International Organization for Medical Physics

IOMP logo

Abbreviation| IOMP
Formation| 1963
Headquarters| York

Region

| Global

Official language

| English

President

| John Damilakis

Vice-President

| Eva Bezak

Past President

| Madan Rehani

Secretary-General

| Magdalena Stoeva
Website| www.iomp.org

The International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) is a professional organization for medical physics with nearly 22,000 members in 84 countries.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Objectives and history
* 2 International Day of Medical Physics
* 2.1 Objectives
* 2.2 Observance
* 2.3 Themes
* 3 Significance
* 4 IOMP member countries
* 5 Regional organizations
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## Objectives and history

IOMP is charged with a mission to advance medical physics practice worldwide by disseminating scientific and technical information, fostering the educational and professional development of medical physics and promoting the highest quality medical services for patients.

IOMP was formed in January 1963 initially with 4 affiliated national member organizations (Canada, Sweden, UK, USA).[2] After 50 years of active existence and global support for the medical physics profession, IOMP has a membership of 80 national member organizations and 6 regional organizations. IOMP is affiliated to IUPESM, IUPAP and ICSU and is officially connected to IFMBE.

IOMP collaborates with professional bodies such as IRPA and ICRP and international organizations such as WHO and IAEA in promoting the development of medical physics and safe use of radiation and radiological equipment technology.

IOMP publishes an electronic Newsletter (Medical Physics World) and an open-source journal (Medical Physics International).

To raise awareness about the role medical physicists play for the benefit of patients, IOMP organizes the annual International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP) on November 7 - the birthday of Marie Sklodowska-Curie.[3]

The World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering (World Congress) is organised by IOMP (together with IFMBE and IUPESM) as well as the International Congress of Medical Physics (ICMP), held between World Congresses.[4]

## International Day of Medical Physics

International Day of Medical Physics

Marie Sklodowska-Curie, whose birthday is commemorated on this day

Observed by| Medical physicists worldwide
Type| International
Date| 7 November
Next time| 7 November 2026 (2026-11-07)
Frequency| annual
First time| 2013
Related to| World Radiography Day, Marie Curie

The International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP) is observed annually on 7 November to highlight the role of medical physicists in healthcare and to raise awareness about the importance of medical physics in patient diagnosis, treatment, and safety. The idea for the International Day of Medical Physics was proposed by the IOMP in 2013. The date commemorates the birthday of Marie Sklodowska-Curie (1867–1934), whose pioneering research on radioactivity laid the foundation for modern medical physics and radiological sciences.[5]

The first official celebration took place on 7 November 2013, marking the 46th anniversary of IOMP’s establishment and recognizing Curie’s legacy in the application of physics to medicine.[5] The initiative aimed to promote the visibility of the medical physics profession and its contribution to global health care systems.[6]

### Objectives

The main objectives of IDMP are to:[7]

* Promote understanding of the role of medical physicists in modern healthcare.
* Enhance public awareness of radiation safety and quality assurance in medical imaging and therapy.
* Encourage young scientists to pursue careers in medical physics.
* Foster collaboration among professionals, institutions, and organizations working in medical physics and related fields.

### Observance

Each year, the IOMP announces a global theme and encourages medical physicists and organizations worldwide to celebrate through:[8]

* Educational seminars, webinars, and workshops.
* Outreach programs for students and the public.
* Exhibitions, public lectures, and hospital open days.
* Media campaigns and social media engagement.

National and regional medical physics societies—such as the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP), and the Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (AFOMP)—also organize local events and publish materials to commemorate the day.[9]

### Themes

Each year’s IDMP carries a specific theme reflecting current global priorities in healthcare physics:

Year | Theme

|

2013 | Radiation Exposure: How Much is Too Much?
2014 | Looking into the Body – Caring for the Patient
2015 | Better Medical Physics = Better Cancer Care
2016 | Education in Medical Physics – The Key to Success
2017 | Improving Health Quality, Increasing Patient Safety
2018 | Medical Physics for Patient Benefit
2019 | It’s a Medical Physics World!
2020 | Medical Physicist as a Health Professional
2021 | Communicating the Role of Medical Physicists to the Public
2022 | Medical Physics for Sustainable Healthcare
2023 | Standing on the Shoulders of Giants – Role of Medical Physicists in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
2024 | Safety, Security and Sustainability in Medical Physics
2025 | Medical Physics and Emerging Technologies: Shaping the Next Decade

## Significance

Medical physicists play a vital role in the safe and effective use of radiation and advanced technologies in medicine. Their work includes:

* Ensuring accurate dose delivery in radiotherapy.
* Maintaining image quality and safety in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine.
* Developing novel imaging and treatment technologies.
* Supporting research, education, and quality management systems in healthcare.

