Education and Training of Medical Physicists in Europe and the Countries of North America: Similarities-Differences-General Guidelines

The medical physicist, as a professional working in a clinical environment, is part of a team responsible for the reliable diagnosis and treatment mainly by the use of radiation. One of the main objectives of the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP), is the harmonization of Medical Physics Education and Training among the European countries, within the context of the current developments in the European Higher Education Area, arising from the Bologna Declaration and the Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament on the recognition of professional qualifications. In this study, the present status of Medical Physics Education and Training in Europe, as well as in the countries of North America (USA-Canada) was investigated. The results of this research show that in general a common policy is followed world-wide, on topics concerning Education and Training, as well as the practice of the medical physicist profession, despite the presence of few differences. Based on these differences, EFOMP formulated for the European countries specific guidelines, concerning Education and Training, in addition to Continuing Professional Development (CPD).