ESTRO 2021 Abstract Book

S208

ESTRO 2021

ESTRO-EFOMP has updated the 2011 core curriculum (CC) for education and training of medical physics experts (MPE) in RT in line with the EC guidelines on MPE, the CanMEDS methodology and recent developments in the RT field. The aim of the document is to provide a framework for national regulatory bodies to guide their own curriculum development and to contribute to harmonization of training in Europe in order to facilitate cross-

border mobility of MPEs. Materials and Methods

Since September 2019 a group of 27 MPEs, being experts in different fields from almost all European countries, representing ESTRO and EFOMP, have revised the CC. All National Societies have been closely involved in the revision process, and the final draft will be approved during ESTRO 2021 following review by all stakeholders. As input, an inventory of current radiotherapy MPE national training schemes (NTS) in Europe was carried out, focusing on the existence of an NTS, its format and duration, required entry-level education and financial support for trainees. Results The most recent advances in RT medical physics, such as MR-guided RT, automation, complex quantitative data analysis (big data/artificial intelligence), and personalized treatments that require integration of imaging with clinical, genetic and biological data, were introduced. Since the complexity of the RT process continues to increase, more emphasis has been given to quality management, as one of the MPE main responsibilities. The concept of competency-based education was reinforced introducing the CanMEDS role framework to align the MPE training with the highest professional training level. Moreover, four different levels of competences, which the trainee needs to develop with an increasing level of proficiency, have been defined. In agreement with the EC guidelines RP174 [1] and the EFOMP PS12.1 [2] and in line with developments in the field, the Qualification Framework for MPEs in Europe, proposed by this working group, is summarized in figure 1. The minimum time to be spent on each specific topic has been given in ECTS, and the total amount of ECTS for a 4-year training is 240, as shown in table 1, with the Science and Innovation (Research) part, representing an important part of the CC.

Conclusion While acknowledging differences between countries, the updated CC aims at securing an optimal while realistic level of training requirements for safe and effective practice. This will contribute to further