Thinking of a degree in nuclear engineering or health physics

[tarletontexan]

what does health physics entail? I am interested in either nuclear engineering or Health physics but would like to get more detail on what it is that they actually do? Anybody know and want to help out?

 

[nuclear85]

Do you care more about the dose to stuff or to people?

Health physicists will do research in dose to people in different environments, figuring out what levels of radiation are safe, etc... also things like shielding calculations, lots of aspects of detection.

Nuclear engineering is also broad... much of it involved in calculations for reactors. Neutronics calculations, thermal hydraulics, damage to materials...

Those are obviously very short descriptions, and there's plenty of overlap, but that's the gist of it.

 

[Kevin_Axion]

This will be of great interest to you: http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lu71r/askscience_ama_series_iama_medical_physicist/