TCS 56 Rev. 1

TRAINING COURSE SERIES

56 (Rev. 1)

Postgraduate Medical Physics

Academic Programmes

Endorsed by the International Organization

for Medical Physics (IOMP)

VIENNA, 2021

ISSN 1018–5518

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL PHYSICS

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

AFGHANISTAN

ALBANIA

ALGERIA

ANGOLA

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

ARGENTINA

ARMENIA

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRIA

AZERBAIJAN

BAHAMAS

BAHRAIN

BANGLADESH

BARBADOS

BELARUS

BELGIUM

BELIZE

BENIN

BOLIVIA, PLURINATIONAL

STATE OF

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

BOTSWANA

BRAZIL

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

BULGARIA

BURKINA FASO

BURUNDI

CAMBODIA

CAMEROON

CANADA

CENTRAL AFRICAN

REPUBLIC

CHAD

CHILE

CHINA

COLOMBIA

COMOROS

CONGO

COSTA RICA

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

CROATIA

CUBA

CYPRUS

CZECH REPUBLIC

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

OF THE CONGO

DENMARK

DJIBOUTI

DOMINICA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

ECUADOR

EGYPT

EL SALVADOR

ERITREA

ESTONIA

ESWATINI

ETHIOPIA

FIJI

FINLAND

FRANCE

GABON

GEORGIA

GERMANY

GHANA

GREECE

GRENADA

GUATEMALA

GUYANA

HAITI

HOLY SEE

HONDURAS

HUNGARY

ICELAND

INDIA

INDONESIA

IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF

IRAQ

IRELAND

ISRAEL

ITALY

JAMAICA

JAPAN

JORDAN

KAZAKHSTAN

KENYA

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

KUWAIT

KYRGYZSTAN

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC

LATVIA

LEBANON

LESOTHO

LIBERIA

LIBYA

LIECHTENSTEIN

LITHUANIA

LUXEMBOURG

MADAGASCAR

MALAWI

MALAYSIA

MALI

MALTA

MARSHALL ISLANDS

MAURITANIA

MAURITIUS

MEXICO

MONACO

MONGOLIA

MONTENEGRO

MOROCCO

MOZAMBIQUE

MYANMAR

NAMIBIA

NEPAL

NETHERLANDS

NEW ZEALAND

NICARAGUA

NIGER

NIGERIA

NORTH MACEDONIA

NORWAY

OMAN

PAKISTAN

PALAU

PANAMA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

PARAGUAY

PERU

PHILIPPINES

POLAND

PORTUGAL

QATAR

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

ROMANIA

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

RWANDA

SAINT LUCIA

SAINT VINCENT AND

THE GRENADINES

SAMOA

SAN MARINO

SAUDI ARABIA

SENEGAL

SERBIA

SEYCHELLES

SIERRA LEONE

SINGAPORE

SLOVAKIA

SLOVENIA

SOUTH AFRICA

SPAIN

SRI LANKA

SUDAN

SWEDEN

SWITZERLAND

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

TAJIKISTAN

THAILAND

TOGO

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

TUNISIA

TURKEY

TURKMENISTAN

UGANDA

UKRAINE

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

UNITED KINGDOM OF

GREAT BRITAIN AND

NORTHERN IRELAND

UNITED REPUBLIC

OF TANZANIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

URUGUAY

UZBEKISTAN

VANUATU

VENEZUELA, BOLIVARIAN

REPUBLIC OF

VIET NAM

YEMEN

ZAMBIA

ZIMBABWE

The following States are Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency:

The Agency’s Statute was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the

IAEA held at United Nations Headquarters, New York; it entered into force on 29 July 1957.

The Headquarters of the Agency are situated in Vienna. Its principal objective is “to accelerate and enlarge

the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world’’.

TRAINING COURSE SERIES No. 56 (Rev. 1)

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL PHYSICS

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

ENDORSED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

FOR MEDICAL PHYSICS (IOMP)

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

VIENNA, 2021

All IAEA scientific and technical publications are protected by the terms of

the Universal Copyright Convention as adopted in 1952 (Berne) and as revised

in 1972 (Paris). The copyright has since been extended by the World Intellectual

Property Organization (Geneva) to include electronic and virtual intellectual

property. Permission to use whole or parts of texts contained in IAEA publications

in printed or electronic form must be obtained and is usually subject to royalty

agreements. Proposals for non-commercial reproductions and translations are

welcomed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Enquiries should be addressed

to the IAEA Publishing Section at:

Marketing and Sales Unit, Publishing Section

International Atomic Energy Agency

Vienna International Centre

PO Box 100

1400 Vienna, Austria

fax: +43 1 26007 22529

tel.: +43 1 2600 22417

email: [email protected]

www.iaea.org/publications

For further information on this publication, please contact:

Dosimetry and Medical Radiation Physics Section

International Atomic Energy Agency

Vienna International Centre

PO Box 100

1400 Vienna, Austria

Email: [email protected]g

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL PHYSICS ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

IAEA, VIENNA, 2021

IAEA-TCS-56 (Rev. 1)

ISSN 1018–5518

Printed by the IAEA in Austria

December 2021

FOREWORD

The application and management of quality, safe and effective radiation medicine is the result

of a team effort of different professionals, such as medical specialists, technologists and medical

physicists. In order to fulfil their duties, medical physicists working as health professionals are

expected to acquire competency in their area of specialization by completing appropriate

educational qualifications and structured and supervised clinical training in one or more

specialities of medical physics.

Guidelines on the requirements, outline and structure of postgraduate level academic

programmes in medical physics were published by the IAEA in 2013 in Training Course

Series No. 56 (TCS-56), which was endorsed by the International Organization for Medical

Physics. These guidelines and accompanying handbooks have been used by Member States as

a template to support regional efforts to harmonize medical physics education and by an

increasing number of Member States with a critical mass of medical physicists that wish to

initiate national postgraduate academic education programmes. The 18th biennial Secondary

Standards Dosimetry Laboratories Scientific Committee, which evaluates the IAEA’s

programme relating to dosimetry and medical radiation physics, suggested that the IAEA

publications that facilitate professional education in Member States be updated. The present

publication is an update of TCS-56 to include more recent core resources and provide

clarifications on student admission, assessment and quality management to promote best

practices and sustainability of programmes.

