it as a worthwhile career option for themselves." (TamiFreeman, physicsworld.com, October 11, 2022)
