EUTEMPE-RX : European training and education for the medical physics expert in diagnostic and interventional radiology

Abstract

Medical exposures for radiological examinations represent the highest and fastest growing contribution to man-made radiation exposure in the EU. Justification and optimization of these exposures are therefore increasingly important and challenging. This requires highly trained medical physics experts, as defined by the EU BSS(1), to take the lead. The teaching expertise to allow medical physicists to reach this level is unlikely to be available in one institution or even in one country. Hypothesis of the EC project proposal was that a modular course, developed by a European consortium of experts, could create a successful teaching programme at EQF Level 8. The FP7 project aplication was approved for funding in the EU EURATOM program. H. Bosmans of KU Leuven, Belgium, is coordinator. The main objective of the EUTEMPE-RX project is to provide a training scheme with dedicated course modules that allows the medical physicist in radiology and interventional radiology to reach the expert level. This will be achieved by a network of excellent teaching centers in medical physics & setting up a multicampus educational and training platform. It will be strived to get the course modules accredited at a European level and serve as an example in EU member states. Three major participant groups are targeted: medical physicists in diagnostic and interventional radiology (D&IR) in hospitals, industry and regulatory authorities. Doctoral students and researchers are also expected to be interested if the course module relates to their research topic. The final goal is to make the course programme sustainable.