The physicist is a key member of the nuclear medicine team and has specific responsibilities within it - largely revolving around safety, quality assurance and research. Depending on the size of department, there may be one, two, or more physicists working within the unit.
The safety issues relate mainly to radiation protection of both patients and staff, which is prescribed by national regulations. Quality assurance relates to both the performance of key equipment (hardware and software), as well as procedural factors contributing to overall quality of service. All physicists will have responsibility for new developments (e.g. introduction of new techniques proven elsewhere) and most will have a substantial involvement in original research.
This brief introduction to nuclear medicine, and the physicist's role within it, is simply designed to whet your appetite. If you wish to find out more, a recent document produced jointly by the British Nuclear Medicine Society (BNMS), British Institute of Radiology (BIR) and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) goes into much more detail [ref.1].
The physicist's role in nuclear medicine is thus a challenging one. It requires a sound scientific background, a capability for innovation, attention to detail and, above all, the ability to work within a multidisciplinary team that includes clinicians, technologists, pharmacists and nurses. Computer skills are essential, as the work will certainly involve advanced medical image processing.
The entry qualification is a good honours degree in physical science. New entrants to the profession are eligible for Graduate Membership of IPEM and spend their first two years in Basic Training, which will typically include a broad spectrum of activity under the heading of medical physics. The option usually exists to take an MSc course as part of basic training. The successful completion of basic training leads to the award of the IPEM Postgraduate Diploma, Dip.IPEM. The next four years fours years are then spent gaining experience in a particular specialist area (i.e. nuclear medicine) after which time the person is eligible for Corporate Membership of IPEM.
This experienced is gained within a structured framework called PATR (Programme of Advanced Training and Responsibility). In many centres the opportunity also exists to study to PhD level and is generally encouraged.
Continuous in-service training (now referred to as continuing professional development, CPD) for all professional staff is becoming increasingly important as a means of demonstrating up-to-date skills and knowledge. A physicist's CPD is locally determined but is overseen by IPEM and is mandatory due to the requirements of State Registration.
State registration sets the standard for the profession by acting as a kitemark for the protection of the general public, as a standard of professional behaviour, as a mark of a profession which is part of the wider medical family and as the criterion for employment in the National Health Service and local authority social services.
References
1. Williams NR. et al (1999). Guidelines for the provision of physics support to nuclear medicine. Nuclear Medicine Communications, 20:781-787.
2. Cosgriff PS, Perkins AC, Hart GC. (1996) The role of the physicist in Nuclear Medicine. Nuclear Medicine Communications, 17: 643-647.
New graduates with good honour degrees in science or engineering, enter the professional grades at Grade A as Trainees or Associates. The training scheme is a 2 year programme, usually completed by the acquisition of a MSc. The award of the Diploma of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) allows the trainee to compete for posts in a particular speciality at Grade B.
Grade B physicists have a wide range of responsibilities, with a large element of training in the earlier years of a 4 year programme. Although further academic qualifications are not mandatory, many study for a PhD. degree The highest grade is Grade C, at which grade the individual is usually in charge of a scientific department or a major departmental sub-division.
The General Secretary
The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
Fairmont House
230 Tadcaster Road
York
YO24 1ES
Tel: 01904-610-821
Fax: 01904-612-279
Details on training posts for medical physicists and engineers:
The National Clearing House for Clinical Scientists
The CSC Consortium
Old Road
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7QU
For general information contact:
Dr Wendy Tindale
BMNS/IPEM/BIR Joint Working Party
Department of Physics
Hallamshire Hospital
Glossop Rd
Sheffield S10 2JF
Tel 0114 271 2822
Regional Medical Physics Department, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE, UK.
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