To become clinically qualified medical physicists, the graduates of the academic programmes

are expected to then undergo specialized clinical training as described in IAEA Human Health

Series No. 25. The IAEA has published three Training Course Series publications providing

guidelines and references for clinical training programmes for medical physicists specializing

in radiation oncology (TCS-37), diagnostic radiology (TCS-47) and nuclear medicine

(TCS-50). In 2021, the IAEA published guidance on certification of clinically qualified medical

physicists (TCS-71), which was endorsed by the International Organization for Medical Physics

and the International Medical Physics Certification Board, to further promote the recognition

of the profession.

The International Organization for Medical Physics has endorsed this publication. The IAEA

officers responsible for this publication were G. Loreti and D. van der Merwe of the Division

of Human Health.

EDITORIAL NOTE

This publication has been prepared from the original material as submitted by the contributors and has not been edited by the editorial

staff of the IAEA. The views expressed remain the responsibility of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the IAEA or

the governments of its Member States.

Neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from the use of this publication.

This publication does not address questions of responsibility, legal or otherwise, for acts or omissions on the part of any person.

The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal

status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries.

The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to

infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA.

The authors are responsible for having obtained the necessary permission for the IAEA to reproduce, translate or use material from

sources already protected by copyrights.

The IAEA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third party Internet web sites referred to in this

publication and does not guarantee that any content on such web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1

1.1. BACKGROUND .............................................................................................. 1

1.2. OBJECTIVE ..................................................................................................... 2

1.3. SCOPE .............................................................................................................. 2

1.4. STRUCTURE ................................................................................................... 2

2. ADMISSION CRITERIA ........................................................................................ 2

3. INFRASTRUCTURE .............................................................................................. 3

3.1. ACADEMIC FACULTY .................................................................................. 3

3.2. FACILITIES ..................................................................................................... 4

4. MEDICAL PHYSICS MODULES ......................................................................... 5

4.1. CORE MODULES ........................................................................................... 5

4.2. PRACTICAL SESSIONS ............................................................................... 12

4.3. CORE RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 12

4.4. ELECTIVE TOPICS ....................................................................................... 15

5. STUDENT KNOWLEDGE EVALUATION AND TESTING ............................ 16

6. PROGRAMME QUALITY MANAGEMENT ..................................................... 16

7. PROGRAMME SUSTAINABILITY .................................................................... 17

ANNEX ........................................................................................................................... 19

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 22

ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... 24

CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW .................................................... 25

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND

Medical physics was classified among the healthcare professions by the International Labour

Organization [1]. The International Basic Safety Standards [2] specifically refers to medical

physics professionals with respect to medical exposure, patient protection and safety. The roles

and responsibilities of medical physicists working in a hospital are given in detail in the IAEA’s

Human Health Series No. 25 [3], which also specifies the requirements in terms of academic

education and clinical training to become a CQMP, and to work independently in one or more

specialties of medical physics. A diagram summarizing such pathways is provided in Fig. 1.

Similar to other health professionals, it is expected that CQMPs are certified nationally; the

IAEA has published guidelines to support Member States in the establishment of certification

bodies [4].

FIG. 1. The recommendations on minimum requirements for the academic education and

clinical training of clinically qualified medical physicists [4]. Successful completion of

accredited programmes as shown within the dashed line in the figure, equips a medical

physicist with the necessary knowledge, skills and competence to provide a safe and effective

medical physics clinical service.

The postgraduate academic education programme in medical physics provides a student with

the foundational knowledge to enter a formal clinical medical physics residency [5-7]. It also

provides the student with the knowledge needed to embark on a career for instance in the

industry and metrology sectors, or to continue the academic studies at the doctoral level.

It is expected that the academic programme is hosted by an academic institution capable of

awarding postgraduate-level degrees, in order to remain sustainable by offering academic career

development pathways. Ideally, the academic institution offering the academic programme

would additionally be linked to a university teaching hospital(s), to facilitate the collaboration

of clinical medical physicists in the postgraduate programme, as well as to facilitate access of

the graduates to a clinical training programme after the academic degree.

Additionally, a collaboration in between the university and the hospital can foster the

development of research activities in the field of dosimetry and medical physics.

1.2. OBJECTIVE

The major objective of a postgraduate medical physics academic programme is to provide the

students with a thorough grounding in medical physics, critical thinking, scientific rigor, and

adequate professional ethics, to facilitate the integration of the graduates in a healthcare

profession, where the benefit of the patient is at the centre of all activities.

1.3. SCOPE

This document aims to guide Member States in structuring a postgraduate-level academic

programme in medical physics, and includes considerations pertaining to admission criteria,

quality management and sustainability. The document comprises a list of knowledge sources

for the core modules.

1.4. STRUCTURE

Section 2 provides insights on the admission criteria, to facilitate the process of appropriate

student selection into the programme; this is complemented by examples provided in the Annex.

Section 3 describes the academic faculty and facilities to underpin and sustain the

implementation of the programme.

Section 4 describes the content of the core modules and lists possible elective modules and

practical sessions.

Section 5 highlights the importance of assessment in the framework of the programme.

Sections 6 and 7 aim respectively at providing considerations on quality management and

sustainability of the programme.

2. ADMISSION CRITERIA

The undergraduate degree of students entering a postgraduate medical physics academic

programme is preferably in physics or an equivalent relevant quantitative physical or physics-

engineering science core degree.

Because there is significant variation in the level and composition of university-level education

worldwide, it is often necessary for qualifications authorities to determine the local degree

equivalence, prior to student admission. For admission to the medical physics programme, it

will in addition be necessary to interrogate the academic transcripts of the degree.

While all components of transcripts provide meaningful information, specific elements have

been identified as tenets in such evaluation and as pre-requisites to be admitted to a

postgraduate-level academic degree in medical physics:

 At least 2 years of undergraduate level mathematics need to be completed successfully

including:

– Advanced Calculus

– Complex Variables

– Differential Equations

– Numerical methods

– Applied Linear Algebra

 The following physics topics are typically covered during undergraduate study. If not,

they will need to be completed prior to entry into the medical physics programme:

– Electricity and Magnetism

– Atomic Physics/Nuclear Physics

– Classical Mechanics

– Quantum Mechanics

– Solid State Physics

– Modern Physics and Relativity

– Thermodynamics / Statistical Physics

– Signal Processing

– Physics of Fluids and Gases

– Optics

– Computational Physics/Computer programming

The admission requirements for other individuals, who have already completed a graduate or

postgraduate degree in any other field, is the same.

