The global landscape of joint departments in medical physics and biomedical engineering

Growth in the profession of medical physics (and in the number of medical physicists) is stunning. In the United States, accredited graduate and residency educational programs in medical physics cannot keep up with the current demand for medical physicists in hospitals and clinics, creating a concern in some circles that some positions are being filled by physicists with less than adequate training and experience. The demand for medical physicists is fueled in part by the technological explosions in radiation oncology and diagnostic imaging that have occurred over the past couple of decades. It is also due in part to an enhanced sensitivity of healthcare professionals and administrators to the public demand for quality, safety, and accountability in medicine. The growth in medical physics is not unique to the United States; similar patterns are seen in other economically developed countries such as Canada, Australia, and members of the European Union. Growth in medical physics is not confined to these countries, however. It is also present to varying degrees in many countries where medical physicists are increasing in numbers and forming organizations to share experiences and learn from one another. For example, medical physics groups have recently formed or are forming in the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Uganda, Vietnam, Egypt, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, and Tunisia, among many others. Assisting these groups in their formative efforts is the International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP), a federation of medical physicists and medical physics organizations from 76 countries around the world. The number of medical physicists in these countries is estimated to range from in the United States to less than ten in countries such as Panama, Jordan, Nepal, Moldava, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Uganda. The IOMP represents over medical physicists worldwide and is dedicated to disseminating scientific and technical information, fostering the education and professional development of medical physicists, and promoting quality healthcare services for patients. The IOMP was formed in 1963, and in 1980 joined with the International Federation of Medical and Biological Engineers (IFMBE) to form the International Union of Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM) as an umbrella organization for both organizations. In 1999 the IUPESM became a member of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), and in 2005 the IOMP formed a relationship with the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) in order to strengthen collaboration of medical physicists with other physicists who have similar interests. The IOMP also has relations with international organizations such as the International Society of Radiology, International Commission on Radiological Protection, International Commission of Radiation Units and Measurements, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Through these organizations and relationships, every medical physicist has a pathway to engage medical physicists, other physicists, and biomedical engineers in the exploration of common interests and in the sharing of knowledge and experience in teaching, research, clinical service, and professional development. Every medical physicist who is a member of any of the 76 organizations (for example, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine or the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists) constituting the IOMP is a member of the IOMP and, through that membership, has ties to the IUPESM, ICSU, and IUPAP. The IOMP has a semiannual newsletter, Medical Physics World, in which various programs and activities in medical physics around the world are described. As medical physics has expanded worldwide, so has the number of journals publishing original research in medical physics. Included in these journals (with their country of origin in parentheses) are Physics in Medicine and Biology (United Kingdom), Medical Engineering & Physics (United Kingdom), Journal of Medical Physics (India), Meditsiuskaya Physica (Russia), Biomedical Imaging and Intervention Journal (Malaysia), Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (Australia), Zeitschrift fur Medizinische Physik (Germany), Physica Medica (Italy), Fisica Medica (Spain), Klinische Fysica (Netherlands), Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics (United States) and, of course, Medical Physics (United States). The Publications Committee of the IOMP (for which I serve as chair) is inviting the editors of these journals to participate in an electronic forum where ideas and challenges related to scientific publishing in medical physics can be shared and discussed. The international character of medical physics is reflected each month in the pages of this journal. More than half of the 800 manuscripts submitted to Medical Physics in 2005 originated in 44 countries outside the United States. Papers originating from outside North America are the most rapidly growing segment of submitted manuscripts, in part because electronic submission and review has greatly eased the submission process for the authors of these papers. But it is also true that research in medical physics is increasing in many countries, and this expansion is yielding more papers submitted to medical physics journals in general. Medical Physics is the official science journal of the AAPM and is an official science journal of the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists, the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine, and the IOMP. Several members of the journal's editorial board are from countries other than the United States, and additional international members are desired, especially from Asian countries. Medical physics is truly an international discipline, and Medical Physics is pleased to represent the discipline as an international journal. As a profession, we can be proud of the progress we have made towards these objectives, but we also must remain cognizant of the opportunities presented to us to do even more in the future.

Introducing the Institute of Physics in Engineering and Medicine (IPEM)

Introducing the Institute of Physics in Engineering and Medicine (IPEM)

Academic program recommendations for graduate degrees in medical physics: AAPM Report No. 365 (Revision of Report No. 197).

