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Education and training of medical physicists in Europe
Abstracts / Physica Medica 30 (2014) e1ee15
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requirements of the above Directives are met for automatic professional recognition. The purpose of this presentation is to give a brief account of the efforts made by EFOMP and the requirements that need to be met, at the national level, in order for both the CQMPs and MPEs can be automatically recognised by the European Union. References [1] Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications, OJ L255, 30.9.2005, pp 22-142. [2] Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’), OJ L354, 28.12.2013, pp 132-170. [3] Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, and repealing Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom, OJ L13, 17.1.2014, pp. 1-73. [4] European Commission, Radiation Protection Report 174, “Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert”, Directorate-General Energy, Luxembourg, 2014, available from: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radiation_protection/ doc/publication/174.pdf (last accessed on the 11th of May 2014).
continuous and fast, increasing the demand for high level scientists and experts in the field. To ensure that ionizing radiation is safely used, the presence of the medical physicist is essential. The medical physicist has therefore become part of an indispensable “core team” within the hospital to ensure safe and proficient use of medical equipment. His presence is growing also within the industry and/or regulatory authority environment. In order to meet all these demands, sufficient education and training is indispensable. Collaboration and innovation in this field is imperative for the appropriate professional response to all these challenges. The European Commission has for a number of years recognized the need for adequate theoretical and practical training of medical physicists for the purpose of radiological practices. This is clearly stated in a number of European directives as well as in the latest European Basic Safety Standards. A number of questions arise based on all these facts. Do we have sufficient number of adequately trained medical physicists or medical physics experts to address the needs of the increasing number of medical procedures in Europe? Is the education and training of such scientists harmonized across Europe, that will facilitate in easier and mutual recognition as well as improved cross-border mobility of medical physicists? The present paper will attempt to answer these questions using the most recent information within Europe.
THE CURRENT STATUS OF MEDICAL PHYSICS RECOGNITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Lama Sakhnini. Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir, PO. Box 32038, Kingdom of Bahrain
Ibrahim Duhaini. Chief Medical Physicist & RSO, Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut - Lebanon & President of the Middle East Federation of Organizations of Medical Physicists (MEFOMP), Lebanon
Education: The Department of Physics at University of Bahrain offers a B.Sc. in medical physics program. The program produces B.Sc. degree graduates with a broad knowledge of fundamental and applied physics. With a specialization in medical physics, the graduates will be eligible for employment in hospitals, clinics, environmental establishments or industrial health care centers. Students should also be suitably prepared to carry out research in medical physics leading to a higher degree. The B.Sc. in Medical Physics degrees gives the opportunity to study the many medical applications of advanced physics. Medical physics courses, taught by staff of the department of Physics, are supplemented by specialist lectures given by senior practicing medical physicists and doctors from Salmaniya medical complex and Bahrain Defense force hospital. The B.Sc. programs in Medical Physics shares many common courses with the B.Sc. program in Physics, but nearly 48 credit hours include courses which are specific to Medical Physics program. A total of 42 female students graduated from the program so far, only 3 students managed to get jobs in the medical sector. Training: The B.Sc. in Medical Physics program ensures that the students go through clinical training at hospitals in the Kingdom of Bahrain or in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an ideal situation; the student spends a minimum of 2 months of hospital training to complete a clinical rotation in radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine. The student observes and practices clinical procedures under the direct supervision of a senior clinical medical physicist. The student is required to write a progress report on the clinical procedures. However there is no well designed training program in the hospitals. Hence there is a disparate need for a “Residency Program” which is aimed at both educating and providing practical experience so that the medical physicist would be ready to practice in a hospital setting and obtain board certification. Training for our students faced many challenges, as most hospitals do not have medical physicists, most hospital administrators do not know the rule of medical physicists, many hospitals have no quality management program and rely on the medical supplier of their equipment to do yearly maintenance.