Generally, universities have well-established autonomous criteria to recognize prior learning.

Examples on how to assess the qualifications of students seeking admission to a postgraduate

medical physics programme are provided in the Annex.

3. INFRASTRUCTURE

3.1. ACADEMIC FACULTY

It is important that the academic faculty includes at least one instructor holding a PhD in the

medical physics field, who is active in research. In cases where this is not achievable at the

moment of the establishment of the programme, it is expected that a plan to strengthen the

faculty is devised in a defined timeframe. In the interim, an established researcher with a PhD

in a relevant related specialty (e.g. applied physics) could be considered. The lack of faculty

with a PhD and substantial scientific research activities, will most likely limit the ability of the

institution to offer a strong research component, and to foster independent and original research

in medical physics (e.g. final thesis/report). Teaching is usually provided both by full time

academic staff and by medical physicists and other health professionals working in the

healthcare sector. Ideally, an appropriate number of CQMPs working in hospitals are involved

in the postgraduate programme and hold formal faculty appointments in the university hosting

the programme. The structure of the academic programme would therefore typically include a

formal link with a clinical medical physics department in a hospital, with a teaching mandate.

This serves the purposes of providing formal recognition of the contribution of CQMPs to the

programme and encourages their commitment to the academic programme by promoting

dedicated time to educational tasks. Radiobiologists, radiation metrologists, clinicians and

regulators may also contribute by providing instruction in appropriate modules. In turn, they

could also hold reciprocal honorary academic appointments.

To ensure the involvement of hospital staff is sustainable and does not detract from the

workforce needed to support the clinical activities of diagnosis and treatment of patients, the

clinical department(s) supporting the academic programme need to monitor their medical

physics staffing levels, e.g. in accordance with national, international or IAEA guidelines [8-

10].

3.2. FACILITIES

As part of the formal link between the academic institution and the hospital(s), it is important

that an agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is established. The existence of

this link between hospital(s) and the university might provide students with supervised access

to the clinical environment. The clinical radiation oncology, radiology and nuclear medicine

services need to be equipped with at least the standard resources recommended by the national

guidelines for the clinical training of medical physicists or in accordance with international best

practice guidelines (e.g. IAEA clinical training guidelines [5-7]).

It would be advantageous if, as part of the research and practical work, the student, if fully

supervised, could observe activities on the following equipment, systems and modalities related

to the following services:

 Radiation oncology services:

– Megavoltage teletherapy

– 3D treatment planning

– Radiotherapy simulation (conventional and/or computed tomography (CT))

– Brachytherapy

– Quality control, reference and relative dosimetry equipment, including a water

phantom

 Radiology services:

– General radiography

– Fluoroscopy

– CT

– Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

– Ultrasound

– Dual energy X ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

– Mammography

– Dental radiography, if available

– Quality control and dosimetry equipment

 Nuclear medicine services:

– Gamma camera systems

– Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or PET/CT, if available

– Dose calibrator, probes and counters

– Quality control equipment and calibration sources

– Survey meters and contamination probes

– Nuclear medicine therapy services, and dosimetry software and equipment

Exposure to the hospital environment can be complemented by offering the students the

opportunity to become familiar with a metrology institution, a radiobiology laboratory,

specialized facilities and other dosimetry-relevant services where available.

In case students are exposed to the clinical environment, all local liability issues concerning

equipment, health and safety, radiation safety and protection, professional, research and

education ethics, and patient confidentiality issues need to be clarified in the MoU. In some

countries, students need to register with a certification body in order to observe or participate

in any supervised clinical activity.

It is expected that the academic programme will offer its students the following elements,

considered of crucial importance to support the programme and its related educational and

research activities:

 Internet connectivity and access to computer workstations with basic computational

software.

 Library access, including electronic journal access, and the relevant reports and

publications from the major medical physics international reference organizations (e.g.

International Committee for Radiological Units and Measurements (ICRU),

International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), etc.). The list of core

reference textbooks associated with the recommended medical physics modules is given

in the next section.

4. MEDICAL PHYSICS MODULES

The academic modules contained within the medical physics programme aim at preparing a

student to understand the principles of physics applied to radiation medicine, conduct research

and apply critical and innovative thinking to problem solving. An ability to perform research is

expected to be acquired as part of the postgraduate programme; consequently, it is strongly

advised that a research project is included as part of the academic programme. Typically, the

project will provide the student with an opportunity to demonstrate an ability to conduct a

literature review, apply statistical methods, present a description of methods and a discussion

of results. An opportunity for oral and written presentation of the project would be beneficial,

e.g. presentation at a scientific conference.

4.1. CORE MODULES

The core modules are provided below, including an outline of their content. It is expected that

the course contents are taught to the level of quantitative detail indicated by the references

provided and consistent with postgraduate-level education in basic science. Some overlaps can

occur between different core modules; however, the different perspectives can be beneficial in

providing complementary points of view.

 Anatomy and Physiology as applied to Medical Physics

– Anatomical nomenclature

 Origin of anatomical names

 Prefixes and suffixes

 Anatomical position and nomenclature; surface anatomy

– Structure, physiology, pathology and/or diagnostic image appearance (e.g. X

ray, Computed Tomography (CT), MRI and nuclear medicine imaging) of:

 Skeleton and bone marrow

 Brain and Central nervous system

 Thorax

 Abdomen

 Pelvis

– Respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, circulatory, lymphatic and

endocrine systems

 Radiobiology

– Basics of cancer and the role of radiation therapy

 Hallmarks of cancer

 Oncogenes, tumour suppression genes and genome caretakers

– Ionizing radiation interaction with biological systems:

 Time-scale of effects

 Classification of effects

 Cell cycle and radiosensitivity

 Linear Energy Transfer (LET)

– Radiation-induced damage and DNA damage response:

 Single strand break and double strand breaks

 DNA damage sensors

 DNA damage signalling

 Effector pathways

– Cell death after irradiation

 How, when and why cells die

– Quantification of cell survival: clonogenic assays

 Cell survival curves

 Models (e.g. linear quadratic model, Lethal-Potential Lethal etc.)

– Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE):

 RBE and dose, dose rate and LET

 RBE for tumours and normal tissue

– Oxygen effect

– Radiobiological dose models:

 Tumour Control Probability (TCP)

 Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP)

 Tolerance doses and volumes (Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue

Effects in the Clinic - QUANTEC)

 Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD)

– Fractionation:

 The linear quadratic approach

 Equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions EQD2

 Biologically Effective Dose (BED)

 Incomplete repair and continuous irradiation

 Hypo- and hyper-fractionation in radiotherapy

 Radiation Physics

– Overview of Modern Physics

 Historical overview

 Atomic and nuclear structure

 Radioactive decay

 Concept of cross section

 Elementary quantum mechanics

– Atomic models (multi-electron), transition selection rules, atomic relaxation

and radiation production

– Radiation production by accelerated charges

– Photon interactions

– Neutron interactions

– Charged particle interactions

– Multiple elastic scattering

– Mass scattering power

– Mass stopping power

 Unrestricted mass electronic stopping power for heavy charged

particles

 Unrestricted mass electronic and radiative stopping power for electrons

and positrons

 Restricted mass stopping power, linear energy transfer (LET)

– Boltzman Transport Equation

 Charged particle slowing down under the Continuous Slowing Down

Approximation (CSDA)

 Secondary electrons

– Introduction to Monte Carlo techniques

– Overview of non-ionizing radiation physics

 Radiation Protection

– Introduction, historical perspective and sources of radiation

– Radiation protection detection and measurement (Geiger-Mueller (GM),

proportional counters, scintillators)

– Exponential attenuation, half-value layer (HVL), inverse square law, tenth-

value layer (TVL)

– Shielding calculations

– Safety assessment for facilities and activities [11]

– Operational dosimetry, e.g. equivalent dose, effective dose, etc. [12]

– Legal framework for radiation protection

– Planned exposure situations [13]

 General requirements

 Occupational exposure

 Public exposure

 Medical exposure

– Emergency exposure situations [13]

– Radioactive transport and waste management

– Risk assessment and communication of risk

 Professional and Scientific Development

– Ethics

 The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki

 Basis of clinical trials

 Ethics review/committees

 Ethical principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy (respect),

justice (impartiality), prudence (precaution), honesty (transparency),

accountability, inclusiveness, etc.

– Professionalism

 Clinical governance

 Quality management

 Code of conduct

 Management of medical equipment

 Conflict of interest

– Peer review/Journal club

– Presentation skills

 Scientific communication

 Techniques of instruction

 Research Methodology

– Research planning

– Literature review

– Data gathering and processing

– Statistical methods in research

– Computational tools and analysis

– Critical analysis

– Scientific writing

– Authorship, integrity, plagiarism

 Medical Imaging Fundamentals

– Mathematical methods

– Tomographic reconstruction techniques

– Linear systems

– Introduction to image acquisition

– Measures of image quality

 Linear systems

 Sampling theory, e.g. Nyquist-Shannon Sampling Theorem

 Contrast, contrast detail assessment, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)

 Signal, sensitivity, receptor response curves, dynamic range

 Spatial resolution (e.g. Point Spread Function (PSF), Line Spread

Funtion (LSF), Modulation Transfer Function (MTF))

 Noise, Noise Power Spectra (NPS)

 Detective Quantum Efficiency (DQE)

– Introduction to image processing

 Image filtering (smoothing, restoration)

 Image segmentation

 Image registration

 Statistical techniques (optimisation, classification)

 Volumetric techniques (rendering, modelling)

– Image perception and assessment

 Theory of human vision (Barton model)

 Specifications of observer performance (decision outcomes, ROC)

 Experimental methodologies

 Design of display systems

 Radiation Dosimetry

– Dosimetric quantities and units

– Radiation equilibrium, partial charged particle equilibrium

– Fano theorem

– Cavity theory

– Primary radiation standards for air kerma and absorbed dose

– Radiation dosimeters for diagnostic and therapy applications

– Calibration traceability

– Absorbed dose to air (N

D,air

) concept, detector response, e.g. absorbed dose to

water calibration coefficient (N

D,w

)

– Reference dosimetry protocols and codes of practice

– Small field dosimetry (fundamental aspects, recommendations)

 Physics of Radiation Oncology

– Overview of clinical radiotherapy

– Radiation therapy equipment (

Co teletherapy, cyclotrons, kV generators,

particle accelerators and waveguide theory)

– Physics of megavoltage photon radiation therapy (dosimetric functions and

basic treatment planning, Monitor Unit (MU) calculations)

– Physics of kV photon radiation therapy (dosimetric functions and basic

treatment planning, MU calculations)

– Patient setup, including positioning and immobilization

– Simulation, virtual simulation, Digitally Reconstructed Radiographs (DRRs),

image registration

– Dose calculation algorithms and heterogeneity corrections

– Prescribing, recording and reporting according to the relevant ICRU Reports

– Physics of megavoltage electron radiation therapy according to relevant ICRU

or American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) reports

– Brachytherapy according to relevant ICRU and AAPM reports:

 High Dose Rate (HDR) and Low Dose Rate (LDR)

 Equipment and sources

 Treatment planning

– Inverse planning and optimization for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

(IMRT)

– Small field radiotherapy equipment and techniques (stereotactic radiotherapy

(SRT) and radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), IMRT,

Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT), Magnetic Resonance Guided Radiotherapy

(MRgRT)

– Image guidance and verification in radiotherapy (Cone beam CT (CBCT),

ultrasound (US), portal imaging, in-vivo dosimetry (IVD)), affine and

deformable image registration

– Adaptive radiotherapy principles

– Radiation therapy information systems

– Principles of quality management in radiation oncology

 Physics of Nuclear Medicine

– Production of radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals

– Radioactive decay and choice of radionuclides

– Detectors and electronics

– Non-imaging instrumentation

 Dose calibrators, Well counters

 Probes

– Imaging Instrumentation

 Planar, whole-body

 Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

 Photon Emission Tomography (PET)

 Hybrid imaging

– Internal dosimetry (Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) formalism,

biokinetic modelling and compartmental analysis)

