title: Continuing professional development systems for medical physicists

authors: Round, W. Howell

subjects: education

abstract: A survey of all the continuing professional development (CPD) systems used internationally was conducted in 2011 as a precursor to developing a policy on CPD by the Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics. The results of the survey are presented in this paper.
CPD of medical physicists throughout their careers is fundamental to ensure that they are up to date with current practices to ensure that they can perform their duties with competence and professionalism. The medical physicist professional societies support the concept, but only a fraction of them have adopted formal systems to ensure that clinical physicists keep their CPD up to date. In a few cases, licences to practice are only renewed if physicists can demonstrate that they have undertaken sufficient CPD.
In the majority of cases CPD systems are points-based where physicists are awarded a number of points for each activity they participate in. There is a requirement that they accumulate a number of points for various activities over a set number of years. In other systems where there is an emphasis on quality of CPD rather than quantity, physicists just keep a record of their activities which are audited periodically. It is difficult to achieve a ‘perfect’ system that balances the amount and quality of CPD undertaken by an individual. However, guidelines to how to assess CPD can be developed.

text: Continuing professional development systems for medical physicists A survey of all the continuing professional development (CPD) systems used internationally was conducted in 2011 as a precursor to developing a policy on CPD by the Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics. The results of the survey are presented in this paper.
CPD of medical physicists throughout their careers is fundamental to ensure that they are up to date with current practices to ensure that they can perform their duties with competence and professionalism. The medical physicist professional societies support the concept, but only a fraction of them have adopted formal systems to ensure that clinical physicists keep their CPD up to date. In a few cases, licences to practice are only renewed if physicists can demonstrate that they have undertaken sufficient CPD.
In the majority of cases CPD systems are points-based where physicists are awarded a number of points for each activity they participate in. There is a requirement that they accumulate a number of points for various activities over a set number of years. In other systems where there is an emphasis on quality of CPD rather than quantity, physicists just keep a record of their activities which are audited periodically. It is difficult to achieve a ‘perfect’ system that balances the amount and quality of CPD undertaken by an individual. However, guidelines to how to assess CPD can be developed.

year: 2011

title: Effects of Gas Nitriding on Fatigue and Crack Initiation of Ti6Al4V produced by Selective Laser Melting

authors: Mukhtar, Aamir

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing technique which permits fabrication of three dimensional parts by selectively melting consecutive layers of metallic powder. This allows the production of parts with high geometrical complexity. Titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) is widely used in industry due to its high strength-to-mass ratio, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. SLM increases the application range of Ti64 because of its flexibility for prototyping any part and its low material waste. Nitriding is a diffusion-based thermo-chemical treatment for interstitial hardening of the surface of Ti64 alloy products. This study characterized the fatigue behaviour of SLM-produced Ti64 nitrided and annealed bars in as-built and machined surface conditions. The surface of the SLM-produced Ti64 parts after gas nitriding showed high values of micro-hardness up to 550 HV just below the surface. Fatigue testing was performed to assess the materials fatigue strength and fractographic imaging was used to examine fracture surface and nitride layer characteristics. Nitriding was found to reduce the fatigue strength of the samples to a similar level irrespective of being in the as-built or machined condition. The effect of nitriding on crack initiation and growth at various stress levels under fatigue loading was investigated.

text: Effects of Gas Nitriding on Fatigue and Crack Initiation of Ti6Al4V produced by Selective Laser Melting Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing technique which permits fabrication of three dimensional parts by selectively melting consecutive layers of metallic powder. This allows the production of parts with high geometrical complexity. Titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) is widely used in industry due to its high strength-to-mass ratio, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. SLM increases the application range of Ti64 because of its flexibility for prototyping any part and its low material waste. Nitriding is a diffusion-based thermo-chemical treatment for interstitial hardening of the surface of Ti64 alloy products. This study characterized the fatigue behaviour of SLM-produced Ti64 nitrided and annealed bars in as-built and machined surface conditions. The surface of the SLM-produced Ti64 parts after gas nitriding showed high values of micro-hardness up to 550 HV just below the surface. Fatigue testing was performed to assess the materials fatigue strength and fractographic imaging was used to examine fracture surface and nitride layer characteristics. Nitriding was found to reduce the fatigue strength of the samples to a similar level irrespective of being in the as-built or machined condition. The effect of nitriding on crack initiation and growth at various stress levels under fatigue loading was investigated.

year: 2019

title: Creating an environment to inform, build, and sustain a Māori health research workforce

authors: Barrett, Nikki Maree

subjects: Kaupapa Māori

abstract: Ensuring the growth and development of the Māori health research workforce is key to achieving health equity for Māori and enabling positive change for all New Zealanders. The purpose of this study was to identify enablers and barriers to research for Māori staff in a large health organisation, and to understand how research is developed and undertaken. A Kaupapa Māori mixed-methods study was undertaken, using an electronic survey comprised of quantitative data and open-ended responses delivered to all Māori staff at the Waikato District Health Board. Following the survey were 10 one on one interviews. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and open-ended responses summarised. A descriptive thematic analysis was undertaken of the interview data. Each of the interview responses was coded and five themes emerged. Frontline Māori staff affirmed their desire to conduct, design, and undertake health research. Challenges to staff included a lack of information on research opportunities, unclear processes for initiating research, and lack of support and resource. The evidence from participants provides insights into Māori health research priorities, considerations for those wanting to undertake research, and solutions for informing, building, and sustaining the Māori health research workforce.

text: Creating an environment to inform, build, and sustain a Māori health research workforce Ensuring the growth and development of the Māori health research workforce is key to achieving health equity for Māori and enabling positive change for all New Zealanders. The purpose of this study was to identify enablers and barriers to research for Māori staff in a large health organisation, and to understand how research is developed and undertaken. A Kaupapa Māori mixed-methods study was undertaken, using an electronic survey comprised of quantitative data and open-ended responses delivered to all Māori staff at the Waikato District Health Board. Following the survey were 10 one on one interviews. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and open-ended responses summarised. A descriptive thematic analysis was undertaken of the interview data. Each of the interview responses was coded and five themes emerged. Frontline Māori staff affirmed their desire to conduct, design, and undertake health research. Challenges to staff included a lack of information on research opportunities, unclear processes for initiating research, and lack of support and resource. The evidence from participants provides insights into Māori health research priorities, considerations for those wanting to undertake research, and solutions for informing, building, and sustaining the Māori health research workforce.

year: 2023