AAPM Task Group 298: Recommendations on certificate program/alternative pathway candidate education and training.

Entry into the field of clinical medical physics is most commonly accomplished through the completion of a Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP)-accredited graduate and residency program. To allow a mechanism to bring valuable expertise from other disciplines into clinical practice in medical physics, an "alternative pathway" approach was also established. To ensure those trainees who have completed a doctoral degree in physics or a related discipline have the appropriate background and didactic training in medical physics, certificate programs and a CAMPEP-accreditation process for these programs were initiated.

A generalized 2D pencil beam scaling algorithm for proton dose calculation in heterogeneous slab geometries.

Purpose: Pencil beam algorithms are commonly used for proton therapy dose calculations. Szymanowski and Oelfke ["Two-dimensional pencil beam scaling: An improved proton dose algorithm for heterogeneous media," Phys. Med.

Microdosimetric measurements for neutron-absorbed dose determination during proton therapy.

This work presents microdosimetric measurements performed at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. The measurements were done simulating clinical setups with a water phantom and for a variety of stopping targets. The water phantom was irradiated by a proton spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) and by a proton pencil beam.

Neutron production from beam-modifying devices in a modern double scattering proton therapy beam delivery system.

In this work the neutron production in a passive beam delivery system was investigated. Secondary particles including neutrons are created as the proton beam interacts with beam shaping devices in the treatment head. Stray neutron exposure to the whole body may increase the risk that the patient develops a radiogenic cancer years or decades after radiotherapy.

Simulation of medical electron linac bremsstrahlung beam transport in typical shielding materials.

The Monte Carlo N-particle code MCNP version 4C3 was used to investigate the backscattering and transmission of high-energy photons in concrete, iron and lead at deep penetration. A typical bremsstrahlung beam from a 24 MV linac was used, and the transmission up to 15 mean-free paths was studied. Broad beam slab geometry was used.

The effect of ambient pressure on well chamber response: Monte Carlo calculated results for the HDR 1000 plus.

The determination of the air kerma strength of a brachytherapy seed is necessary for effective treatment planning. Well ionization chambers are used on site at therapy clinics to determine the air kerma strength of seeds. In this work, the response of the Standard Imaging HDR 1000 Plus well chamber to ambient pressure is examined using Monte Carlo calculations.

Ion chamber gas-to-wall conversion factors for fast neutron dosimetry.

Modern ionising photon dosimetry is essentially entirely based upon gas-filled cavity determinations. For photons, ion chamber response is largely independent of photon energy almost perfectly transforming absorbed dose in the gas to the surrounding media. Absolute uncertainties are <1-2%.

Brachytherapy dosimetry of 125I and 103Pd sources using an updated cross section library for the MCNP Monte Carlo transport code.

Permanent implantation of low energy (20-40 keV) photon emitting radioactive seeds to treat prostate cancer is an important treatment option for patients. In order to produce accurate implant brachytherapy treatment plans, the dosimetry of a single source must be well characterized. Monte Carlo based transport calculations can be used for source characterization, but must have up to date cross section libraries to produce accurate dosimetry results.