AAPM's Ad Hoc Committee for the Recruitment of Young Physicists
Final Report [Draft]

Members

Kathy Burroughs (AAPM)
Ralph Christensen (Medical Physics Graduate Program)
Charlie Coffey (Ex officio)
Kevin Corrigan (AAPM Liaison to AAPT)
Warren Hein (AAPT)
John Horton (AAPM Manpower Assessment Subcommittee)
Charles Kelsey (CAMPEP)
Eric Klein (ABMP)
Randall Kruger (AAPM Member at Large)
Jeff Limmer (AAPM Member at Large and ACMP Public Relations Committee)
Robin Miller  (Medical Physics Graduate Program)
Bhudatt Paliwal (Chair of Training of Medical Physicists Committee and ABR)
Robert Rice (AAPM Placement Service)
E. Russell Ritenour (CAMPEP and AAPM Task Group #44 rewrite)
Rene Smith (AAPM Regional Organization Program)
Fredrick Stein (APS Director of Education and Outreach Programs)
James Stith (AIP)
Bruce Thomadsen (Chair)
Robert Zwicker (Membership Committee)

With assistance and contributions from

Gary White (SPS)
Michael Woodward (AAPM)
Sean Benedict (AAPM)

This committee was established to address the perceived problem of a shortage of trained medical physicists relative to the number of positions requiring such persons. The committee assumed that the thrust of the potential long-term problem would be in a disparity between the numbers of new medical physicists coming from training programs and the number of unfilled positions in the field.

Acronyms used in this report are:
AAPM – The American Association of Physicists in Medicine
SPS – Society of Physics Students
AIP – American Institute of Physics
APS – American Physical Society
CAMPEP – Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs
ABR American Board of Radiology
ABMP _ The American Board of Medical Physics
AAPT _ The American Association of Physics Teachers
NIH – The National Institutes of Health

Below, the specific tasks of the committee are discussed. General comments and recommendations for future actions follow the review of the tasks.

Progress on Tasks (Tasks in Bold)