Almost all major engineering university schools now have a department of biomedical engineering. Biomedical engineering is now an equal to electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical engineering. Additionally the industrial sector in medical physics on ionizing and non-ionizing radiation as well as on biomedical engineering is also advancing and evolving quickly. Physicists as engineers can find numerous and lucrative opportunities with companies. Consequently medical physics is currently the most rapidly growing field of physics. Numerous academic, clinical and industrial opportunities are open to physicists in the medical world. In Europe today a number of physics and engineering undergraduates proceed to postgraduate programs to become professional medical physicists. Students are interested in medical physics for a number of reasons. There are equally good reasons for the faculty to provide a course in medical physics. This is another motivation for the development of an undergraduate medical physics course. Finally according to latest EU directives for education and professions undergraduate education is of major importance. This the first report of a higher degree level course on medical physics developed and introduced at Technological Educational Institute of Patras in Greece partly due to student interest, and partly due to the faculty’s desire to provide interesting courses, resulting the tight cooperation of Health Science and Engineering Schools. While this is certainly good news, the curriculum have been designed with extreme care. If too much of the core physics material is removed to free up time for the discipline-specific material, there’s a serious risk of graduating students that do not have a sufficiently strong foundation on which to build a career as a professional medical physicist. More discussion under national and international organizations will also improve this choice of TEI of Patras.

Analysis of tissue and arterial blood temperatures in the resting human forearm. 1948.

Medical Physics strides forwardThe majority of physics' applications in medicine may be said to stem from two discoveries at the end of the 19th century. In 1895 Roentgen discovered x-rays and in 1896 Becquerel discovered radioactivity. Subsequently, both of these discoveries resulted in fundamental changes in the way medicine was practised. X-rays have since been used to produce images of the inside of the human body and in the treatment of cancer, with radionuclides also being used for both of these purposes. The discovery of the electron by Thomson in 1897 was also to have a major impact on medicine with the subsequent development of electro-medical instrumentation.The use of x-rays to investigate the body resulted in the development of the field of diagnostic radiology. The use of x-rays along with the radiation emitted by radioactive decay for the treatment of malignant tumours resulted in the development of the field of radiotherapy or radiation oncology. Early estimates of the amount of radiation delivered to tumours were made by observing the skin redness that occurred after exposure. However, it was realized that more quantitative and precise methods were required to determine radiation doses. This led to the appointment of physicists to hospitals to develop techniques of radiation dosimetry. As the effects of radiation on the body became better understood it was necessary to limit the indiscriminate exposure of individuals to ionizing radiation. This resulted in the field of radiation protection.After the second world war numerous artificially produced radionuclides became available. As well as being used for the treatment of cancer, radionuclides were used to localize specific organs and diseases in the body. This resulted in the development of the field of nuclear medicine. With the development of digital computers it was subsequently possible to reconstruct cross-sectional images of the body, resulting in the 1970s in computerized tomography.As a further result of developments that took place during the second world war, ultrasound scanners were developed which enabled the foetus to be viewed during pregnancy using non-ionizing radiation. Another important development utilizing non-ionizing radiation was nuclear magnetic resonance, with the potential for magnetic resonance imaging being realized in the 1980s and subsequently becoming a major diagnostic tool.There are a number of exciting developments in medical physics which may in the future contribute to a greater under- standing of how the body functions. These include the use of SQUID (superconducting quantum interference devices) magnetometers and terahertz imaging. However, it remains to be seen what impact they will have in the medical field.A century ago the medical physics profession did not exist. Today, however, thousands of individuals work in this speciality throughout the world. Over the last 50 years there has been a growth of international organizations concerned with the application of physics in medicine. See the Web Watch on page 507.There is lots of interest in medical physics, and there are always students who want to know more. If a student wants a career in medical physics they would be advised to follow a BSc in Physics or Biomedical Engineering with a specific medical physics postgraduate degree. Further details regarding career opportunities may be obtained from the Web Watch links or from the author.Physics Education would like to thank guest-editor Alan Piercy for assembling this series of useful, interesting and informative articles covering a wide range of applications of physics in medicine. These articles bring us right up to date and point the way of developments in the 21st century. Clive Baldock Centre for Medical, Health and Environmental Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Australia E-mail: c.baldock@qut.edu.au

