On Wednesday 7 November 2018, the IAEA will join medical physicists around the world and the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) in celebrating the 6th International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP). The theme of this year’s event is ‘Medical Physics for Patient Benefit’.
To mark the date, the IAEA’s Division of Human Health will host a webinar entitled ‘The Journey of an Ionization Chamber’. In medical physics – the field in which physics concepts, methods and theories are applied to the needs of medicine – ionization chambers are used to measure the accuracy of dose delivery. The webinar will guide participants through the typical path a chamber follows, from calibration to the radiotherapy department of a hospital. The journey will highlight the synergy between Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDL) and hospitals, describing how accuracy in calibration relates to the work of the Clinically Qualified Medical Physicist (CQMP) and the importance of this interaction for safe, quality and effective patient healthcare. Speakers will include representatives of the IAEA Dosimetry and Medical Radiation Physics Section and IOMP President Professor Madan Rehani.
“The IAEA is pleased to once again to mark the International Day of Medical Physics, “said Debbie van der Merwe, head of Dosimetry and Medical Radiation Physics Section at the IAEA Division of Human Health. “The application of physics in the clinical environment to the diagnosis and treatment of patients, as well in the laboratories that provide us with traceability in dosimetry, is ever-evolving and expanding. IDMP provides a great opportunity for us to share with the public the important advancements taking place in this field.”
The IAEA supports radiotherapy and imaging medical physics services and implementation of best medical physics practice by providing education, training and support to medical physicists in Member States. Medical physics practitioners need knowledge of both the human body and the principles of physics, and work with the sophisticated technology used in radiation medicine to deliver effective diagnosis and treatment to patients afflicted with diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to ensuring patient protection throughout the course of the treatment. They play a particularly important role in providing services in radiation oncology departments.
The IOMP, formed in 1963, has a membership of 86 national member organizations, one affiliate and six regional organizations. Its mission is to advance medical physics practice worldwide by disseminating scientific and technical information, fostering the educational and professional development of medical physics and promoting the highest quality medical services for patients. Since 2013, the IOMP has organized IDMP to raise awareness and highlight the important role that medical physicists play in healthcare. That the annual event takes place on November 7th is no coincidence; in fact, the date was specially selected to honour the birthday of Marie Sklodowska-Curie, an early pioneer in radioactivity research.
“IOMP recognizes that the IAEA provides lifeline resources for the medical physics profession and we are honoured to work with the IAEA. The International Day of Medical Physics, is an important tool to enhance public understanding of the role of medical physics besides strengthening the role itself,” said Professor Madan Rehani, President of the IOMP.
This year, the webinar will take place on Wednesday, November 7th at 2 PM Central European Time. The duration will be 1 hour and 15 minutes. Those interested in participating can pre-register here. For more information on the event, please visit the IDMP page on the IAEA Human Health Campus.
