title: Career Progression in Medical Physics

authors: Round, W. Howell

subjects: Career pathway

abstract: In several western countries there is a formal medical physicists’ training scheme after which a lot of graduates are employed in government hospitals where there is a formal, national salary scale and levels of responsibility through which physicists can expect to move. Those who are employed in private institutions are usually employed on contacts that are somewhat similar to those in the government institutions, but with perhaps a higher salary level but with an expectation that they will have a higher output. This is often not the case in AFOMP countries, especially in developing countries where there may be very few medical physicists. There may not be a “recognised” path that a clinical medical physicist would expect to follow from being a trainee/registrar/resident to a chief physicist in charge of the physics in an imaging or radiation oncology or medical physics department. There is often no official salary scale, limited access to continuing professional development, and little concept of how their careers might be expected to progress, especially amongst administrators. Those countries that do define a career path for medical physicists usually do so through a nation- or state-wide employment contract (or award) negotiated between the profession and the government. These can be used as a model for career planning elsewhere. A survey done of the career pathways in other countries showed that where awards exist, often they are constructed as a multilevel system consisting of, for example, four levels: physicist, senior physicist, principal physicist and chief physicist. Minimum education qualifications and experience are often needed to enter each level, along with a compilation of achievements and an expectation that the physicist will be able to fulfil the requirements of the level. If possible, such systems should be set up in all AFOMP countries where this is possible so that medical physicists will be able to see where their career will lead and how far they have progressed. Sometimes this can be difficult to set up because being a medical physicist is not a government-recognised profession in some countries, even though it is recognised by the International Labour Organization. To ensure that physicists’ careers will develop in a way that will fully develop their potential, it is important that issues such as have proper education and training, sufficient access to continuing professional development, interaction with physicists within and outside their own institution. Also, for those who temporarily leave the profession, a pathway for them to re-enter must be available. Career progression is something that all AFOMP National Member Organizations must address if the potential of their members is to be properly developed and their skills to be fully utilized.

text: Career Progression in Medical Physics In several western countries there is a formal medical physicists’ training scheme after which a lot of graduates are employed in government hospitals where there is a formal, national salary scale and levels of responsibility through which physicists can expect to move. Those who are employed in private institutions are usually employed on contacts that are somewhat similar to those in the government institutions, but with perhaps a higher salary level but with an expectation that they will have a higher output. This is often not the case in AFOMP countries, especially in developing countries where there may be very few medical physicists. There may not be a “recognised” path that a clinical medical physicist would expect to follow from being a trainee/registrar/resident to a chief physicist in charge of the physics in an imaging or radiation oncology or medical physics department. There is often no official salary scale, limited access to continuing professional development, and little concept of how their careers might be expected to progress, especially amongst administrators. Those countries that do define a career path for medical physicists usually do so through a nation- or state-wide employment contract (or award) negotiated between the profession and the government. These can be used as a model for career planning elsewhere. A survey done of the career pathways in other countries showed that where awards exist, often they are constructed as a multilevel system consisting of, for example, four levels: physicist, senior physicist, principal physicist and chief physicist. Minimum education qualifications and experience are often needed to enter each level, along with a compilation of achievements and an expectation that the physicist will be able to fulfil the requirements of the level. If possible, such systems should be set up in all AFOMP countries where this is possible so that medical physicists will be able to see where their career will lead and how far they have progressed. Sometimes this can be difficult to set up because being a medical physicist is not a government-recognised profession in some countries, even though it is recognised by the International Labour Organization. To ensure that physicists’ careers will develop in a way that will fully develop their potential, it is important that issues such as have proper education and training, sufficient access to continuing professional development, interaction with physicists within and outside their own institution. Also, for those who temporarily leave the profession, a pathway for them to re-enter must be available. Career progression is something that all AFOMP National Member Organizations must address if the potential of their members is to be properly developed and their skills to be fully utilized.

year: 2014

title: How fractional are super-capacitors? Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements

authors: Wildschut, Gordan Leslie

abstract: Super-capacitors are seeing more frequent use in modern electronic designs. Measuring the impedance of such an energy storage device is a good way to characterise how it will behave in real world situations. Therefore this study aims to investigate the present methods of measuring impedance of super-capacitors, with a focus on characterising their properties.
There also seems to be an increasing need for better and more cost effective equipment to measure these devices. Many options exist, and some are well suited to the task however most instruments are either too complicated and difficult to use or too expensive (in the 10’s of thousands of dollars) or a combination of both.
This work presents a design for such an instrument which can perform these measurements at a fraction of the cost. The functionality and performance are described and compared to current commercial options. Super-capacitors of varying storage sizes and brands are measured and characterised, and discussed in comparison to batteries.

text: How fractional are super-capacitors? Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements Super-capacitors are seeing more frequent use in modern electronic designs. Measuring the impedance of such an energy storage device is a good way to characterise how it will behave in real world situations. Therefore this study aims to investigate the present methods of measuring impedance of super-capacitors, with a focus on characterising their properties.
There also seems to be an increasing need for better and more cost effective equipment to measure these devices. Many options exist, and some are well suited to the task however most instruments are either too complicated and difficult to use or too expensive (in the 10’s of thousands of dollars) or a combination of both.
This work presents a design for such an instrument which can perform these measurements at a fraction of the cost. The functionality and performance are described and compared to current commercial options. Super-capacitors of varying storage sizes and brands are measured and characterised, and discussed in comparison to batteries.

year: 2020

title: Te Ika Huirua o Te Mate

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

abstract: This composition is a lament to two staesman of the Māori world Apira Mahuika of Ngāti Porou and Tama Huata of Ngāti Kahungunu. Both men were giants in their respective areas, governance, tribal politics cultral revival language revitalisation, Treaty settlements they both died within days of each other. This compostion also talks about how Pākeha law clashes with Māori lore with the James Takamore case where his whanau took his body and returned it to James ancestral home Whakatohea and the widow laid charges to have her husbands remains dug up and returned to Christchuch. I thought it appropriate to protest about this being the Te Matatini World Championship Kapa Haka Competition was held in Christchurch March 2015. This composition was performed by Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.

text: Te Ika Huirua o Te Mate This composition is a lament to two staesman of the Māori world Apira Mahuika of Ngāti Porou and Tama Huata of Ngāti Kahungunu. Both men were giants in their respective areas, governance, tribal politics cultral revival language revitalisation, Treaty settlements they both died within days of each other. This compostion also talks about how Pākeha law clashes with Māori lore with the James Takamore case where his whanau took his body and returned it to James ancestral home Whakatohea and the widow laid charges to have her husbands remains dug up and returned to Christchuch. I thought it appropriate to protest about this being the Te Matatini World Championship Kapa Haka Competition was held in Christchurch March 2015. This composition was performed by Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.

year: 2015-02-12