MO‐D‐301‐01: Joint AAPM/CCPM Sympsium: The Inverse Problem in Medical Physics Training — Defining the Objectives and Finding the Solutions
Authors: Sprawls P , Schmid M , Battista J , Beckham W , Clark B , Frey G , Herman M , Mills M , Wilkins D 
Published: November 2011

The education and training of medical physicists has lately been a much discussed and somewhat contentious issue. There exists a spectrum of opinions on the optimal definition of the endpoint and on the appropriate pathway to get there.

In order to find an optimal solution, a well‐defined objective must be established. What are the salient features of a medical physicist that education and training programs should produce? How do we best balance didactic and clinical training, and what role should research play in training programs? How many medical physicists do we need and will our training programs be able to produce them? What is the status of certification and how does this affect training?

This symposium will address the following specific topics, with viewpoints from both American and Canadian speakers.

Supply and Demand ‐ Michael D. Mills and Brenda Clark: How many medical physicists do we have? What are the appropriate staffing levels to provide adequate service? How many are we going to need to enter the workforce in the future?

The safety of patients treated with radiation oncology associated with personnel credentialing and staffing has become the focus of national and international concern. ASTRO is revisiting the question of personnel staffing levels by organizing and re‐convening the “Blue Book” project; this is the first such effort since 1991. In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency has convened an effort to establish recommended international staffing recommendations. A previously published supply and demand model for radiation oncology physicists is updated and presented to predict medical physicist employment market parameters through the year 2020.

CAMPEP Accredited Programs ‐ Wayne Beckham: What is CAMPEP, what are the requirements for accreditation, and how does the process take place? How many accredited programs are there, and how many applications are pending? What is the future?

The Status and Role of Certification ‐ G. Donald Frey and Dave Wilkins What role does certification play in the hiring and career paths of medical physicists? What is the relationship between registration, licensure, and career advancement? How many medical physicists are certified, and is this changing? How many uncertified medical physicists are in clinical practice? What are some of the barriers to certification?

Educational Pathways and Training Programs ‐ Michael Herman and Jerry Battista: What should we be striving for in our training programs? What is the correct balance between didactic and clinical training? What role should research play in the training of medical physicists?

Panel Discussion: The symposium will close with a panel discussion that will provide an opportunity for audience members to actively participate.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the need to establish recommended personnel staffing levels for medical physicists

2. Understand a current model that predicts the supply and demand for radiation oncology physicists through 2020.

3. Understand the CAMPEP accreditation process

4. Understand the relevance of certification in the medical physics career path

5. Understand the need to strike a balance between clinical, didactic, and research training in the design of medical physics training programs