– Quantitative imaging

– Dosimetry for radiopharmaceutical therapy

– Image quality and noise

– Principles of quality management in nuclear medicine

– Radiation protection specific to nuclear medicine

– Diagnostic applications and interpretation of radionuclide images

 Physics of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

– X ray production including spectra

– Exposure parameters and influence on image quality

– X ray imaging and image reconstruction

 Radiography

 Mammography

 CT

 Fluoroscopy and interventional radiology

 Digital radiography

 Dual energy X ray absorptiometry, dental panoramic and tomographic

imaging

 Contrast enhancement

 Patient dose and system optimization

– Ultrasound imaging

 Ultrasound generation

 Ultrasound interaction

 Acoustic properties of biological tissues

 Wave, motion and propagation, acoustic power

 Image artifacts and image quality

 Modes of scanning

 Therapeutic applications

 Transducers

 Doppler techniques

 Safety

– MRI

 Physics of MRI

 MR image formation

 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and MRI

 Magnetism, spins and NMR signal generation

 The spin echo

 T1 and T2 relaxation

 NMR Spectroscopy

 MRI imaging and reconstruction

 Magnetization transfer

 MRI hardware

 k-space formalism, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and image

formation (MRI)

 Gradient echoes

 Fast imaging (echo-planar imaging (EPI), k-space filling,

parallel imaging)

 MR instrumentation

 MRI methods

 MR contrast and image quality

 Safety

– Clinical applications and artefacts

– Dual and multi-modality imaging

– Principles of quality management in radiology

4.2. PRACTICAL SESSIONS

Practical sessions or laboratory work is possible in all modules however, one laboratory session

could cover multiple topics. Examples of laboratory exercises are given below and the academic

modules to which they apply are provided:

 Anatomy and Physiology as applied to Medical Physics

– Anatomy and function using different imaging modalities

 Radiation Physics and Radiation Dosimetry:

– Measurements with ionization chambers in Co-60, X ray, and accelerator beams

– Water Tank Scanning

– Measurements with solid state and chemical dosimeters (Thermoluminescent

Dosimeters (TLD), Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors

(MOSFET), Optically Stimulated Luminescent Dosimeters (OSLD), film, etc.)

 Radiation Physics:

– Simple Monte Carlo code development to illustrate principle and sampling

– Monte Carlo Transport Calculations using general purpose code

 Radiation Protection

– Radiation survey of a clinical installation and shielding calculation

 Medical Imaging Fundamentals

– Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) practical

– Experiments in perception

 Radiation Dosimetry

– Reference dosimetry calibration of clinical beams using an International

protocol, e.g. IAEA TRS 398 [14]

– Small field dosimetry

 Physics of Radiation Oncology

– A basic treatment planning exercise

 Physics of Nuclear Medicine

– Calibration of the sensitivity of a gamma camera

– Gamma ray spectroscopy

 Physics of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology

– X ray tube output dependence on HVL, tube voltage, tube current, exposure

time, beam filtration and distance

– Image quality assessment (contrast, resolution, modulation transfer function)

 Radiobiology

– Measurement of a survival curve

4.3. CORE RESOURCES

A list of core knowledge sources that could be used to develop the programme is provided

below, noting that many are examples of the current major textbooks in the field. Some are

available electronically. A fully developed programme makes use of a far more extensive list

of textbooks, e.g. the official IOMP CRC Press book series, and software, e.g. EMITEL e-

Encyclopedia of Medical Physics and Multilingual Dictionary of Terms

(http://www.emitel2.eu/emitwwwsql/index-login.aspx). All IAEA material is available online

and most of the syllabus is covered in the three IAEA handbooks [15-17]. In addition, the IAEA

Human Health Campus Web site [https://humanhealth.iaea.org] contains a substantial range of

texts and downloadable teaching aids. There are freely downloadable treatment planning

systems for education purposes that can also be considered (e.g. MATRAD, Plunc 3D etc.).

 Anatomy and Physiology as applied to Medical Physics:

– TORTORA, G.J., DERRICKSON, B.H., Principles of Anatomy and

Physiology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey, USA (2011).

– WEIR, J., ABRAHAMS, P.H., SPRATT J.D., SALKOWSKIET L.R., Imaging

Atlas of Human Anatomy, 4

Edition. Mosby, Maryland, USA (2010).

 Radiobiology

– JOINER, M.C., VAN DER KOGEL, A.J., (Eds), Basic Clinical Radiobiology

5th edition, CRC Press (2019).

– HALL, E.J., AND GIACCIA, A. Radiobiology for the Radiologist, Lippincott

Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, US, 8th Ed. (2018).

– LEHNERT, S., Biomolecular Action of Ionizing Radiation (Series in Medical

Physics and Biomedical Engineering), Taylor and Francis, USA (2007).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radiation Biology: A

Handbook for Teachers and Students, Training Course Series, No. 42, IAEA,

Vienna (2010).

– ICRP, 2007. The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on

Radiological Protection. ICRP Publication 103. Ann. ICRP 37 (2-4).

 Radiation Physics

– PODGORSAK, E. B., Radiation Physics for Medical Physicists (Biological and

Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering), Springer, New York, USA (2010).

– ANDREO, P., BURNS, D.T., NAHUM, A.E., SEUNTJENS, J., ATTIX, F.H.,

Fundamentals of Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim,

GERMANY (2017).

 Radiation Protection

– INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIATION UNITS AND

MEASUREMENTS, Operational Quantities for External Radiation Exposure,

ICRU Report No. 95, Bethesda, MD (2021).

– EUROPEAN COMMISSION, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, INTERNATIONAL

ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR

ORGANIZATION, OECD NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY, PAN

AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION, UNITED NATIONS

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION,

Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety

Standards, IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3, IAEA, Vienna

(2014).

– INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION,

The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological

Protection, ICRP Publication 103, ICRP, Ottawa (2007).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, IAEA, Safety Assessment

for Facilities and Activities: General Safety Requirements, Part 4 (Rev. 1),

IAEA, Vienna (2016).

 Professional and Scientific Development

– JURAN, J. M. and DE FEO, J., Juran’s quality handbook: The complete guide

to performance excellence, McGraw-Hill, New York (2010).

– BEAUCHAMP, T.L., CHILDRESS, J.F., Principles of Biomedical Ethics,

Oxford University Press, UK (2013).

 Medical Imaging Fundamentals

– GONZALEZ, R., and WOODS, R., Digital Image Processing. Prentice Hall,

New Jersey, USA (2007).

– BUSHBERG, J.T., SEIBERT, J. A., LEIDHOLDT Jr, E.M. and BOONE, J. M.,

The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging, Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia

(2021).

 Radiation Dosimetry

– ANDREO, P., BURNS, D.T., NAHUM, A.E., SEUNTJENS, J., ATTIX, F.H.,

Fundamentals of Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim,

GERMANY (2017).