The IDMP serves as a platform to acknowledge their contribution to improving patient outcomes and advancing global health technologies.[10][11]

## IOMP member countries

State[2] | Member Organisation[12] | Date of membership

|
|

Australia  | Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM)
Canada  | Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP)[13] | 1963
Sweden  | Swedish Society of Radiation Physics[14] | 1963
UK  | Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)[15] | 1963
USA  | American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)  | 1963
Germany  | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Physik (DGMP)
Romania  | Romanian College of Medical Physicists (CFMR)  | 1990 (renewed 2010)
Moldova  | Association of Medical Physicists from the Republic of Moldova (AFMM)  | 2016
New Zealand  | Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM)
Denmark  | Danish Society for Medical Physics (DSMF)[16] | 1982
Hungary
Israel
Poland
South Africa
Brazil
Finland
France
Greece
Mexico
Netherlands
Ireland
Norway
Italy
Japan
Spain
Austria
Belgium
India
Switzerland  | Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Strahlenbiologie und Medizinische Physik
Société Suisse de Radiobiologie et de Physique Médicale
Società Svizzera di Radiobiologia e di Fisica Medica
Swiss Society of Radiobiology and Medical Physics (SGSMP-SSRPM-SSRFM-SSRMP)  | 1982
Thailand
China
Colombia
Nigeria
Turkey
Hong Kong
Template:Country data Philippine
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
Cyprus
Argentina
Bulgaria
Ghana
Korea
Tanzania
Pakistan
Russia  | Association of Medical Physicists in Russia (AMPR)[17] | 1993
Slovenia
Sudan
Template:Country data Trinidad & Tobago
Algeria
Indonesia
Iran
Panama
Venezuela
Zimbabwe
Cuba
Estonia
Georgia
Lithuania
Morocco
Ukraine
Zambia
Ecuador
Portugal
Bangladesh
Chile
Egypt
Nepal
Taiwan
Singapore
Uganda
Mongolia
Jordan
Croatia
Cameroon
Czech Republic
United Arab Emirates
Macedonia
Lebanon
Peru
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam
Iraq
Qatar

Countries are represented by the respective National Organizations for Medical Physics.

## Regional organizations

* European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP)
* Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (AFOMP)
* Latin American Medical Physics Association (ALFIM)
* Southeast Asian Federation of Organizations of Medical Physics (SEAFOMP)
* Federation of African Medical Physics Organisations (FAMPO)
* Middle East Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (MEFOMP)

## See also

* Medical physics
* World Radiography Day

## References

1. ↑ "Organisation". International Organization for Medical Physics. http://iomp.org/?q=content/organisation. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "List of IOMP Member Countries". http://www.iomp.org/sites/default/files/table_2-member-countries.pdf. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
3. ↑ "IOMP announces International Day of Medical Physics". http://www.aapm.org/announcements/IOMPIntlDayMedPhys.asp. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
4. ↑ "Hosts - IUPESM 2015 - World Congress on Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering - Toronto, Canada". http://wc2015.org/hosts/. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "International Day of Medical Physicist (IDMP)". International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP). 2 July 2022. https://www.iomp.org/idmp/.
6. ↑ Adke, Arti (7 November 2023). "History of International Day of Medical Physics" (in en). The Hans India. https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/history-of-international-day-of-medical-physics-835641.
7. ↑ "Celebrating the International Day of Medical Physics" (in en). Physics World. 7 November 2017. https://physicsworld.com/a/celebrating-the-international-day-of-medical-physics/.
8. ↑ "Recognising International Day of Medical Physics" (in en). ICON Cancer Foundation. 7 November 2024. https://icongroup.global/en/news/2024-11-07/recognising-international-day-of-medical-physics/.
9. ↑ "EFOMP Newsletter: IDMP Celebrations Across Europe" (in en). EFOMP. https://www.efomp.org/index.php?r=pages&id=idmp.
10. ↑ "AFOMP Newsletter: IDMP Highlights in Asia–Oceania Region". AFOMP.
11. ↑ Padovani, Renato (7 November 2016). "Celebrating Medical Physics" (in en). ICTP. https://www.ictp.it/news/2016/11/celebrating-medical-physics.
12. ↑ "National Member Organizations". https://www.iomp.org/national-member-organizations/. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
13. ↑ "About COMP - The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP)". http://www.comp-ocpm.ca/english/about-comp/about-comp.html. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
14. ↑ "Svensk förening för radiofysik - hemsida". http://www.radiofysik.org/default.aspx. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
15. ↑ "International Links". http://www.ipem.ac.uk/AboutIPEM/PartnersandConnections/InternationalLinks.aspx. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
16. ↑ "Dansk Selskab for Medicinsk Fysik". http://www.dsmf.org. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
17. ↑ "About AMPR - Association of Medical Physicists in Russia (AMPR)". http://www.amphr.ru/engl.php. Retrieved 12 October 2023.

## External links

* Official IOMP IDMP website

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