Medical physics is the branch of physics concerned with the application of physics to medicine, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. From the time when Wilhelm Roentgen and other physicists made the discoveries which led to the development of Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotherapy, Brachytherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Medical Physicists have played a pivotal role in the development of new technologies that have revolutionized the way medicine is practiced. In today's health care scene, the medical physicist is essential to the safe and cost effective operation of any creditable medical institution. Medical Physics in the Middle East Region has passed in different stages. In particular the ISEP Conference held in Bahrain in November 2007 and the 16 th ICMP Conference held in Dubai in 2008. During these conferences, there were several meetings for all the medical physics societies in the Middle East. The result was the establishment in September 2009 of the Middle East Federation of Organizations in Medical Physics (MEFOMP) which is part of the International Organization of Medical Physics IOMP. The following countries have signed up for this chapter: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, KSA, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, UAE and Yemen. Ever since then, the medical physics profession has gone the first mile in the road of recognition in most of the ME countries. Governmental entities and University bodies started looking deeply into the need of promoting MP activities across the region. Now, Medical physicists in the ME region are considered scientists who through science are able to identify problems and unveil deficiencies. It is also through science that they solve the problems and correct the deficiencies encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. There will be exciting and difficult challenges not only in the field of health care but also in the race for nuclear power in the ME region. Countries will be counting on the science of Medical Physics to help meet these challenges. Keywords: IOMP, MEFOMP, Middle East, Medical Physics, Recognition. EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF MEDICAL PHYSICISTS IN EUROPE V. Tsapaki. Konstantopoulio General Hospital, Athens, Greece Background: Medical exposure represents the utmost and fastest growing contribution to manmade radiation exposure not only in Europe but also across the world. Furthermore, the evolution of medical equipment is
EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF MEDICAL PHYSICISTS IN MIDDLE EAST KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN AS AN EXAMPLE
EDUCATIONAL IMPORTANT?
ACCREDITATION
IN
MEDICAL
PHYSICS:
IS
IT
John Damilakis. Professor of Medical Physics, Greece An increasing number of higher education institutions have in recent years started to offer courses on Medical Physics. Moreover, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for medical physicists is of great professional interest. CPD courses is an excellent way to ensure that Medical Physicists
e7
requirements of the above Directives are met for automatic professional recognition. The purpose of this presentation is to give a brief account of the efforts made by EFOMP and the requirements that need to be met, at the national level, in order for both the CQMPs and MPEs can be automatically recognised by the European Union. References [1] Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications, OJ L255, 30.9.2005, pp 22-142. [2] Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’), OJ L354, 28.12.2013, pp 132-170. [3] Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, and repealing Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom, OJ L13, 17.1.2014, pp. 1-73. [4] European Commission, Radiation Protection Report 174, “Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert”, Directorate-General Energy, Luxembourg, 2014, available from: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radiation_protection/ doc/publication/174.pdf (last accessed on the 11th of May 2014).
continuous and fast, increasing the demand for high level scientists and experts in the field. To ensure that ionizing radiation is safely used, the presence of the medical physicist is essential. The medical physicist has therefore become part of an indispensable “core team” within the hospital to ensure safe and proficient use of medical equipment. His presence is growing also within the industry and/or regulatory authority environment. In order to meet all these demands, sufficient education and training is indispensable. Collaboration and innovation in this field is imperative for the appropriate professional response to all these challenges. The European Commission has for a number of years recognized the need for adequate theoretical and practical training of medical physicists for the purpose of radiological practices. This is clearly stated in a number of European directives as well as in the latest European Basic Safety Standards. A number of questions arise based on all these facts. Do we have sufficient number of adequately trained medical physicists or medical physics experts to address the needs of the increasing number of medical procedures in Europe? Is the education and training of such scientists harmonized across Europe, that will facilitate in easier and mutual recognition as well as improved cross-border mobility of medical physicists? The present paper will attempt to answer these questions using the most recent information within Europe.
