Current Status of Medical Physics in China Jianrong Dai, PhD Cancer Institute (Hospital) Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Outline Medical Physics Education Status Problems and Solutions Medical Physics Profession Status Problems and Solutions

Medical Physics Education Programs (1) UniversityMajorDegreeStudents/year Peking Union Medical College radiotherapy Physics Nuclear Medicine Physics Radiation protection Msc/PhD~5 Beijing University Imaging PhysicsMsc/PhD~5 Wuhan University Radiotherapy PhysicsMsc~10 Shi UniversityRadiation physicsMsc/PhD~3 Tsinghua University Radiotherapy PhysicsMaster of engineering ~10 on-job

Medical Physics Education Programs (2) Total about 23 students graduate every year. But the demand is more than 100. Therefore, the majority of available positions have to be filled by students from related disciplines such as biomedical engineering, general physics, nuclear physics.

Problems Not enough number of graduate programs Current programs do not meet common standards Lack qualified lecturers Do not have a complete set of courses Lack clinical practice opportunities No resident program Medical physics has not been recognized as a discipline equal to biomedical engineering

Solutions Demand motivation More universities/colleges are in interested in Medical Physics programs, because the students easily find satisfactory jobs Seek for policy support Experts of Medical physics and related disciplines are lobbying the recognition of medical physics through Ministry of Education of China

Status of Medical Physics Profession Type of unitsTasksNumber of MPs Universities/ Colleges Teaching and Research ~20 HospitalsClinic physics, training,and research ~1300 CompaniesR&D and technical support ~50 Total: ~1400

Staffing status of radiotherapy departments Physiciens Physicists Therapists Year Number The number of physicists increases more rapidly than that of physiciens during recent years. Their ratio changed from 1:8 to 1:4.

Equipment Status of radiotherapy departments Year Number Linacs Cobalt TPS The number of linacs increases more rapidly than that of Cobalt machines. That means more advanced techniques came to clinic, and more physicists are needed.

Professional Body: Chinese Society of Medical Physicists Founded in 1981 Have ~1000 members Publish Chinese Journal of Medical Physics since 1986 Member of IOMP Organize bi-annual meetings and international meetings

Problems The professional competency of some MPs is qustionable because of poor education and training Safety and quality of medical care may be damaged The title of MP has not been officially recognized. Promotion is difficult for some MPs, because they can not pass examinations that belongs to other professions.

Solutions Enhance eduacation and training More graduate program Set up resident program Regularly join academic activities Seek for professional recognition from authorities Implementations of advanced techniques help solve problems

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