1. Obtain data from Manpower Assessment Committee that confirms the need (and timelines) for the recruitment of qualified young students into medical physics
Based on advertisements in the AAPM Placement Bulletin and other consistent sources, there seems to be approximately 352 positions needing medical physicists opening each year. This number excludes positions at high levels of experience that form as senior medical physicists change employers in a revolving manner, where a position left by a senior person is filled by a senior person, then leaving a different position open, continuing in a cycle. Eric Klein surveyed the teaching programs and has estimated that they graduate about 217 medical physicists with no experience per year, and that residencies produce approximately 8 more. The total of 225 new medical physicists is reduced by graduates from Masters’ programs entering Doctoral studies and students who leave medical physics (notably to enter medical school). Students entering medical physics graduate studies from other fields, such as health physics, increase the number. The additions and subtractions seem to balance, leaving an estimated 225 new medical physicists entering the field per year. The difference between new positions and new medical physicists is about 127, very close to the estimate for unfilled position by Rob Rice of 133 based on placement announcements.
In addition to enticing that many additional physicists into the field there would be the problem of that much additional space in the training programs, and funding for those students. This issue carries forward in the recommendations for further consideration.
Although the uncertainty associated with this figures remains fairly high, the size of the shortage of incoming medical physicists appears so large that the existence of a shortage is unlikely to be an incorrect conclusion, and, thus, the committee continued its work under this assumption. In as much as these numbers are probably as good as we will have in the near future, this part of the project is considered completed.
2. Make recommendations for increased interaction (i.e. services) between the AAPM and AIP/SPS "undergraduate student members".
The committee felt that the target for recruitment should be undergraduate physics majors, and that informing them of the nature of medical physics, the large number of jobs available and the relatively high salaries in the field would lead to a natural gravitation into the discipline. The committee further felt that the most efficacious method for presenting this information to physics undergraduates would be through links to the AAPM web site from that of the Society of Physics Students (SPS). The link would be open to all SPS members, and would take them to a special page designed for physics students, highlighting links to the Professional Survey and the journal, Medical Physics.
The mechanisms have begun to be set in place to establish the links between the web sites. There are some logistical problems in the transfer of the list of SPS members to the AAPM. Currently, SPS only passed on the names of those members who select information about the AAPM. The selection involves little knowledge of the nature of the AAPM or medical physics. Many students think that the AAPM is for physicians. We would like to send information by email to all SPS members and allow them to see what the field is about. The committee chair has met with staff of the AAPM and SPS to work on the mechanism for the transfer of names, and the process continues.
SPS has suggested names of some members who might be interested and able to assist in the design of the AAPM student home page. The formation of a continuing group to oversee this work forms a recommendation for further efforts.
3. Increase the awareness and visibility of medical physics career opportunities within the APS Physics Professional Degree Educational Program.
Dr. Coffey has given a presentation on medical physics at the Spring 2002 APS meeting. Remaining in this task is a method for frequent and periodic presentations and other methods to disseminate information about medical physics to physicists. While such presentations help raise the awareness of college physics instructors to medical physics, and therefore increases that probability that they will suggest students they advise to investigate field, the information presented fades with time, so frequent periodic refreshers would need to be arranged. It is not clear that the APS organizers (or attendees) will want to hear similar presentations often enough for the approach to be effective. The committee would encourage the AAPM President to try to establish an understanding with APS to include periodically presenting information on medical physics as part of the Professional Degree Educational Program.
4. Present the concept of a 3 + 2 (bridge) Program to the education directors of medical physics programs, CAMPEP officials, and to representatives of the ABMP and ABR as a potential alternative pathway into professional medical physics.
Models for such programs were discussed in the committee and with representatives of the certifying boards. It appears such programs would present no problems for certification as long as they maintain the same standards for included material as the normal sequence. Such programs serve to streamline students into medical physics graduate programs. The cost is usually the loss of electives in other areas, particularly humanities.
5. Utilize the Regional Organization Committee structure to assign AAPM- member mentors to SPS "undergraduate student members".  Also initiate a speakers’ bureau and slide set for local SPS club presentations describing medical physics and discussing associated career paths.
The Regional Organization Committee has already presented the mentor concept to the Chapters’ officers. This committee endorses the concept, hopes that the Regional Organization Committee follows through with the mentoring pairing, but, since the program is underway, will not consider it further. However, we would encourage the mentor program to work toward having the undergraduate physics majors “shadow” the mentor, following the practitioner through medical physics applications for at least a day. It was felt that seeing the medical physicist in action would form a much stronger impression, and create more interest in entering the field than simply discussions or presentations. Mentees, if not members of SPS, should be allowed the same access to the AAPM web site as SPS members. While in general, membership in SPS limits access to the AAPM web site to persons with authenticated justification, participating in the mentor program would provide the same screening.
The “Speakers’ Bureau” concept becomes a complicated issue, but one with a probable solution. Considerable concern was expressed about potential damage to the Association if a representative from an official speakers’ bureau of the AAPM gave a poor presentation, or worse, made offensive comments. Coordination of speakers would likely become an onerous task, again with the potential to show the Association in a poor light is the person coordinating fails to perform conscientiously. To avoid these problems, rather than provide speakers, the AAPM could provide reference material for members who make presentations on medical physics. Such materials could be coordinated through the Public Education Committee.
6. Promote increased medial physics careers visibility and educational interaction within the sister societies, AIP, APS, and SPS.
Much of the discussion above concerns increasing the interactions between the AAPM and other societies .The initiatives under the other headings are considered as addressing this item. The one organization not addressed above is relationships with AAPT. There is evidence in survey conducted by AIP that the decision to enter physics is formed, to a great extent, in high school. Thus, the influence of high school physics teachers in creating an interest in medical physics should not be underestimated. The AAPM invites AAPT members to the annual meeting on a special day, allows them to attend sessions and has members meet with them for lunch. Certainly for the teachers involved, the likelihood that they will present some of the information about, and enthusiasm for medical physics becomes very large (and, introducing medical physics to high school physics students likely leaves a considerable impression that may translate into eventual entrance into the profession), the number of teachers that participate remains low. Having the regional chapters initiate similar programs, inviting physics teachers to chapter meetings, or possibly inviting physics classes, possibly would make more impact. This would also relate to Task 5, having an introductory presentation at the chapter meeting discussing medical physics as a discipline.
7. Establish "metrics" that would measure the findings/recommendations of this ad hoc committee
Discussed at the end of the Report.