THE CURRENT STATUS OF MEDICAL PHYSICS RECOGNITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Lama Sakhnini. Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir, PO. Box 32038, Kingdom of Bahrain
Ibrahim Duhaini. Chief Medical Physicist & RSO, Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut - Lebanon & President of the Middle East Federation of Organizations of Medical Physicists (MEFOMP), Lebanon
Education: The Department of Physics at University of Bahrain offers a B.Sc. in medical physics program. The program produces B.Sc. degree graduates with a broad knowledge of fundamental and applied physics. With a specialization in medical physics, the graduates will be eligible for employment in hospitals, clinics, environmental establishments or industrial health care centers. Students should also be suitably prepared to carry out research in medical physics leading to a higher degree. The B.Sc. in Medical Physics degrees gives the opportunity to study the many medical applications of advanced physics. Medical physics courses, taught by staff of the department of Physics, are supplemented by specialist lectures given by senior practicing medical physicists and doctors from Salmaniya medical complex and Bahrain Defense force hospital. The B.Sc. programs in Medical Physics shares many common courses with the B.Sc. program in Physics, but nearly 48 credit hours include courses which are specific to Medical Physics program. A total of 42 female students graduated from the program so far, only 3 students managed to get jobs in the medical sector. Training: The B.Sc. in Medical Physics program ensures that the students go through clinical training at hospitals in the Kingdom of Bahrain or in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an ideal situation; the student spends a minimum of 2 months of hospital training to complete a clinical rotation in radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine. The student observes and practices clinical procedures under the direct supervision of a senior clinical medical physicist. The student is required to write a progress report on the clinical procedures. However there is no well designed training program in the hospitals. Hence there is a disparate need for a “Residency Program” which is aimed at both educating and providing practical experience so that the medical physicist would be ready to practice in a hospital setting and obtain board certification. Training for our students faced many challenges, as most hospitals do not have medical physicists, most hospital administrators do not know the rule of medical physicists, many hospitals have no quality management program and rely on the medical supplier of their equipment to do yearly maintenance.
Medical physics is the branch of physics concerned with the application of physics to medicine, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. From the time when Wilhelm Roentgen and other physicists made the discoveries which led to the development of Diagnostic Radiology, Radiotherapy, Brachytherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Medical Physicists have played a pivotal role in the development of new technologies that have revolutionized the way medicine is practiced. In today's health care scene, the medical physicist is essential to the safe and cost effective operation of any creditable medical institution. Medical Physics in the Middle East Region has passed in different stages. In particular the ISEP Conference held in Bahrain in November 2007 and the 16 th ICMP Conference held in Dubai in 2008. During these conferences, there were several meetings for all the medical physics societies in the Middle East. The result was the establishment in September 2009 of the Middle East Federation of Organizations in Medical Physics (MEFOMP) which is part of the International Organization of Medical Physics IOMP. The following countries have signed up for this chapter: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, KSA, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, UAE and Yemen. Ever since then, the medical physics profession has gone the first mile in the road of recognition in most of the ME countries. Governmental entities and University bodies started looking deeply into the need of promoting MP activities across the region. Now, Medical physicists in the ME region are considered scientists who through science are able to identify problems and unveil deficiencies. It is also through science that they solve the problems and correct the deficiencies encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. There will be exciting and difficult challenges not only in the field of health care but also in the race for nuclear power in the ME region. Countries will be counting on the science of Medical Physics to help meet these challenges. Keywords: IOMP, MEFOMP, Middle East, Medical Physics, Recognition. EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF MEDICAL PHYSICISTS IN EUROPE V. Tsapaki. Konstantopoulio General Hospital, Athens, Greece Background: Medical exposure represents the utmost and fastest growing contribution to manmade radiation exposure not only in Europe but also across the world. Furthermore, the evolution of medical equipment is
EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF MEDICAL PHYSICISTS IN MIDDLE EAST KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN AS AN EXAMPLE
EDUCATIONAL IMPORTANT?
ACCREDITATION
IN
MEDICAL
PHYSICS:
IS
IT
John Damilakis. Professor of Medical Physics, Greece An increasing number of higher education institutions have in recent years started to offer courses on Medical Physics. Moreover, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for medical physicists is of great professional interest. CPD courses is an excellent way to ensure that Medical Physicists