WHO IS A MEDICAL PHYSICIST

A medical physicist is a professional who applies his/her knowledge and skills of physics in medicine for patient care. To qualify as a medical physicist, who is also referred as radiological physicist, a bachelor’s degree with physics as a main subject followed by a post graduate qualification in medical/radiological physics is the minimum requirement in India.

In medical intuitions, Medical Physicists work in both therapeutic and diagnostic radiation facilities. Their primary mandate is to ensure precise and optimal use and delivery of ionizing radiation for patient care along with ensuring radiation safety of patient, staff and the public. They need to work as part of a multidisciplinary team including medical, para-medical professionals and administrators and also with external regulatory agencies to fulfill their mandate. Teaching, training and R& Development are the other areas where medical physicists are engaged in medical, academic and research institutions. Exploring novel and more efficient therapeutic and diagnostic techniques and technologies including theoretical tools are the broad domain of research for medical physicists

BEGINNING IN INDIA

In India, medical physics activities started in the mid 1940s with the appointment of Dr. Ramaiah Naidu as the first medical physicist at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Bombay with a responsibility to set up and operate a radon plant for cancer treatment. According to an estimate there are over 2000 medical physicists in the country presently. Even though the annual growth rate in the number of medical physicists is reported to be the highest in India, the total number is inadequate for the size of the population. Recent rapid expansion of diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology and nuclear medicine facilities in India has resulted in a considerably high demand of medical physicists in the country.

The Association of Medical Physicists of India (AMPI) was founded in 1976 with the objective of encouraging the applications of physics in medicine. It provides a forum for medical physicists for conducting annual conferences, both of national and international levels, workshops, symposia, and teaching courses. It also publishes an indexed quarterly scientific journal named Journal of Medical Physics, earlier known as Medical Physics Bulletin. The association collaborates with similar organizations in the world to raise the standards of practice of medical physics in India and other countries. AMPI’s membership comprises of physicists, biologists, physicians and engineers. The wide spectrum of membership underlines the interdisciplinary nature of medicine.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF AMPI

• To promote the application of Physics in Medical and Biological Sciences
• To encourage Research and Development and Education in the field of Medical Physics
• To provide forum for exchange and dissemination of information and knowledge among persons engaged or interested in the field of Medical Physics
• To actively engage with similar professional associations world over such as International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP) for mutual collaborations.

• Organising Annual Conferences & Workshops/Seminars in the field of Medical Physics
• Publication of Journal of Medical Physics, a quarterly indexed journal, with open free access under Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License
• Travel fellowships for advanced training in Medical Physics
• Encouraging excellence in Medical Physics by way of yearly awards and honours to deserving Medical Physicists
• Publication of educational & training material in the field of Medical Physics from time to time.
• An academic autonomous wing of AMPI named College of Medical Physics of India (CMPI) has been actively engaged in maintaining & improving the standards of practice of medical physics by way of a certification since about ten years.