Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE MPH3007

 
TITLE Medical Physics and Radiation Protection Placement 2

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Medical Physics

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit gives students the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to professional practice via hands-on placements and site visits to the various practice settings relevant to Medical Physics and Radiation Protection and to carry out, report on, critically evaluate and reflect on selected INTERMEDIATE level procedures and scenarios in each of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Protection making possible the acquisition of skills in clinical procedures, quality control, patient dosimetry and risk, occupational and public radiation protection, protocol optimization and technical report writing. The unit will include over a hundred hours of clinical experience mostly in local hospitals and clinics and students will be taught and supervised by the clinical Medical Physicists working in these locations. A reflective diary and eportfolio will enable students to report, critically evaluate and reflect on the different methodologies and scenarios, allowing them to gain skills in technical report writing.

Study-unit Aims:

This study-unit aims to:
- Provide opportunities for the students to familiarize themselves with the various clinical sites where Medical Physicists and Radiation Protection Experts practice;
- Provide students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to professional practice via hands-on placements;
- Supervise students in carrying out, reporting on, critically evaluate and reflect on selected INTERMEDIATE level procedures and scenarios in each of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Protection allowing them to gain skills in handling equipment, quality control, dosimetry, protocol optimization, risk assessment and technical report writing.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Describe selected INTERMEDIATE level Medical Physics and Radiation Protection procedures in diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology and radiation protection (see list below skills section);
- Define and explain technical terminology used in the practice setting;
- Explain the purpose and practical implementation of formal systems of work (‘local rules’) with regard to safety in the various specialties of medical physics practice;
- Explain how to care for radiation protection badges;
- Describe their own role and the roles of other healthcare professions in providing modern healthcare services in a multi-disciplinary setting; and
- Explain the importance of building bridges to other healthcare professions for the multidisciplinary team building.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Conduct selected INTERMEDIATE level Medical Physics and Radiation Protection procedures (see list below);
- Apply radiation protection principles to own personal protection;
- Follow formal systems of work (‘local rules’) with regard to safety in the various specialties of medical physics practice;
- Care for radiation protection badges;
- Report, critically evaluate and reflect on the different methodologies and scenarios, allowing them to gain skills in effective and technical report writing through the use of a logbook and the writing up of an eportfolio;
- Organize, plan and manage one’s workload;
- Communicate orally and in writing with both experts in the field and non-experts;
- Work productively in both mono-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams;
- Criticise constructively and accept constructive criticism;
- Adapt to new situations;
- Reflect and evaluate one’s own practice and learning;
- Apply research skills and use published evidence to develop and improve the quality of one’s own practice;
- Work within the scope of one’s practice and abilities;
- Seek advice when a task is outside one’s ability; and
- Assume responsibility for one’s own actions.

INTERMEDIATE level procedures:

Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Dentistry:
- Describe the general radiography/MRI/ultrasound/dentistry environment at MDH;
- Report a range of observed more advanced clinical procedures and protocols;
- Describe the cath-lab at MDH;
- Apply intermediate clinical image processing techniques to D&IR and Dentistry images;
- QC a C-arm system;
- Observe and report on the use of diagnostic workstations;
- Conduct phantom image scoring;
- Calculate DRL for a fluoroscopy procedure;
- Categorise and discuss observed differences in patient dose surrogate data quantities for the various D&IR;
- Estimate body dose for an individual patient in a fluoroscopy procedure;
- Report radiation protection instructions given to staff in an interventional radiology suite;
- Report an observed occupational/public risk assessment; and
- Categorise controlled, supervised and public areas.

Radiation Oncology:
- Report a range of observed more advanced clinical procedures and protocols;
- Describe the mould room at SAMOC;
- Apply a TPS for intermediate planning procedures. Report observed intermediate plan verification;
- Intermediate QC of radiotherapy CT, superficial x-ray unit, linear accelerator and XVI;
- Report radiation protection instructions given to patients; and
- Categorise controlled, supervised and public areas.

Nuclear Medicine:
- Report a range of observed more advanced clinical procedures and protocols;
- Describe the radiopharmacy at MDH;
- Apply intermediate clinical image processing techniques to NM images;
- Perform QC on a SPECT camera;
- Categorise and discuss observed differences in patient doses from diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals;
- Report radiation protection instructions given to patients;
- Report on observed differences in handling of sealed and unsealed sources and different types of radioactive waste;
- Report an observed risk assessment; and
- Categorise controlled, supervised and public areas.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main
- IAEA. (2005). Radiation Oncology Physics - A Handbook for Teachers and Students.
- IAEA. (2014). Diagnostic Radiology Physics - A Handbook for Teachers and Students.
- IAEA. (2014). Nuclear Medicine Physics - A Handbook for Teachers and Students.
- Brown, B. H., Smallwood, R. H. et al. (1998). Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. IoP Publishing.
- Martin, A., Harbison S., Beach,K., et al. (2018). An Introduction to Radiation Protection. CRC.
- IAEA. (2009). Clinical Training of Medical Physicists Specializing in Radiation Oncology. Training Course Series 37.
- IAEA. (2010). Clinical Training of Medical Physicists Specializing in Diagnostic Radiology. Training Course Series 47.
- IAEA. (2011). Clinical Training of Medical Physicists Specializing in Nuclear Medicine. Training Course Series 50.
- Emerald-Emit Project. (2003). Project website: http://emerald2.eu/cd/Emerald2/

Supplementary
- Knoll, G. F. (2010). Radiation Detection and Measurement. Wiley.
- Del Guerra, A. (2004). Ionizing Radiation Detectors for Medical Imaging. World Scientific.
- Wood, A. W. (Ed), Ken Karipidis (Ed). (2017). Non-ionizing Radiation Protection: Summary of Research and Policy Options. Wiley.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Placement and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Reflective Diary SEM2 Yes 40%
Portfolio SEM2 Yes 60%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
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It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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