Her Story
About Brooke
My journey to radiation oncology started when I was just a kid. Both my parents were in radiation oncology and radiology, so I basically grew up in the field, though I kind of repelled it at first. I took a different path and went on to have an internship with NASA, still rebelling what my parents wanted for me. But when I finished, I actually really fell in love with the program and the values of the department. I had a nonprofit already started for cancer because I did really have a passion for cancer, even if it wasn't exactly what my parents wanted me to do. Between having that nonprofit, getting to work with some of the cancer patients, and finishing up my research at NASA, I really ended up applying to Georgia Tech and going back to school for medical physics and radiation oncology. That's when I started my career path as a medical physics assistant. In my role, I take care of patients, verify equipment for them, and assist with treatment plans. I assist the medical physicists here on site as we deliver very high-dose radiation treatments, not just from a machine but also radioactive sources that we inject into the blood. I handle housekeeping and managerial things, ensuring patient safety and worker safety. Physics is kind of the body of the department, and we really try to make sure everybody's working together well. We work out workflows for patients, and if things aren't working, we're the people who help facilitate that. I say I would show up to work even if they didn't pay me because it's such a huge passion for me.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Brooke
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I honestly think one of the biggest reasons I'm doing this is because my field does not get a lot of exposure, especially the physics portion of our field. Medical physics is something that is just overlooked a little bit, and we are such an amazing field, we have such cool jobs, and I think we need a lot more women in our field. I think a lot of women are intimidated sometimes when they see this physics and all this code and everything, and I just want to be an example as a young female to show that you can be in a little bit of a male-dominated field, you can be in this really science-y field, and it's unique, it's niche, but it's something that you can have a super fulfilling career out of. And honestly, it's only two years after your bachelor's, which is, in my opinion, when all the seniors are kind of looking like, do I start working? Do I go back to school? And it's such a great option that just no one knows about.
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