Radiological Physics

The aim of the study is to obtain a professional qualification of a radiological physicist prepared for clinical and research work in the field of radiodiagnostics (including not only X-ray but also other radiodiagnostic methods), nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. The content of the programme is therefore aimed both at consolidating and deepening the education acquired in the previous bachelor's programme with a physics focus (in the areas of nuclear physics and physics of ionising radiation) and at acquiring specific knowledge and skills in the field of healthcare and radiological physics necessary for the profession of radiological physicist and creating a professional and professional profile of the graduate. The aim is to prepare qualified professionals both theoretically, with an emphasis on the ability to follow the development of radiological physics methods, and practically by completing professional practice at the Masaryk Cancer Institute in Brno (practice in radiotherapy), at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague (practice in radiodiagnostics) and at the University Hospital Olomouc (practice in nuclear medicine).

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• use in his/her profession as a radiological physicist the knowledge of medical basis (first aid, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, hygiene and epidemiology, ethics)
• use a broad theoretical knowledge of the disciplines of radiological physics in relation to the use of radiation in medicine (dosimetry, radiobiology, radiation protection, radiation detection and monitoring)
• perform practical activities necessary in the profession of radiological physicist in accordance with § 26 of Decree No. 55/2011 Coll., (operation of relevant standard and state-of-the-art instruments, calibration of radiators and instruments)
• exercise the medical profession of radiological physicist according to Act 96/2004 Coll., as amended, and Decree No. 55/2011 Coll., (see above)
• understand in depth the physical principles of the operation of relevant instruments and to interpret the obtained data from a physical and mathematical point of view
• carry out testing of workplace equipment in terms of the so-called Atomic Act and related regulations, including quality control, etc.
• act as an expert capable of training other health professionals in the field of protection against ionizing radiation
• communicate professionally with physicians and other healthcare professionals to solve practical problems in the field of radiotherapy, radiodiagnostics and nuclear medicine
• operate advanced software used in the context of radiotherapy, radiodiagnostics and nuclear medicine

With their education, skills and practical experience gained through work experience in health care institutions, graduates are predestined for employment as radiological physicists in health care institutions in the departments of radiodiagnostics, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine, where they provide physical-technical activities related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Their broad knowledge of the physical nature of radiation protection and the relevant legislation will enable them to be employed in radiation protection and nuclear safety workplaces.

After obtaining the prescribed professional experience and postgraduate training, they may specialise in one of the areas of radiological physics (radiodiagnostics, radiotherapy nuclear medicine). Healthcare facilities in the Czech Republic (except perhaps Prague) suffer from a chronic shortage of such specialists.

• Radiological physicist

As part of practical training, the student completes a total of 6 weeks of practice in all three basic professional disciplines forming the professional profile of a radiological physicist:

Radiotherapy: the aim of the internship is to gain an overview of the tasks involved in the process of patient irradiation, which includes knowledge of the basic functions of the instrumentation, determination of the dosimetric characteristics of the radiation beam, as well as planning external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Upon completion of the internship, the student should be prepared practically to perform the activities of a radiological physicist in a radiotherapy department.

Radiodiagnostics: the course deals with the physical and physical-technical aspects of X-ray diagnostics. During the course, the students are explained the function of the X-ray equipment, the formation of the X-ray image and an overview of the different imaging methods and their specifics in terms of obtaining the necessary diagnostic information and the radiation burden on the patient. Attention is also paid to the problems related to the observance of the basic principles of radiation protection of persons (patient/staff, visitors and other persons) The content of the practice is the combination of all the acquired theoretical knowledge (in the subject X-ray diagnostics) with practice. Demonstration of workplaces, both in clinical operation and after the end of clinical operation, when all necessary checks and necessary measurements are carried out according to the current legislation. In some cases this will involve various test displays to give the student an understanding of the operation of the different systems. This will give the student the opportunity to get a very realistic picture of the nature of work in his possible future profession. During the internship, students will also be introduced (through a field trip) to magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound equipment.

Nuclear medicine: the aim of the internship is to prepare students practically to perform the activities of a radiological physicist at nuclear medicine workplaces. To this end, students will perform a variety of instrumentation control measurements under the direct supervision of the instructors, including the evaluation of the measured results. The vacation practice is a continuation of the exercises completed during the Radiological Physics-Nuclear Medicine course.

The diploma thesis in the Radiological Physics program will usually focus on solving a research task related to the physical aspects of some of the methods used in radiotherapy, X-ray diagnostics, nuclear medicine. The student will demonstrate a deeper understanding of the chosen problem, the ability to independently solve a research problem of moderate difficulty, typically obtain relevant experimental data, interpret them and draw conclusions from the results of the work.

The student is mainly prepared for the profession of radiological physicist. Further education in the profession is particularly suitable in the form of postgraduate training, through which he/she can specialize in one of the areas of radiological physics (radiodiagnostics, radiotherapy nuclear medicine). However, he also has the professional prerequisites for further study in doctoral programmes with a physical or biophysical focus. Doctoral programmes directly related to the proposed programme are not foreseen for the time being.