International Women's Day Spotlight: Thu Tran

ACPSEM is thrilled to celebrate the important work and inspiring innovations of women in science this International Women's Day (Saturday 8 March).

We spoke to Thu Tran, Chief Medical Physicist and the Andrew Love Cancer Centre in Geelong, about her journey into medical physics, the challenges she has faced as a woman in STEM, and her passion for mentorship, collaboration, and advancing patient care through innovation.

What inspired you to pursue a career in your specific field, and what challenges did you face along the way?

In high school, I loved maths and science and wanted to work in healthcare or education as this sounded like stable industries. I remembered picking up a pamphlet that my career counsellor had given me which talks about the need for Medical Physicists and thinking this sounds cool as the profession appears to marry my various interests. From here, my Honours project and the super bright physicists who I collaborated with led me to radiation oncology.

I have experienced a lot of professional and personal challenges and continues to do so but I have found that they are surmountable if you are willing to tirelessly put in the effort, have a positive frame of mind where you are confident you can find an effective solution, and not be afraid to put yourself out there to ask for help/information. Some of my key challenges are women in STEM issues, connecting goals with the relevant opportunities to achieve them, developing the correct skills to perform my role more effectively, and obviously workload as there are multiple balls in the air which requires attention – the important point is knowing how to prioritise and delegate.

What motivates you in your leadership role with ACPSEM to collaborate with, and/or serve, our members?

So many motivating drivers but the key ones are a passion for improving quality and standard in the profession for patient care, a belief that collaboration bring diversification in perspective/skill/ideas/information, recognition of the many benefits of networking, and personal/professional value to give back to the community by supporting and mentoring members in new roles as I myself have benefitted by having a lot of different mentors.

Can you share a particular project or achievement that you are most proud of, and what impact it had on your career and/or your field?

The most recent and prominent achievement is completing an Executive Master of Business Administration in 13 months while working full-time, being hands-on on a house renovation, and topping my class in a couple of subjects! I am proud of the journey I took as it showed me the power of self-motivation, and the many lessons learnt about myself.

This achievement is still tangible today daily as can be seen on every interaction I have with people at all levels of the organisation, and through the various projects that I participate in. Even though this degree is not traditionally in medical physics, it does give me a greater appreciation of the skills developed during our training and education program as they are transferrable and valuable in the business and corporate world. I think once a physicist learns the language from these worlds, we are even more valuable as we are better understood and so are heard.

What advice would you give to young women who are considering a career in your field?

Go for it once you have recognised that this is your passion! Hold on to your ethical values and base your decisions from them regardless of the situation, have confidence in your abilities, keep on trying, and be kind without expecting anything in return.

What excites you most about the evolution of your field and the advancements being made by women in this space?

Radiation therapy is becoming more automated and driven by artificial intelligence so there will be more time to focus on complete systems and processes. Medical Physicists are equipped with the right skills and have the agility to adapt quickly and deal with the impending changes. I am super excited to learn new processes and seeing so many achievements by diverse (not only just women) members of ACPSEM where gender, orientation, beliefs etc are not barriers to “giving people a fair go”!

How do you balance the demands of your professional career with personal life, and what strategies have you found most effective?

Gosh, probably badly! I do try to create structures around my life and maintain a routine, so I can spend the right amount of time in both areas. When the demands are high, I prioritise tasks based on time-criticality and delegate to colleagues or lean on support networks.

Another method is to say no if you really don’t have the time to do a job well as there will inevitably be somebody else who will nominate themselves/tapped on the should and might grow from the experience!

What role do mentorship and networking play in your career, and how have they influenced your professional journey?

I would not be where I am without mentorship and networking as both build skills, provide resources at your fingertips, challenge your current trajectory, make you reflect, and give your work a voice. My advice is to seek out different mentors and networks depending on what your goals are at that point in time.

How do you stay updated with the latest advancements and research in your field, and what resources or strategies do you find most valuable?

Reading email notification from journals and posts from professional social media, participating in webinars/conferences/workshops, and talking to colleagues in the community and at all levels in the TEAP program – from registrars doing/writing about their projects to examiners sharing their experiences with a certain technology.

The most effective resource for me are short and regular bursts of continuing professional development activities, remote access as time is not spent travelling, and multi-disciplinary meetings, such as chart and grand rounds.