November 7, 2021:
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MEDICAL PHYSICS
Communicating the Role of
Medical Physicists to the Public
IDMP 2021 Message
Dear Medical Physics Colleagues across the Globe,
It is my pleasure to announce to you the theme of this year to mark the celebrations of the International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP 2021):
“Communicating the Role of Medical Physicists to the Public”
How often do people ask you what is your profession? Did you notice how difficult it is to explain to the public what medical physicists do? Do people know medical physicists’ role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer? Do people really realize the responsibilities of medical physicists to protect people from the harmful use of radiation? There are many other concerns and ambiguity surrounding who medical physicists are and what they do, not only among the public but even in many medical sectors too.
Thus, IOMP and many of our partners agreed on this year’s theme to spread awareness and familiarity about our profession. It is needless to say that the International Labor Organization (www.ILO.org) has updated its definition of Medical Physicists profession in 2008 stating that “…. medical physicists are considered to be an integral part of the health work force alongside those occupations classified in sub-major group 22, Health professionals….”. I hope this year’s vision of knowing who we are and what we do will be clear to all members of the community we serve around the globe.
I wish all my colleagues around the World a Happy Medical Physics Day. Enjoy the celebrations of this day and tell your neighbors how great Medical Physicists are!
Ibrahim Duhaini
IOMP Treasurer
IDMP Coordinator