Meet Your Fellow Members

This series celebrates the people behind the profession and offers an opportunity to learn from and connect with MRTs working in a wide range of settings from coast to coast! Every Monday, we’ll introduce you to a different medical radiation technologist from somewhere across Canada.

Know someone we should highlight? Let us know at maiello@camrt.ca

This week’s member spotlight is Eda Mae Tan (BSc., RTT, CTRT), from Clinical Educator in Radiation Therapy at BC Cancer Surrey.

Can you describe your current role and area of practice within medical radiation technology?

I am currently a Clinical Educator in Radiation Therapy. In my current role, I help support radiation therapists, students, and interdisciplinary team members in the delivery of safe, high-quality radiation therapy.

What originally led you to pursue a career as an MRT?

I was volunteering for BC Cancer as a student completing my degree in Biology, and was not sure what I wanted to do once I was done. That is when I found out about radiation therapy, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of a healthcare profession that would involve working in teams and helping people.

How long have you been working in the profession, and how has your role evolved?

I have been working as a radiation therapist for over 11 years. I began my career as a staff Radiation Therapist, providing direct patient care across treatment units as well as in CT simulation, dosimetry, and brachytherapy. As my experience grew, I became a Treatment Resource Radiation Therapist, helping to support the treatment units with clinical decision-making, workflows, and staff mentorship.

More recently, my role has evolved to become a Clinical Educator, where I help with onboarding and mentoring staff and students, supporting competency development, ongoing training and contributing to system-level initiatives both regionally as well as provincially.

What does a typical day look like for you in your department or clinic?

A typical day in the radiation therapy department is often busy with a mix of clinical support, education, and administrative responsibilities. I spend time in meetings, working on protocols, projects or presentations both regionally and provincially. At our center, we have 3 Clinical Educators, and we are all actively involved in training activities such as onboarding new staff, supporting students, and delivering education to ensure clinical competency. Day to day, we also provide real-time guidance and mentorship within the department.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about your role as an MRT?

People are often surprised by how central teamwork is as a radiation therapist. Effective radiation therapy treatment relies on constant interprofessional collaboration between radiation therapists, oncologists, physicists, nurses, and educators, and much of my work focuses on coordinating communication, supporting team learning, and ensuring everyone is aligned to deliver safe, high-quality patient care.

What is your favourite part about being an MRT?

Personally, my favourite part of being a radiation therapist is the people. I think that being able to build meaningful relationships with patients during a challenging time in their lives and working alongside a supportive, highly skilled interdisciplinary team makes the work both rewarding and meaningful.