TEMPERE Training and Education for Medical Physics and Engineering Reformation in Europe

An Erasmus Thematic Network under the SOCRATES Programme

Introduction

International collaborative research and student exchange in the area of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering often supported by the European Commission, show that there are both similarities and differences in the education, training and clinical responsibility of medical physicists and bioengineers in different European countries. These differences are a barrier to such activities and to mutual professional recognition.

The TEMPERE project will attempt to provide input for upgrading and updating training and education in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. Over the past nine years, 30 European universities are jointly implementing a twin instructional course on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, under the ERASMUS and TEMPUS programmes. About 50 new students and an equal number of teachers participate in the course, which is held annually in Patras.

This is a European activity and the teachers and students come from a wide range of European countries; hence they have first hand experience of the diversity of education, training and practice in the two related fields. The initiative for the TEMPERE project arose from those teaching on the multinational course and was subsequently joined by representatives of other institutions and organisations. Indeed it is recognised that the value and usefulness of the outcome of the project depends on this inclusivity.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the TEMPERE project is to reach an agreement on education, training, licensing ,quality assurance and legal matters related to medical physics and biomedical engineering among its over 40 partners. Such an agreement will lead to recommendations on these subjects which will help to produce Medical Physicists and Biomedical Engineers of the highest professional quality, who could also enjoy, mutual international collaboration and recognition. The present objectives are to identify:

  • the current education and training practices in different countries;
  • existing commonality of duration, educational and training content and assessment procedures;
  • examples of good education, training assessment and licensing practices.

Approach

Information acquisition on current training and educational practices dissemination and feedback is crucial to the work of TEMPERE. The TEMPERE group now has participants from 38 universities in 17 European countries.

Previous work exists in this area by national and international professional organisations. Especially, EFOMP, the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics, has been an observer to TEMPERE and has provided valuable information. TEMPERE activities would be strengthened by further involvement of such national and international bodies.

Processing and analysis of the information obtained is carried out within small, flexible, task oriented groups (TOGs) focusing on specific areas. A total of six such groups have been formed and are active:

  1. Eduation in medical physics (MP)
  2. Education in biomedical engineering (BME)
  3. Training accreditation and licensing in MP
  4. Training accreditation and licensing in BME
  5. Tempere terminology
  6. Quality assurance.

There is clearly some overlap of interests and activities between the different TOGs, which operate both individually and co-operatively.

Dissemination and feedback will be achieved by presentations, open meetings and workshops. In addition to these face-to-face meetings, an interactive web site is now being developed. This will allow access to TEMPERE working documents and it will provide the mechanism for comments, suggestions and other inputs. The output of the TEMPERE activities will be in the form of:

  • Working documents which will be interactively accessible on the TEMPERE website;
  • Intermediate reports;
  • Annual reports.

TEMPERE Members

The TEMPERE network includes 47 Members, Associate Members and Observers. Others who wish to be involved are encouraged to contact the project (email: tempere@med.upatras.gr) or its co-ordinator Prof. Proimos.

Country University
Austria Technische Universität Graz, University of Salzburg
BelgiumVrije Universiteit Brussels, Universiteit Gent, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Universite del'Etat à Liege
Denmark Aalborg Universiteit, Københavns Universitet, Danmarks Tekniske Hojskole
Finland Helsinki University of Technology, University of Kuopio
France ¨ Université "Paul Sabatier", Université de Technologie de Compiegne, Université "Pierre et Marie Curie", Paris VI
Germany Universiteit Stuttgart, Fachhochschule Wilhelmshaven
Greece University of Patras, National University of Athens, National Technical University of Athens, University of Ioannina, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Iceland University of Iceland
Ireland University College Galway
Italy Universita degli studi di Bologna, Politecnico di Milano, Universita degli studi di Napoli, Universita degli studi di Padova
Norway University of Oslo
Portugal Universidade de Aveiro, University of Coimbra
SpainUniversidad Politecnica de Madrid
SwedenKarolinska Institute and Stockholm University
The NetherlandsTechnische Universiteit Eindhoven
United KingdomUniversity of Strathclyde, University College London, Queen Marry and Westfield College, University of Sheffield, University of Kent

Project Co-ordinator:

Prof. Basil S. Proimos

Department of Medical Physics, University of Patras, 265 00 Patras, Greece.

Tel: +30 61 997781, 996116; Fax: +30 61 992496, 999855

E-mail: proimos@med.upatras.gr