On November 7th — the date was chosen deliberately since this is the date of birth in 1867 of Marie Curie, the pioneering researcher on radioactivity — the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) celebrated the International Day for Medical Physics (IDMP). The plan is that IDMP should be an annual event in which 80 national organizations of IOMP and countries all over the world shall celebrate the impact of medical physics on the daily lives of millions of humans worldwide, whether they be patients, workers or members of the public. The aim is to raise awareness of the important role medical physicists play in the clinical environment as well as in education, research and development of sophisticated medical technology.
The theme chosen for 2013 is ‘Radiation Exposure from Medical Procedures: ask the Medical Physicist!’
As medical imaging technologies and radiotherapy techniques are fast developing and becoming more intricate, medical physicists are playing an increasingly significant role in the clinical environment. They contribute to the safe and accurate use of radiation to achieve the best outcome of the prescribed medical diagnostic examination or treatment. They assess radiation doses and associated risks to patients and personnel. Medical physicists optimize radiation procedures by performing accurate measurements and calculations, maximizing the benefit against the potential risk in the use of radiation and contributing to the development and implementation of quality assurance programs. They are highly qualified health professionals with postgraduate studies and clinical training. Most people needing radiation imaging and treatment procedures are not aware that there is a worldwide scientific community specializing in medical physics, ensuring the quality of these procedures while minimizing risks associated with radiation.
Further information available at www.iomp.org
Contact: Prof. John Damilakis,
Chairman of the IOMP Education and Training Committee john.damilakis@med.uoc.gr