Dr Donald McRobbie

In an earlier blog post I raised the issue of the need for professional and academic prerequisites for certification as a MR Safety Expert. Now the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM), the professional body responsible for the training, scope of practice, professional conduct, qualifications, and continuing education of medical physicists in Australia and New Zealand, has announced its MRSE course and certification scheme.

A world first for MRI safety

Starting on 1 September 2020 and running until March 2021, the online course will include webinars by Australasian experts, practical assignments, and written assessments. At present the course is only available to ACPSEM members and registered trainees, setting the academic benchmark as a minimum of Masters level medical physics or engineering.

The course will cover

• MR physics and engineering
• Physics of electromagnetism
• Magnetic materials
• Magnetic forces
• Magnetic induction
• Bio-effects of static, gradient, and RF fields
• MR and pregnancy
• Safety of Gd contrast agents
• Acoustic noise and hearing protection
• SAR and B1+rms
• Passive and active implants
• Implant testing
• Off-label scanning
• MR suite design
• Specialist systems
• Occupational exposure
• Management of MR safety
• National and international guidance and standards

The certified professionals will be able to fulfil the role of MRSE as outlined in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists’ MR Safety Guidelines. To my knowledge this is the world’s first such scheme by an official and nationally recognised professional body (I would be interested to hear views from other countries…)

ACPSEM, the official pan-national professional association and college for medical physicists in Australasia, also provides training and certification for medical physicists in radiation oncology, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, and mammography.

See also:

ACPSEM http://acpsem.org.au

RANZCR https://www.ranzcr.com

MRI Safety Standards and Guidance

UK Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine POLICY STATEMENT: Scientific Safety Advice to Magnetic Resonance Imaging Units that Undertake Human Imaging