Minnesota Administrative Rules

4731.4412 AUTHORIZED MEDICAL PHYSICIST TRAINING.

Subpart 1.

Training and education requirements.

Except as provided in part 4731.4414, a licensee must require an authorized medical physicist to be an individual who:

A.

is certified by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state and:

(1)

has obtained written attestation that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in this item and subpart 2 and has achieved a level of competency sufficient to function independently as an authorized medical physicist for each type of therapeutic medical unit for which the individual is requesting authorized medical physicist status. The written attestation must be signed by a preceptor authorized medical physicist who meets the requirements in this part, part 4731.4414, or equivalent NRC or agreement state requirements for an authorized medical physicist for each type of therapeutic medical unit for which the individual is requesting authorized medical physicist status; and

(2)

has training for the types of use for which authorization is sought that includes hands-on device operation, safety procedures, clinical use, and the operation of a treatment planning system. This training requirement may be satisfied by satisfactorily completing either a training program provided by the vendor or by training supervised by an authorized medical physicist authorized for the types of use for which the individual is seeking authorization; or

B.

(1)

holds a master's or doctor's degree in physics, medical physics, other physical science, engineering, or applied mathematics from an accredited college or university, and:

(a)

has completed one year of full-time training in medical physics;

(b)

has completed an additional year of full-time work experience under the supervision of an individual who meets the requirements for an authorized medical physicist for the types of use for which the individual is seeking authorization. This training and work experience must be conducted in clinical radiation facilities that provide high-energy, external beam therapy (photons and electrons with energies greater than or equal to 1,000,000 electron volts) and brachytherapy services and must include:

i.

performing sealed source leak tests and inventories;

ii.

performing decay corrections;

iii.

performing full calibration and periodic spot checks of external beam treatment units, stereotactic radiosurgery units, and remote afterloading units as applicable; and

iv.

conducting radiation surveys around external beam treatment units, stereotactic radiosurgery units, and remote afterloading units as applicable;

(2)

has obtained written attestation that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in this item and has achieved a level of competency sufficient to function independently as an authorized medical physicist for each type of therapeutic medical unit for which the individual is requesting authorized medical physicist status. The written attestation must be signed by a preceptor authorized medical physicist who meets the requirements in this part, part 4731.4414, or equivalent NRC or agreement state requirements for an authorized medical physicist for each type of therapeutic medical unit for which the individual is requesting authorized medical physicist status; and

(3)

has training for the types of use for which authorization is sought that includes hands-on device operation, safety procedures, clinical use, and the operation of a treatment planning system. This training requirement may be satisfied by satisfactorily completing either a training program provided by the vendor or by training supervised by an authorized medical physicist authorized for the types of use for which the individual is seeking authorization.

Subp. 2.

Certification requirements.

A specialty board under subpart 1, item A, shall require all candidates for certification to:

A.

hold a master's or doctor's degree in physics, medical physics, or other physical science, engineering, or applied mathematics from an accredited college or university; and

B.

have two years of full-time practical training or supervised experience in medical physics:

(1)

under the supervision of a medical physicist who is certified in medical physics by a specialty board recognized by the commissioner, the NRC, or an agreement state; or

(2)

in clinical radiation facilities providing high-energy, external beam therapy (photons and electrons with energies greater than or equal to 1,000,000 electron volts) and brachytherapy services under the direction of physicians who meet the requirements in part 4731.4414, 4731.4458, or 4731.4479; and

C.

pass an examination, administered by diplomates of the specialty board, that assesses knowledge and competence in clinical radiation therapy, radiation safety, calibration, quality assurance, and treatment planning for external beam therapy, brachytherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 144.1202; 144.1203

History:

29 SR 755; 32 SR 831; 36 SR 74

Published Electronically:

August 15, 2011