64E-5.656. Training for and Authorized Medical Physicist

Except as provided in Rule 64E-5.657, F.A.C., the licensee shall require the authorized medical physicist to:

(1) Be certified by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state and who meets the requirements in paragraph 64E-5.656(2)(b) and subsection 64E-5.656(3), F.A.C., of this section. (The names of board certifications which have been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state will be posted on the NRC’s Web page at http://www.nrc.gov/materials/miau/med-use-toolkit/spec-board-cert.html.) To have its certification process recognized, a specialty board shall require all candidates for certification to:

(a) Hold a master’s or doctor’s degree in physics, medical physics, other physical science, engineering, or applied mathematics from an accredited college or university;

(b) Have 2 years of full-time practical training and/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 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 million electron volts) and brachytherapy services under the direction of physicians who meet the requirements for authorized users in Rule 64E-5.657, 64E-5.652 or 64E-5.655, F.A.C.; 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; or

(2)(a) Hold 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 has completed 1 year of full-time training in medical physics and 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 type(s) 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 million electron volts) and brachytherapy services and must include:

1. Performing sealed source leak tests and inventories;

2. Performing decay corrections;

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

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

(b) Have obtained written attestation that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in subsection 64E-5.656(3) and paragraphs 64E-5.656(1)(a) and (b) or 64E-5.656(2)(a) and subsection 64E-5.656(3), F.A.C., of this section, and have demonstrated the ability to function independently as an authorized medical physicist to fulfill the radiation safety related duties 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 user or a residency program director who represents a consensus of residency program faculties (as long as at least one member of the residency program faculty is an authorized individual in the same category designated by the applicant seeking authorized status) who meets the requirements in Rule 64E-5.656 or 64E-5.657, F.A.C., NRC or equivalent 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) Have training for the type(s) 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 type(s) of use for which the individual is seeking authorization.

Rulemaking Authority 404.051, 404.061, 404.071, 404.081, 404.141 FS. Law Implemented 404.022, 404.051(1), (4), (5), (6), (8), (9), (10), (11), 404.061(2), (3), 404.071(1), 404.081, 404.141 FS. History–New 8-25-91, Formerly 10D-91.776, Amended 2-11-10, 12-26-13.