Christmas and New Year Greetings
Publication Date: Dec 23rd, 2023 10:13, Category: EFOMP Announcements
Dear Medical Physics Friends,
Christmas and New Year are both a time of renewal and tradition. Our current executive committee tenure is coming to an end and we look forward to the next chapter in EFOMP’s upward trajectory in advancing healthcare through the application of physics for the benefits of staff and patients. In Europe, Christmas is a time of gifts and expression of gratitude. Despite the head winds of war and covid our federation has grown in the last three years on terms of membership, educational, scientific and professional output, as a voice for medical physics within Europe. This is down to gifts that National Member Organisations, committee members, chairs, special interest groups, school board, contributors, reviewers, editors, board members, presenters, congress planners (the list is very long) give as volunteer leaders in medical physics in Europe. We are all EFOMP and we all want to help our patients.
When the incoming president’s editorial was written three years ago, a number of targets were set. A significant number of these have been achieved, particularly the most important strategic ones. We are in financially strong position, our congress (two of which were held in the last three years) has grown with a clear path forward and our journal EJMP-Physica Medica has increased in ranking and impact factor. EFOMP newsletter continues to build our community; you can read here our latest edition for 2023 where we summarize the main achievements of this presidency. We are a significant partner in European projects rather than just a stake holder thanks to our successful move of our office function to Utrecht and the efforts of our project committee. We have welcomed Luxembourg and Iceland as NMOs. We have strong relationships with more organisations and industry than ever before. We have new communication mechanisms such as the town hall meetings, our educational and scientific offerings are world leading in medical physics with hybrid options and the development of the new educational platform has begun. Our working groups have delivered excellent focussed content and policy statements. Our special interest groups have exceeded our ambitions in terms of participation and role in medical physics. The internal dosimetry group has been prodigious in output and activity. The early careers SIG is a voice to write the future of medical physics in Europe. We anticipate successful dental and particle therapy and other SIGs very soon. This will create the pathway for a sustainable future for medical physics in the four corners of EFOMP and beyond. In these three years, our number of approved National Registration Schemes has gone from 4-11 and we have a clear pathway for the mutual recognition and a common training platform of medical physics in Europe. We are aware that harmonization is an ambitious road and we are going on this journey with our eyes wide open. But we are fully confident that the skill set and the energy that the next executive, governing committee and NMOs are well up for the task of building on our solid base for the future.
We realise that none of this is possible without the support of our work colleagues and employers and especially our supporting families and friends. We hope that you all can get time to enjoy some fun time with your family and friends and relax this Christmas and New Year.
On behalf of EFOMP we want to thank you for all you have done and look forward to a prosperous future for medical physics in Europe.
Have a brillant Christmas and New Year!
Paddy Gilligan, Jaroslav Ptáček and Efi Koutsouveli