– ROGERS, D.W.O., CYGLER, J., Clinical Dosimetry Measurements in

Radiotherapy: AAPM 2009 Summer School, Medical Physics Pub Corp,

Madison, USA (2009).

– KNOLL, G.F., Radiation Detection and Measurement. Wiley, USA (2010).

– ICRU Report 90. Key Data for Ionizing-Radiation Dosimetry: Measurement

Standards and Applications. International Commission on Radiation Units and

Measurements. Bethesda, MD, USA (2016).

 Physics of Radiation Oncology

– PODGORSAK, E., (Ed), Radiation Oncology Physics: A Handbook for

Teachers and Students, IAEA, Vienna (2005).

– KHAN, FAIZ M., The Physics of Radiation Therapy, Lippincott Williams &

Wilkins, Philadelphia (2014).

– MAYLES, P., NAHUM, A., AND ROSENWALD, J.C., Handbook of

Radiotherapy Physics, Theory and Practice, Taylor & Francis, USA (2007).

– BALTAS, D., SAKELLIOU, L., ZEMBOGLOU, N., The Physics of Modern

Brachytherapy for Oncology, CRC Press (2007).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radiation Protection and

Safety in Medical Uses of Ionizing Radiation: Specific Safety Guide No. SSG-

46, IAEA, Vienna (2018).

– ICRU Report 50. Prescribing, Recording and Reporting Photon Beam therapy.

International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements. Bethesda,

MD, USA (1993).

– ICRU Report 62. Prescribing, Recording and Reporting Photon Beam therapy

(Supplement to ICRU Report 50). International Commission on Radiation Units

and Measurements. Bethesda, MD, USA (1999)

– ICRU Report No. 71. Prescribing, Recording, and Reporting Electron Beam

Therapy. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements.

Bethesda, MD, USA (2004).

– ICRU Report 83. Prescribing, Recording and Reporting Photon Beam Intensity

Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). International Commission on Radiation

Units and Measurements. Bethesda, MD, USA (2010).

– ICRU Report 91. Prescribing, Recording and Reporting of Stereotactic

Treatments with Small Photon Beams. International Commission on Radiation

Units and Measurements. Bethesda, MD, USA (2019).

 Physics of Nuclear Medicine

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Nuclear Medicine

Physics: A Handbook for Teachers and Students, IAEA, Vienna (2014).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Quantitative Nuclear

Medicine Imaging: Concepts, Requirements and Methods, IAEA, Vienna

(2014).

– BUSHBERG, J.T., SEIBERT, J. A., LEIDHOLDT Jr, E.M. and BOONE, J. M.,

The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging, Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia

(2021).

– CHERRY, S.R., SORENSEN, J.A., PHELPS, M.E., Physics in Nuclear

Medicine, Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia (2012).

– STABIN, M. G., Fundamentals of Nuclear Medicine Dosimetry, Springer, USA

(2008).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radiation Protection and

Safety in Medical Uses of Ionizing Radiation: Specific Safety Guide No. SSG-

46, IAEA, Vienna (2018).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Dosimetry for

Radiopharmaceutical Therapy, IAEA, Vienna (in preparation).

 Physics of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Diagnostic Radiology

Physics: A Handbook for Teachers and Students, IAEA, Vienna (2014).

– BUSHBERG, J.T., SEIBERT, J. A., LEIDHOLDT Jr, E.M. and BOONE, J. M.,

The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging, Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia

(2021).

– DENDY, P.P., HEATON, B., Physics for Diagnostic Radiology, CRC Press,

USA (2011).

– SAMEI, E., PECK, D., Hendee’s Physics of Medical Imaging, Wiley-Liss, New

York (2019).

– SPRAWLS, P., Physical Principles of Medical Imaging, Medical Physics Pub

Corp, Madison (1993).

– INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radiation Protection and

Safety in Medical Uses of Ionizing Radiation: Specific Safety Guide No. SSG-

46, IAEA, Vienna (2018).

4.4. ELECTIVE TOPICS

The following additional topics are recommended and are likely to be offered where relevant

specialist expertise and resources exist:

 Health Technology Assessment

 Information and Communications Technology

 Particle Therapy or Special Techniques

 Accuracy requirements and uncertainties in radiation medicine

 Optical Imaging

 Microdosimetry

 Targeted Therapies

 Theranostics

 Management Principles

 Advanced statistical methods

5. STUDENT KNOWLEDGE EVALUATION AND TESTING

The knowledge acquired by the students needs to be formally assessed, in alignment with

similar programmes in the host university, for instance science-focused postgraduate

programmes. Typically, this includes final knowledge testing (also called high-stakes

assessments) in the individual modules composing the programme. Nevertheless, the evaluation

of the knowledge may include more regular and less formal types of assessments (also called

low-stakes, formative assessments) [18]. The mechanisms of assessment could include one or

a combination of written examinations, oral examinations, laboratory reports, presentations,

attendance registers, small research projects and progress reports. When observing group work

(e.g. laboratory-based exercises), it is important that each student’s assessments are

predominantly (70% or more) representative of individual (rather than group) performance or

effort. Research ethics and integrity may be verified through a variety of methods, for instance

the use of invigilation, plagiarism software or oral performance assessment.

Results reflecting the knowledge acquired by students (typically a numerical grading system)

in each module are usually externally moderated and then stored in an organized manner,

maintaining confidentiality and privacy of personal data. Such results are made available to

graduates in the form of official university academic transcripts.

6. PROGRAMME QUALITY MANAGEMENT

In alignment with international best practices [19, 20], it is expected that educational

programmes at all levels are subject to management mechanisms to ensure their quality is

established, evaluated and maintained over time. This can include periodic collection, analysis

and recording of feedback from the students, recent graduates and faculty. Additionally, the

academic programme can undergo other types of periodic reviews, which may include but are

not limited to:

(a) Review of the content of the syllabus and related references, to ensure alignment to

scientific and professional developments and requirements,

(b) Analysis of the programme syllabus against international best practices (for instance

IAEA guidelines)

harmonization at the national, sub-regional or regional level

(d) self-assessment, audit or peer review of the programme (for instance, Annex A of

[19])

(e) accreditation of the programme.