Review of true tales of medical physics: Insights into a life‐saving specialty, edited by Jacob Van Dyk

Women in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering (WiMPBME) is a Task Group established in 2014 under the International Union of Physical and Engineering Scientists in Medicine (IUPESM). The group’s main role is to identify, develop, implement, and coordinate various tasks and projects related to women’s needs and roles in medical physics and biomedical engineering around the world.The current paper summarizes the past, present and future goals and activities undertaken or planned by the Task group in order to motivate, nurture and support women in medical physics and biomedical engineering throughout their professional careers. In addition, the article includes the historical pathway followed by various women’s groups and subcommittees from 2004 up to the present day and depicts future aims to further these professions in a gender-balanced manner.

Effects of decreased aortic compliance on performance of the left ventricle.

The Swedish Society for Medical Engineering and Physics (MTF) is working in the fields of medical physics, biomedical engineering and biophysics. The society was first founded in 1956 and it was called at that time ”The Swedish Society for Medical Physics and Medical Engineering”. The society was also affiliated to the Royal Swedish Society of Medicine in 1956 and hence, MTF is one of their oldest sections.

The Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE) at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, founded in 1984 through a unique collaboration between two state universities, Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU), currently educates 532 undergraduate and 60 graduate students with 17 tenured/tenure track faculty and 4 teaching faculty members.  Combining the strengths of FAMU—the top rated public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) according to the 2021 college rankings of the US News & World Report, and FSU—a Carnegie Classified R1: Very High Research Activity university, the department and college serve a diverse population of students that reflects the composition of the United States. Students enroll at one of the two universities (their home institution), where they complete their pre-requisite and non-engineering courses. In the sophomore year, all students begin taking engineering courses together at the joint college campus with faculty from both institutions. Students graduate with degrees from their home institution. Faculty members teach and supervise students in research from both institutions in common classes and laboratories, thus providing all students with experience working in diverse groups and access to state-of-the-art research opportunities.  The department has produced outstanding students who have gone on to be leaders in industry and academia.  CBE offers two undergraduate degrees: chemical engineering (ChE) and biomedical engineering (BME). Within these degrees are five majors: chemical engineering, chemical-materials engineering, biomedical (cell and bioprocess engineering), biomedical (biomaterials and biopolymers), and biomedical(imaging and signals processing). Master of Science and Doctorate degrees and a 5-year BS-MS degree are offered in both chemical and biomedical engineering.  Faculty research spans both biomedical and chemical engineering with emphasis on  polymeric materials, biomaterials, inorganic materials, complex fluids and rheology, cell/tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. CBE has made major advances in the education of a diverse population of students while conducting research and educational efforts that span and connect the two disciplines at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

SWOT analysis of the current situation of medical physicists in Portugal

About 1500 students of the first-year of study are beginning their training in medical physics (MP) each academic year in the National Medical University in Kiev. Students receive introduction to modern achievements of physics in medicine such as magnetic resonance, laser physics etc. The MP course has associated laboratories, which provide students additional practical training, including basics of diagnostic and physiotherapeutic equipment, viscosimetric and optical methods in medicine.One of main tasks which is facing medical industry of Ukraine, there is development, trial, production and exploitation of medical equipment according to world standards and regulations. The presence of well-functioning system of teaching, retraining and attestation of doctors, which take part in development and clinical trials of medical equipment, appears the obligatory requirement. Upgrading medical services in Ukraine needs forming at future doctors the knowledges in the field of MP and biomedical engineering (BME) during study in medical universities. Wide introduction of hi-tech medicine forms a necessity in the specialists of the new type, who will be able to provide the proper functioning of medical equipment complexes and to take part in its elaboration and trials.Creation of the BME department corresponds to strategy of integration of Ukrainian medical and engineering society into European educational and scientific culture. Main scientific interests of BME department in the National Medical University are follows: (a) theoretical justification of optimization methodological principles of the development, production, trials, control of quality and exploitation of medical equipment, instruments and materials with the application of fundamental achievements of MP and BME; (b) study, adaptation, modernization and introduction of front-rank world pedagogical experience in MP and BME teaching in higher medical educational establishments with the wide use of modern educational technologies. Promotion of new interdisciplinary activity is one of the ways to attract students to MP and BME.KeywordsIntegrationretraining and attestation of doctorsmodern educational technologies

Medical physics and medical engineering in the UK