Author: Robert A. Rodgers 👨🔬
Affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine 🌍
Purpose: Medical Physics Graduate programs incorporate radiation safety and protection (RSP) into their curriculum. During Residency Program candidate interviews, didactic methods utilized by graduate programs do not always translate for students when applying RSP concepts clinically. Our residency program implemented a three-pronged approach to solidify resident’s application of RSP clinical concepts, understanding of compliance requirements and engagement with inspectors.
Methods: The first program activity for our residents is to participate in a Radiation Safety Boot Camp where an overview of hospital and department RSP programs is given, and an introduction to associated hazards and safety measures. The camp highlights Agreement State and hospital compliance requirements. Post-camp each resident is examined on RSP clinical applications during their rotations. Each quarter a senior resident is allotted an opportunity to perform audits with a hospital radiation safety auditor; the resident serves as primary interviewee answering questions related to radioactive materials and machine produce radiation to gain experience of interacting with inspectors. A senior authorized (AMP) or qualified medical physicist (QMP) is present to assist as needed. A junior resident observes. Prior to graduation, residents are allotted an opportunity to conduct State Inspections as primary interviewee under direction of an AMP or QMP.
Results: The boot camp evaluates each resident’s baseline knowledge, and highlights key aspects of the RSP program. Our approach establishes a strong foundation for residents. Applying RSP concepts and principles during rotations, each resident supplements their knowledge with real audit or inspection experiences, re-enforcing their confidence in applied RSP.
Conclusion: This work reflects our residency program’s methods to bolster each resident’s understanding and application of RSP concepts to clinical situations. The culminating point of this approach is validating each resident’s ability to successfully engage with an inspector and to demonstrate our clinical program’s compliance with State requirements.