A postgraduate-level programme in medical physics aims to provide students with the option

to proceed to a clinical training residency in a hospital. After successfully completing clinical

training, residents would be certified as qualified health professionals, with a certification to

practice independently as CQMPs [4]. Consequently, when addressing point (a) and (e) above,

consultations with the appropriate medical physics professional organization(s) is of crucial

importance.

For point (c), a national qualifications authority can help coordinate and harmonize education,

training, assessment and quality assurance of qualifications awarded in the country; with the

view to improving quality and international comparability. As a consequence, national and

foreign certificates and qualifications can be processed to determine recognition and/or verify

international equivalence.

For points (a), (b), (d) and (e), experienced auditors and international organizations are available

to provide advice and validation e.g. IOMP, the Commission on Accreditation of Medical

Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). Accreditation of programmes is a structured

mechanism that is typically national but can also rely on regional or international benchmarking

or review. For medical physics programmes which are required to prepare students for clinical

training in the health professional environment, consultations with the national professional

bodies and the input of the National Health Authority (NHA) that is responsible for

certification, are highly recommended.

7. PROGRAMME SUSTAINABILITY

It is expected that the standard university course assessment and evaluation takes place on a

regular basis, as applied to all other academic programmes. The sustainability of a postgraduate

level academic programme in medical physics is typically evaluated with respect to its purpose,

which includes two main outputs:

1) providing the appropriate knowledge to graduates who aim to become CQMPs;

2) providing adequate preparation of graduates to embark on medical physics research.

For point 1), the sustainability of the programme is linked to the progression of graduates into

a structured and supervised clinical training programme [5-7] first, followed by their

employment as CQMPs in a hospital. It is therefore important that the academic programme

stakeholders work closely with the national medical physics professional organization,

certification body and other authorities to ensure the establishment and recognition of the

medical physics profession, according to international recommendations [4].

For point 2), it is also important that a sustainable research team is developed and maintained.

The research programme will ideally also include the CQMPs working in hospitals and other

related collaborators.

To ensure its sustainability, it is expected that a programme will:

a) produce sufficient numbers of graduates that are gainfully absorbed into remunerated

employment after completion of the programme;

b) facilitate access of its graduates to structured and supervised clinical training

programmes in medical physics. In cases where the academic programme feeds clinical

training programmes at the sub-regional, regional or international levels, the entrance

criteria and quality of the various clinical training programme(s) needs to be taken into

account. This information can be obtained through consultations with national

professional organizations and certification bodies;

c) plan to produce an adequate number of medical physics graduates in view of the

estimated future needs of the country (or region). This can be ensured through close

collaboration with national or regional medical physics professional organizations and

with the health authorities of the countries. Models for predicting CQMP staffing levels

can be beneficial for this process [9, 10];

d) operate in a setting where the medical physics profession exists and is recognized or

where a clear and realistic action plan and timeframe for the establishment of the

medical physics profession has been devised;

e) Systematically request feedback and follow up on the graduates’ professional status.

Annex

APPLYING ADMISSION CRITERIA

A–1. INTRODUCTION

It is expected that students entering a postgraduate medical physics academic programme hold

an undergraduate degree in physics or an equivalent relevant quantitative physical science or

physics-engineering science core degree. However, many universities offer undergraduate

degrees with a hybrid mix of subjects and it is sometimes difficult to establish equivalence and

relevance. This Annex provides a sample of three transcripts of undergraduate degrees and

corresponding guidance related to their equivalence for meeting the admission criteria of a

postgraduate-level programme in medical physics.

The first example, shown in Table A–1, provides an excerpt of a course where the quantitative

physics background of the candidate is clear, although the transcript is a physical-chemistry

field (honours degree). While the course may not include some specific topics (e.g. optics, and

relativity), in this case the candidate has the quantitative physical science background necessary

for entry into a postgraduate medical physics programme.

TABLE A–1. EXAMPLE OF AN EVALUATION OF A TRANSCRIPT FROM A PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

DEGREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCEPTANCE INTO A POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL PHYSICS

PROGRAMME

Course name

(extracted from the transcript)

Correspondence to requirements for

admission (postgraduate medical physics

programme)

Introduction to physical chemistry + laboratory component Thermodynamics

Advanced calculus, ordinary differential equations (2 courses) Advanced calculus, differential equations

Classical mechanics Classical Mechanics

Introduction to physical chemistry 2 + laboratory Thermodynamics

Applied linear algebra, complex variables, ODE’s (3 courses) Advanced calculus, complex variables

Computers in engineering Computational physics/computer programming

Electricity and magnetism Electricity and magnetism

Quantum physics 1 Quantum mechanics, atomic physics, modern physics

Quantum physics 2 Quantum mechanics, atomic physics, modern physics

Advanced quantum physics Quantum mechanics, atomic physics, modern physics

Statistical thermodynamics Thermodynamics/statistical physics

Signal processing Signal processing

Inorganic chemistry Atomic physics, modern physics

Molecular properties and structure Atomic physics, modern physics

Electromagnetic waves Electricity and magnetism, modern physics

Solid state physics Solid state physics

Statistical mechanics Thermodynamics/statistical physics

Introduction to computer science Computational physics/computer programming

Advanced biophysics Some aspects of the physics of fluids and gases

The second example, shown in Table A–2, provides a case where the candidate has not

completed a quantitative physical science programme (physics or engineering physics

programme). In this case, it is likely that the assessment of the transcripts will reveal an

insufficient physics background. This particular undergraduate programme was a radiation

technology diploma/degree.

TABLE A–2. EXAMPLE OF A TRANSCRIPT FROM A RADIATION TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA/DEGREE

THAT WOULD NOT RESULT IN ACCEPTANCE INTO A POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL PHYSICS

PROGRAMME

Course name

Biological systems

Anatomy in radiation oncology

Fundamentals of radiation oncology

General physics

Radiation effects and safety

Equipment in radiation oncology

Applied radiation dosimetry

Applied ethics

CT simulation

Introduction to medical imaging

The third case, shown in Table A–3, relates to an undergraduate degree in “Allied Health

Sciences”. Although several courses can be found that correspond to the nuclear medicine

specialty of medical physics, the background of the individual in basic quantitative physical

sciences is inadequate for medical physics postgraduate studies.

