Engaging grade school learners with an interactive medical imaging activity.

This case report describes a 45-min active learning lesson plan that engages 4th-5th and 6th-8th grade school students in spatial reasoning through a review of medical imaging. The lesson plan reviews different planar orientations and cross-sections of computed tomography (CT) images of familiar objects. The lesson is designed to introduce students to the idea that scientists are key contributors to healthcare, including in medical imaging technologies that facilitate the visualization of internal structures of patients without invasive procedures.

Assessing Radiology and Radiation Therapy Needs for Cancer Care in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries: Insight From a Global Survey of Departmental and Institutional Leaders.

Purpose: The global cancer burden and mortality rates are increasing, with significant disparities in access to care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to identify radiology and radiation therapy needs in LMICs from the perspective of departmental and institutional leaders.

Methods And Materials: A survey was developed and conducted by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Global Needs Assessment Committee and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine International Council.

Developing an educational "hub": impact of a distance-learning curriculum in a multinational cohort.

Purpose: To address a gap in radiation oncology education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we sought to evaluate the effectiveness and generalizability of a refined curriculum on intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) offered to existing radiation therapy (RT) clinics across Africa and Latin America (LATAM) at no cost.

Methods: A curriculum was created based on prior needs assessments and adapted for participating medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, and trainees in LMICs. English-speaking and Spanish-speaking teams of volunteer educators delivered 27 hour-long sessions 1-2 times weekly for 4 months using video conferencing to African and LATAM cohorts, respectively.

Radiation Therapy Physics Quality Assurance and Management Practices in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Initial Pilot Survey in Six Countries and Validation Through a Site Visit.

Purpose: Our purpose was to assess physics quality assurance (QA) practices in less resourced radiation therapy (RT) centers to improve quality of care.

Methods And Materials: A preliminary study was conducted in 2020 of 13 select RT centers in 6 countries, and in 2021, our team conducted onsite visits to all the RT centers in Ghana, one of the countries from the initial survey. The RT centers included 1 private and 2 public institutions (denoted as Public-1 and Public-2).

Reimagining Education in Global Radiotherapy: The Experiences and Contribution of Rayos Contra Cancer.

Purpose: Technology advancements ushered in a new era of how we reimagine our human interaction, with videoconferencing becoming commonplace in educational, professional, and social settings. These tools became the new paradigm in online/virtual education for all institutions around the world. Particularly in global health, where the traditional norm for support relied on traveling and onsite visits, we face a ripe opportunity for innovation.

WeWhoCurie: An Initiative to Advocate for Those Underrepresented in Radiation Oncology.

Purpose: An initiative to advocate for those underrepresented in radiation oncology.

Methods And Materials: Inspired by the success of the #ILookLikeAnEngineer and #ILookLikeASurgeon campaigns, this initiative aimed to break down stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated fields. In honor of Marie Curie's birthday, on November 7, 2018, the Society for Women in Radiation Oncology launched a social media campaign called #WomenWhoCurie day.

A feasibility study to estimate optimal rigid-body registration using combinatorial rigid registration optimization (CORRO).

Purpose: Clinical image pairs provide the most realistic test data for image registration evaluation. However, the optimal registration is unknown. Using combinatorial rigid registration optimization (CORRO) we demonstrate a method to estimate the optimal alignment for rigid-registration of clinical image pairs.