In 2019, I enrolled in the ACPSEM ROMP TEAP clinical training program, as a pathway to clinical registration. I completed the program 14 months later, in 2020. This page aggregates resources available on this website and elsewhere, and summarises evidence of my own competencies in radiation oncology medical physics. These are listed under the headings below, adapted from the clinical training guides of ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37, and the CAMPEP residency curriculum:
- Clinical knowledge
- Radiation safety and protection
- Radiation dosimetry
- External beam therapy
- External beam planning
- Brachytherapy
- Diagnostic imaging
- Professional awareness and management
- Teaching and training
- Research and development
Clinical knowledge
Clinical knowledge, or “clinical introduction”, forms the basis of module 1 of ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37. Training should include cancer and oncology, radiobiology, anatomy and physiology, and the clinical environment. Relevant material posted on this website includes:
- Discussion of the basics of cancer and its diagnosis and benign diseases treated with radiation.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Presenting at a TROG clinical research workshop on radiotherapy in the millennium and beyond.
Radiation safety and protection
Radiation safety and protection forms the basis of module 2 of ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37. Training should cover radiation protection management, shielding and protection measures for radiation emitting devices and radioactive materials, dose limits, and management of radiation incidents and accidents.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Track record of publications on radiation surveys and shielding, measurement of stray radiation leakage, and estimation of out-of-field dose in radiotherapy patients.
Radiation dosimetry
Radiation dosimetry (specifically for external beam therapy) forms the basis of module 3 of ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37. Training should cover dosimeters and ancillary equipment, absolute, reference and relative dosimetry and protocols and in-vivo dosimetry.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Track record of publications and supervision of student projects on diodes, film, gel, OSLDs, 3D printed jigs and phantoms, small field dosimetry, and in-vivo dosimetry for patients with pacemakers and total skin electron therapy patients.
- Dosimetry publications cited in ICRU 91, IAEA TRS 483, AAPM TG 191 and NCS 25.
External beam therapy
External beam therapy forms the basis of module 4 of ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37. Training should cover linear accelerators and components, patient specific treatment equipment, image-guided radiotherapy, CT simulation, kilovoltage therapy and oncology information systems.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Track record of publications and supervision of student projects on Monte Carlo modelling of linear accelerator treatment heads.
External beam planning
External beam therapy forms the basis of module 5 of ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37. Training should cover planning systems, use of imaging, treatment planning, specialist techniques and the assessment of treatment plans.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Completion of PhD comparing collapsed-cone convolution dose calculations and Monte Carlo simulation results.
- Track record of publications and supervision of student projects on the use of Monte Carlo algorithms for dose calculation, the evaluation of dosimetric quality and plan complexity, specialist techniques including TSET and stereotactic radiotherapy, and patient specific quality assurance practices.
Brachytherapy
Research and development forms the basis of components of module 6 in ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and IAEA-TCS-37. Training should include understanding of source calibration, HDR afterloader systems, LDR systems, treatment planning and imaging.
Diagnostic imaging
Research and development forms the basis of components of module 8 in ACPSEM ROMP TEAP. Training should include understanding of radiographic and fluoroscopic imaging, CT, MRI, PET, SPECT and ultrasound.
Professional awareness and management
Research and development forms the basis of components of module 7 in ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and module 8 in IAEA-TCS-37. Training should include an understanding of scope of practice of radiation oncology physicists, awareness and involvement in a professional organisation, career planning, a familiarity with ethics, intellectual property and regulations, development of communication skills, management of projects and teams, and procurement. Relevant material posted on this website includes:
- Advice for medical physics job seekers and interviewees.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Managed a grant-funded research program, purchased equipment and commissioned new technology, in a clinical setting.
- Membership and active participation in professional societies, including the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine, the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group and the European Society for Radiation Oncology, as evidenced here.
- Chairing and contributing to various committees, working groups and panels, in clinical departments (e.g. radiation oncology research core group), at universities (e.g. course review) and as part of professional societies.
- Maintained an up-to-date CV (this website, research grants management systems, etc.) and provided career advice to students.
- Completion of various training courses, including Board Governance Training provided by the Associations Forum, and sessions on ethical and legal responsibilities by Metro North Hospital and Health Services.
- Familiarity with workforce issues, including publishing on gender demographics of the Australasian medical physics workforce.
Teaching and training
Research and development forms the basis of components of module 7 in ACPSEM ROMP TEAP and module 8 in IAEA-TCS-37. Training should include an understanding of teaching techniques and the teaching of radiation and general physics to different audiences. Relevant material posted on this website includes:
- An assessment of completion schedule for ACPSEM ROMP TEAP.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- Completion of supervisory practice courses on higher-degree supervision at QUT, and supervision of research student projects.
- Publications on radiation therapist training, specifically on the use of a virtual reality system and benefits of peer-review processes.
- Chairing, organising and presenting at educational and professional development meetings, including departmental journal clubs, therapist in-services and ACPSEM Queensland Branch schools.
- Supervision of laboratory work and assessment of student work in a university environment (including a average 4.4 / 5.0 in Learning Experience Survey student feedback).
Research and development
Research and development forms the basis of components of module 8 in IAEA-TCS-37. Training should include participating in or developing research projects, developing grant applications, research collaboration, and familiarity with statistical methods. Relevant material posted on this website includes:
- Advice on following and critical appraisal of the scientific literature.
Relevant personal experience of my own includes:
- A track record of publications, conference presentations, research supervision and editorial work.
- Convening of a national conference, with EPSM 2020 in Brisbane.