Problems Identified
The number of medical physics graduate students would need to increase by approximately 50% to eliminate the current short fall. Such an increase is unlikely regardless of the actions of the AAPM, and might actually not be good for the profession, as was seen several years ago when one medical physics program graduated an exceptionally large number of students (albeit at a time when medical hiring was on hold due to legislative uncertainty) leaving many new medical physicists without jobs. Increases in the number of students wishing entry into the field of study approaching 20% presents two significant problems: lack of training resources and lack of financial support. Many of the medical physics training programs are small and have no space or facilities to expand the number of trainees. Even the larger programs may have difficulty accommodating significant increases in students. The funding increased numbers of students may be a greater problem. Funding for graduate students and many postdocs comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their funding is set by Congress, and is not a function of the need to support more medical physicists (who account for a very small part of NIH’s budget). Funding for residents often comes from hospitals since the residents provide clinical service. Unless the needs of the hospital increase, it is not clear that many hospitals will increase the number of funded positions. Support from industrial or organizations sources, if increased, is not likely to affect more than a few additional trainees. One possibility might be to encourage employers to sponsor a student with loans with the provision that the interest on the loans and/or part of the principle be forgiven if the student works for the employer for three years post graduation. Part of the program could also include summer employment for the student at the sponsoring institution.

Suggestions for Further Actions
Based on Tasks

1. Obtain data from Manpower Assessment Committee that confirms the need (and timelines) for the recruitment of qualified young students into medical physics.

The AAPM Placement Service should monitor the estimated number of unfilled positions, and submit that information to the AAPM Board as part of the Service’s annual Report.
Metric: The number of unfilled vacancies forms the metric for this task.
2. Make recommendations for increased interaction (i.e. services) between the AAPM and AIP/SPS "undergraduate student members".
The AAPM should continue work on the web-based access for students. Pursuant to this recommendation:

1. The AAPM should continue working with SPS and AIP to obtain the list of SPS members to allow access to the AAPM web site, and to send an email announcing access with a vey short introduction to what medical physics is. The access should be to the public portions of the site plus the professional survey, job bulletin pages and the Medical Physics site.
2. Similar access (except not to the placement bulletin) should be allowed to members of AAPT and high school students, with an email sent to AAPT members announcing the access with an introduction to medical physics written for physics teachers.
3. The AAPM should establish a budget item for the creation of appropriate and inviting web pages for entry to the AAPM site for SPS members, AAPT members and high school students. The AAPM should quickly contact the persons suggested by SPS to help work on their entry page.
4. The AAPM should establish a subcommittee under the Public Education Committee to oversee and maintain these web pages and access.

Metric: 1). Fund allocation by the end of the 2002 summer meeting, and 2). Completion of these web pages and access by the appropriate groups before the summer meeting, 2003.
3. Increase the awareness and visibility of medical physics career opportunities within the APS Physics Professional Degree Educational Program.
The committee would encourage the AAPM President to try to establish an understanding with APS to include a standing, periodic presentation of information on medical physics as part of the Professional Degree Educational Program.
Metric: Completion of this arrangement before the summer meeting, 2003.
4. Present the concept of a 3 + 2 (bridge) Program to the education directors of medical physics programs, CAMPEP officials, and to representatives of the ABMP and ABR as a potential alternative pathway into professional medical physics.
No action necessary. However, an informational article on such programs could be written for the AAPM Newsletter. It was not the consensus of the committee that disseminating information on these programs would affect the production of medical physicists significantly.
5. Utilize the Regional Organization Committee structure to assign AAPM- member mentors to SPS "undergraduate student members".  Also initiate a speakers’ bureau and slide set for local SPS club presentations describing medical physics and discussing associated career paths.

1. The Regional Organization Committee should form a subcommittee to coordinate the assigning of mentors to interested undergraduate students (and possibly high school students).
2. The Public Education Committee should forge ahead with the development of a set of materials (mostly in the form of Power Point files and handouts) that could be used by Association members for presentations on medical physics to college and high school classes.
3. The AAPM should establish a budget item to support the production of the presentation materials.

Metric: 1). Formation of the Mentoring Subcommittee by the end of the 2002 summer meeting; 2). Funding allocation for the production of presentation materials by the end of the 2002 summer meeting; 3). Production of the presentation materials by the RSNA meeting, 2003.
6. Promote increased medial physics careers visibility and educational interaction within the sister societies, AIP, APS, and SPS.
Actions for this task are covered in previous items.

Actions to address other problems identified:
7. The Committee on the Education and Training of Medical Physicists should establish a task group to investigate the capacities of the medical physics training programs and how much they could expand if applications increased.
8. The Committee on the Education and Training of Medical Physicists should establish a task group to investigate possible sources of increased or new funding for medical physics graduate student trainees.