Profile
Ben Cheung
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About Me:
Hi! I’m Ben, a trainee clinical scientist working in radiation protection and medical imaging🩻I am on the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP), living in Cambridge.
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I studied Physics at university, and worked in schools before going into medical physics. I love football, travelling, dogs and watching anime outside of work.
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My pronouns are:
He/Him
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My Work:
I test X-ray machines to make sure they are producing the correct and safe amounts of radiation. I also make sure the machines produce images which are useful for doctors to spot disease.
In the office, I analyse data and offer advice to hospitals,vets, schools and dentists on how to work safely with radiation.
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I use a range of different test objects to measure how well the X-ray machine is performing. For example, we use an object with extremely thin lines to find the smallest thing a scanner can make out. 🔎
People using radiation need to obey laws and regulations 📃our advice makes sure that the radiation protection inspectors dont get angry.
For example, we are building two new hospitals in Cambridge🏥My team have to design the room layout to protect hospital staff from the radiation being shone everywhere!
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My Typical Day:
I get to the office between 8-9am, depending on if I am going on a car trip to a customer or not. My day varies depending on what opportunities there are for me to be involved in (see continued).
I try to finish work 8 hours after I start, but if I have to work extra I get more holiday!🏖️
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I do lots of different things like test equipment, analyse data, estimate radiation doses, update risk assessments, train staff on how to use radiation and study for exams. Sometimes I get to go to conferences or courses to learn more about radiation protection and medical imaging.
The department is very busy with lots going on, as a trainee I get to choose what is most useful for my training.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would use it to organise more medical physics outreach events in schools around Cambridgeshire. Not many students know about medical physics, so I really want to show them how cool it is!
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Education:
I went to All Hallows Catholic College in Macclesfield. I then went to Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College for my A-Levels. I wanted to stay fairly close to home for university, so studied Physics at Lancaster University for my undergraduate degree.
I then wanted to try living in a city, so began studied Lasers and Optics at Imperial. However, I realised I wanted to do something science related which could help people more, so I stopped studying at Imperial and worked in St Pauls Way Trust High School as a Science Mentor for a year. There, I discovered medical physics and decided to study a Masters in Medical Physics at UCL.
As part of the STP, I am currently studying another medical physics masters at KCL.
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Qualifications:
GSCEs: ICT (A), Physical Education (A), English Literature (7), English Language (7), Geography (A), Science (A), Additional Science (A*), Mandarin (A), Religious Studies (A), and Mathematics (9)
A-Levels: Mathematics (A*), Physics (B), Geography (B)
Undergraduate Degree: 1st Class Degree in Physics
Masters Degree: Merit in Physics and Engineering in Medicine
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Work History:
I worked in the family restaurant as a potwasher, waiter, delivery driver bartender (in that order).
I did physics and maths tutoring between 2020 and 2025, and worked as a science mentor in a high school in London. In the summer holidays I did internships in teaching and software development, and here I realised I wanted to help people in my job.
When I was at university, I worked as a student ambassador for the physics department, conducting tours and answering lots of questions. You can find an interview which was put in our brochure below!
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Current Job:
Training to become a registered clinical scientist, specialising in diagnostic imaging and radiation protection.
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Employer:
I work for the East Anglian Regional Radiation Protection Service (EARRPS) which is part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Dog-loving radiation expert.
What did you want to be after you left school?
No clue! My physics teacher said I could do whatever I want with physics so I stuck to his advice.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes...
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
A teacher
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Oasis
What's your favourite food?
Cantonese Dim Sum
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1. To be able to speak French and Spanish (My partner is a languages teacher...) 2. To be able to cook everythign perfectly 3. To play in the premier league on weekends!
Tell us a joke.
What did the mother cow say to their calf before leaving? Bison!
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