65 DQPRM trainees welcome in EAP: APHM experience

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Introduction DQPRM (Qualification diploma in Radiological and Medical Physics) students have theoretical courses at INSTN (National Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies) for 6 months and complete their training with a 22-months hospital internship in an institution named Principal Home (EAP), in order to learn and validate the skills required for their future career of medical physicist. The internship duration is divided into different branches of activity that are mainly radiotherapy, radiology and nuclear medicine. Trainees are supervised by experimented medical physicists in each domain. Methods Before their arrival, students are invited to contact the person in charge of their reception at the EAP, and organize a first visit of the center. Upon arrival, after having completed the administrative steps (medical approval for work, blouses, meal card, computer access, …), trainees are invited to participate to a full meeting, letting them meet the whole physics team. At this time, the welcome book, previously sent, is detailed. It describes the Physics unit, organization of as well as the radiotherapy and medical imaging departments. During this meeting, the organization of the internship is explained and an annual planning is defined on the different parts. This organization allows a fair time distribution between participation in clinical routine and the completion of activity sheets supervised by different members of the team. This assignment allows optimal preparation and completion of the activities with the designated referent. Each supervisor sets with the trainees, the moment of the realization and validation of the skills. The students prepare the measurements to be done and the working method, and have the referent process validated. The measurements are made with or under supervision of the supervisor. This will validate the level of mastery of skills (not acquired, being acquired or acquired). Trainees also participate in the clinical routine. It’s important that they integrate perfectly the routine organization of the service (for example to participate in the morning staff, to integrate the planning of quality assurance of linear accelerators, to carry out pre-treatment checks, to carry out controls in medicine nuclear or estimate fetal exposure in radiology). This is a key step in learning the profession of medical physicists. Conclusions Effective and respectful management of DQPRMs is essential for the training in the field to be optimal, both humanly and scientifically. It’s meaningful that the two years of internship, which for many, are their first steps in medical physics, become a success.