TABLE A–3. EXAMPLE OF A TRANSCRIPT FROM A DEGREE IN ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES THAT

WOULD NOT RESULT IN ACCEPTANCE INTO A POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMME

Course name

Anatomy

Physiology

Biochemistry

Psychology

Elements of health and nursing principles

Clinical examination of visual system

English

Microbiology

Pathology

Pharmacology

Medical physics

Medical sociology

Hospital operation management

Community medicine

Basics of human genetics

Medical electronics

Intermediate organic chemistry

Course name

Intermediate mathematics

Introduction to biophysics

Environmental science

Anatomy, physiology, pathology related to nuclear medicine

Nuclear physics and Introduction to radiation protection

Nuclear medicine instrumentation and quality control

Radio chemistry and radio pharmacy

1st aid management and splinting techniques

Clinical posting 1

Nuclear medicine techniques

Radiobiology and radiation safety in nuclear medicine

Physical health

Basics of research methodology

Basics of biostatistics

Clinical posting 2

Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in nuclear medicine

Molecular imaging

Medical ethics and law

Trauma life support

Cardiac life support

Clinical posting 3

REFERENCES

[1] SMITH, P. H. S., NUSSLIN, F., Benefits to medical physics from the recent inclusion

of medical physicists in the international classification of standard occupations (ICSO-

08), Med. Phys. Int. J. 1 (2013) 10-14.

[2] EUROPEAN COMMISSION, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF

THE UNITED NATIONS, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY,

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, OECD NUCLEAR ENERGY

AGENCY, PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION, UNITED NATIONS

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, Radiation

Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards, IAEA

Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3, IAEA, Vienna (2014).

[3] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Roles and Responsibilities, and

Education and Training Requirements for Clinically Qualified Medical Physicists,

IAEA Human Health Series No. 25, IAEA, Vienna (2013).

[4] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Guidelines for the Certification of

Clinically Qualified Medical Physicists, Training Course Series No. 71, IAEA, Vienna

(2021).

[5] Clinical Training of Medical Physicists Specializing in Radiation Oncology,

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Vienna (2010).

[6] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Clinical Training of Medical

Physicists Specializing in Diagnostic Radiology, Training Course Series No. 47, IAEA,

Vienna (2010).

[7] Clinical Training of Medical Physicists Specializing in Nuclear Medicine,

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Vienna (2011).

[8] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Setting Up a Radiotherapy

Programme: Clinical, Medical Physics, Radiation Protection and Safety Aspects, IAEA,

Vienna (2008).

[9] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Staffing in Radiotherapy: An

Activity Based Approach, IAEA Human Health Reports No. 13, IAEA, Vienna (2015).

[10] Medical Physics Staffing Needs in Diagnostic Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy: An

Activity Based Approach, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Vienna

(2018).

[11] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, IAEA, Safety Assessment for

Facilities and Activities: General Safety Requirements, Part 4 (Rev. 1), IAEA, Vienna

(2016).

[12] INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIATION UNITS AND

MEASUREMENTS, Operational Quantities for External Radiation Exposure, ICRU

Report No. 95, Bethesda, MD (2021).

[13] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radiation Protection and Safety

in Medical Uses of Ionizing Radiation: Specific Safety Guide No. SSG-46, IAEA,

Vienna (2018).

[14] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Absorbed Dose Determination in

External Beam Radiotherapy: An International Code of Practice for Dosimetry Based

on Standards of Absorbed Dose to Water, Technical Reports Series No. 398, IAEA,

Vienna (2000).

[15] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radiation Oncology Physics: A

Handbook for Teachers and Students, STI/PUB/1196, IAEA, Vienna (2005).

[16] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Diagnostic Radiology Physics: A

Handbook for Teachers and Students, IAEA, Vienna (2014).

[17] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Nuclear Medicine Physics: A

Handbook for Teachers and Students, IAEA, Vienna (2014).

[18] BLOOM, B. S., HASTINGS, J.T., MADAUS, G.F., (EDS), Handbook of formative and

summative evaluation of student learning, McGraw-Hill, New York, (1971).

[19] INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ORGANIZATION, Quality management systems

- Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2000 in education, IWA 2:2007(E), ISO,

Geneva (2007).

[20] INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ORGANIZATION, Educational organizations -

Management systems for educational organizations - Requirements with guidance for

use, ISO 21001:2018(E), ISO, Geneva (2018).

ABBREVIATIONS

AAPM American Association of Physicists in Medicine

CQMP Clinically Qualified Medical Physicist

ICRU International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements

IMPCB International Medical Physics Certification Board

IOMP

SSDL

International Organization for Medical Physics

Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories

CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW

Haworth, A. University of Sydney, Australia

Hobbs, R. F. Johns Hopkins University, USA

Loreti, G. International Atomic Energy Agency

Sanchez-Nieto, B. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

Seuntjens, J. Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto,

Canada

van der Merwe, D. International Atomic Energy Agency

Consultants Meeting

Vienna, Austria: 11–12 December 2020; 15 and 29 January 2021; 5 and 31 March 2021

ORDERING LOCALLY

IAEA priced publications may be purchased from the sources listed below or from major local booksellers.

Orders for unpriced publications should be made directly to the IAEA. The contact details are given at

the end of this list.

NORTH AMERICA

Bernan / Rowman & Littlefield

15250 NBN Way, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214, USA

Telephone: +1 800 462 6420 • Fax: +1 800 338 4550

Email: [email protected] • Web site: www.rowman.com/bernan

REST OF WORLD

Please contact your preferred local supplier, or our lead distributor:

Eurospan Group

Gray’s Inn House

127 Clerkenwell Road

London EC1R 5DB

United Kingdom

Trade orders and enquiries:

Telephone: +44 (0)176 760 4972 • Fax: +44 (0)176 760 1640

Email: [email protected]

Individual orders:

www.eurospanbookstore.com/iaea

For further information:

Telephone: +44 (0)207 240 0856 • Fax: +44 (0)207 379 0609

Email: [email protected] • Web site: www.eurospangroup.com

Orders for both priced and unpriced publications may be addressed directly to:

Marketing and Sales Unit

International Atomic Energy Agency

Vienna International Centre, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria

Telephone: +43 1 2600 22529 or 22530 • Fax: +43 1 26007 22529

Email: [email protected] • Web site: www.iaea.org/publications

No. 26

21-04314E

TRAINING COURSE SERIES

56 (Rev. 1)

Postgraduate Medical Physics

Academic Programmes

Endorsed by the International Organization

for Medical Physics (IOMP)

VIENNA, 2021

ISSN 1018–5518