Mayneord-Phillips medical physics summer schoolsThe Mayneord-Phillips Trust is an organisation jointly founded in 1991 by the British Institute of Radiology, the Institute of Physical Sciences in Medicine and the Institute of Physics. It commemorates the work of the late Major C. E. S Phillips and Professor V. W. Mayneord in the application of physics to medicine. The Deeds describe the Trust's primary charitable purposes as 'To arrange educational meetings (Schools) .... To select topics for discussion at such Schools covering advances in the applications of physics to medicine and the application of these advances to the investigation, prevention and treatment of disease'. The Trust is also required to 'arrange for the publication of any such Schools or provide reports for publication in suitable scientific journals'. Under the enthusiastic leadership of the founder chairman, Professor Kit Hill, of the Royal Marsden Hospital, the first Summer School was arranged at his alma mater, St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, in 1993. The topic chosen was 'Medical radiation detectors' and the organiser of the scientific programme was Dr Robert Speller. Topics covered included the basic principles of gaseous, semiconductor and scintillation detectors, and their applications in imaging and dosimetry. The proceedings were published in book form by the Institute of Physics. This very successful pattern was followed again for the second summer school in July 1995, when Professor David Delpy, from University College Hospital, London, was the scientific programme organiser and the topic was 'Optics in medicine'. 28 students, including 12 from eight overseas countries, spent a stimulating week at St. Edmund Hall. There were 25 hours of lectures, one research seminar, one student research seminar and two educational visits. The Trustees are now making arrangements for the third summer school, which will be held at the same venue from 6th to 11th July, 1997. Dr. Francis Duck is organising a stimulating programme under the title 'The physics of medical ultrasound', which will involve an expert group of lecturers and exciting new developments in the topic area. The course is aimed at both research and service-orientated medical physicists. Participants should have some postgraduate experience. Bursaries are available to cover part of the fees for suitable candidates. Further details can be obtained from the present chairman of the Mayneord-Phillips Trustees, Professor Angela Newing, Medical Physics Department, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester, GL1 3NN, UK; tel. (0)1452 394 128. | ||