A new milestone in the development of the medical physics profession : the EFOMP policy statement on medical physics education and training in Europe 2014

Abstract

The European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) has just published an updated policy statement on Education and Training, the “European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) Policy Statement 12.1: Recommendations on Medical Physics Education and Training in Europe 2014“. In 2010, EFOMP had issued Policy Statement No. 12: “The present status of Medical Physics Education and Training in Europe. New perspectives and EFOMP recommendations”. At the same time, new recommendations regarding qualifications frameworks were published by the European Parliament and Council which introduced a new European qualifications framework - the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning. Moreover, a new European all-encompassing directive involving the use of ionizing radiations (including medical) was being developed. The latter has now been realized as Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 and has superseded all previous directives concerning ionizing radiation. A European Commission financed project “Guidelines on the Medical Physics Expert (MPE)" (henceforth referred to as the ‘Guidelines’) was subsequently published which took into consideration these developments. The Guidelines are very comprehensive and include a mission statement, key activities and qualification framework for the MPE and curricula in the specialty areas of Medical Physics relating to radiological devices and protection from ionizing radiation, namely Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine. These developments necessitated a revision of PS12 and Policy Statement 12.1 provides the necessary update. The new policy statement departs from previous formats as it is more strategic with respect to role development and provides an intimate link between the professional role of the Medical Physicist / Medical Physics Expert and education and training policy.