EFOMP and EANM: joint recommendations for a curriculum for the education and training of physicists in nuclear medicine

Abstract

Some of these barriers can be explained by the fact that there is no definition of the MP that is consistently recognised on a European level. This is somewhat surprising as there are well-known definitions issued by the scientific societies, for example the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP): Medical physicists are professionals with education and specialist training in the concepts and techniques of applying physics in medicine. Medical physicists work in clinical, academic or research institutions. Medical physicists working in the clinical environment are health professionals, with education and specialist training in the concepts and techniques of applying physics in medicine, competent to practice independently in one or more of the sub-fields (specialties) of medical physics. This rather clear definition has so far not found its way to documents issued by the European Union (EU) and the national regulatory authorities. In two directives stemming from the EURATOM treaty, the Commission has outlined roles for physicists working with radiation protection. The “MED directive” [2] addresses radiation protection of patients, carers and the public from medical exposures and defines somewhat vaguely a “medical physics expert” (MPE). Due to the lack of clarity, the implementation of this title varies considerably across Europe. The other directive, “the EU Basic Safety Standards (BSS) Directive” [3], concerned with radiation protection in general, had previously introduced another title for persons with a similar role (but outside the medical field): the “qualified expert”, in later documents also called “radiation protection expert”. Unfortunately, the roles defined in the two directives are not consistent and this still causes confusion and misunderstandings. Fortunately, a new directive (“Proposal for a Council Directive laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation [COM(2012)242]”, http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radiation_protection/doc/2012_com_242.pdf, dated 30.5.2012) is currently under revision. It is meant to replace the former two directives and will also provide a clearer definition for an MPE: “medical physics expert means an individual having the knowledge, training and experience to act or give advice on matters relating to radiation physics applied to medical exposure, whose competence to act is recognised by the competent authorities” (article 4, definition #40 in the draft document). Comparing the definitions provided by IOMP and the Commission it becomes clear that being an MPE (as defined in the directive) is an important role of an MP (as defined by IOMP). This is especially true in nuclear medicine, where most activities are related to the use of ionising radiation. However, the scope of work of an MP is considerably wider. Thus, an MPE should not per se be regarded as a senior and experienced MP—despite the expert in the acronym. On the other hand, being an MPE requires a high level of expertise with respect to application of ionising radiation—probably more expertise than the average MP would have. On this rather confusing background it seems more than logical that some sort of harmonisation would be helpful. This was a major motivation for the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) to set out to collect and compose a modern curriculum specifically for the education and training of medical physicists in nuclear medicine. EFOMP (http://efomp.org) is the umbrella organisation for the national medical physics organisations and societies. One of the main objectives of EFOMP is the harmonisation and promotion of the best practice of medical physics in Europe. For this purpose, EFOMP issues policy statements on various topics, for example on the “Continuing Professional Development for the Medical Physicist”, describing the planned acquisition of qualifications required for professional practice throughout a working life. Likewise, the EANM—representing nuclear medicine in Europe—aims at advancing science and education in nuclear medicine for the benefit of public health. Physicists from both the Dosimetry Committee and the Physics Committee of the EANM joined EFOMP in the effort of composing the curriculum. Similar scientific collaborations were established by EFOMP with the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) for a curriculum in radiology [4] and radiation oncology [5], respectively.