The radiography workforce will stand “shoulder to shoulder” alongside colleagues in medical physics to celebrate the International Organisation of Medical Physics' 60th anniversary.
Taking place on 7 November, this year's International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP) also marks the 60th anniversary of the International Organisation of Medical Physics (IOMP).
Standing on the shoulders of giants
This year’s theme is “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants,” which acknowledges the “foundational contributions of the pioneers and experts who have made significant contributions to the field,” according to IDMP coordinator Ibrahim Duhaini.
Mr Duhaini emphasised the “importance of continued progress, research, and innovation in the field to improve healthcare outcomes and enhance patient care,” and highlighted the “collaborative nature of scientific and medical advancements.”
Medical physics experts (MPEs) are an “intrinsic part of the workforce”, and much like radiographers are “experiencing a workforce crisis.”
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Lynda Johnson, professional officer for clinical imaging and radiation protection at the SoR, said: “The Society of Radiographers stands shoulder to shoulder alongside our medical physics colleagues across the world. Radiographers work together with Medical Physics Experts to assure the safe and effective delivery of diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy treatment around the world.”
IOMP president Dr. John Damilakis added: “By supporting one another, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and investing education and research, we can pave the way for even greater achievements in the years to come."
A rich history
This year the IDMP’s theme recognizes the “rich history and evolution of medical physics, honouring the legacy of those who have paved the way for modern developments,” Mr Duhaini added. The IOMP represents nearly 30,000 medical physicists worldwide, and it was founded in 1963.
The IDMP charts the progression of medical physics and the radiography profession, from the discovery of X-rays in 1895 by Wilhelm Röntgen, Marie Curie’s work in radioactivity in 1903, and the invention by Harold Johns of the first teletherapy unit in 1951, to Rosalind Franklin’s work on X-ray diffraction, Godfrey Hounsfield’s first commercially-available CT scanner in 1972, and the production of the first clinically-useful internal tissue image by an MRI scanner in 1980.
Find out more about IDMP 2023 here.
(Pic: Getty Images/ iStock)