medical physics international - Cyprus Association of Medical ...

MEDICAL PHYSICS INTERNATIONAL Journal, vol.1, No.1, 2013Figure 4. The relationship of the various radiation dosequantities used in CT.LEARNING AND TEACHING PHYSICSA. Classroom and Conference Presentation.Both of these obstacles can be overcome to a greatextent by the use of the web-based resources providedhere. These are visuals for classroom/conferencepresentations and discussions (Ref. 1) and a module (Ref.2) to support both classroom learning and as a review andreference during clinical activities.The Visuals can be used by medical physicists, evenwithout significant CT experience, to conduct classes andconference discussions on the physics that is thefoundation of CT. They are used in the context ofCollaborative Teaching where the physicist conductingthe class or conference discussion uses his knowledge andexperience in general and radiation physics incombination with the Visuals prepared by a collaborator,in this case the author, who has extensive experience inthe physics of clinical CT. A significant value of thevisuals is that they provide a highly-effective connectionbetween the classroom and the clinical CT process. Itenables the learners to develop mental knowledgestructures that will support their clinical activities,specifically analyzing images and optimizing procedures.The online module can be assigned to the learners,rather than a traditional textbook, for additional study,review, and reference.LEARNING PHYSICS IN THE CLINICFigure 5. The series of learning activities that contributes tophysics knowledge that can be applied to clinical imaging.Knowledge of physics, and especially medicalphysics, is developed through a series of learningactivities ranging from classroom to direct clinicalexperience as shown here.A major objective of medical physics education formedical imaging professionals is to enable them to applyphysics principles in the control and optimization of theimaging process, such as CT. The different types oflearning activities have their advantages and values butalso their limitations and challenges. The goal is toprovide a combination of activities that produce thedesired results.The clinical environment where the learner is actuallyparticipating in CT procedures provides an excellentopportunity for learning physics. The great advantage ofthis, compared to the traditional classroom is that there isdirect observation and interaction with the equipment, theimages, and the procedures. Here the learning experiencecan be directed by the experienced clinical radiologyfaculty. The online module is used as a review as thelearner begins a clinical CT rotation and as a reference asquestions come up and during discussions with theclinical faculty.While it is important to produce images of superiorquality, it is also important for trainees to understand thecost of radiation dose when evaluating CT images.Despite the increased focus on radiation dose, fewradiologists routinely examine the CT dose report onevery patient, especially when the images are of goodquality. It is important that radiology trainees be awareof the principle of As Low As Reasonably Achievable(ALARA). While images should be of diagnostic quality,some noise should be expected for most exams if theradiation dose is considered. Discussing the dose reportroutinely raises awareness of CT dose and its relationshipto image quality and also reinforces concepts of CTDIvol,DLP, and effective dose with the increasing complexityof newer scanners.48