Frequently Asked Questions
In this section you can find answers to all frequently asked questions. Email secretary@efomp.org for general questions. For all other questions contact emails
MPE accreditation and registration
Which is the Procedure for approval of a National Registration Scheme (NRS) by EFOMP?
EFOMP started an updated procedure on approval of National Registration Schemes in EFOMP National Member Organsiations Countries at the end of 2018.
The main criteria for acceptance of a national registration scheme, the procedure that has to be followed and the evaluation form can be found at:
Related - Attachments: PROCEDURE for approval of National Registration Schemes by EFOMP
The most important criteria are the admission requirements and the contents of the education and training programme.
How do I apply for accreditation for an educational event?
The European Board for Accreditation in Medical Physics (EBAMP) has been set up by medical physics societies across Europe represented by the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP). It is an independent organisation that accredits medical physics education and training events. It does this by allocating Continuous Professional Development (CPD) credits depending on the number of hours of education and hands-on training required of participants. The role of EFOMP in the accreditation process ceased in November 2016 when responsibility was handed over to the European Board for the Accreditation in Medical Physics (EBAMP).
External and independent evaluation of Medical Physics educational programs to determine if standards are met is an important process to ensure the quality of services. EBAMP functions independently from EFOMP as there is a conflict of interest between EFOMP’s educational activities and its role in accrediting educational courses and awarding CPD points. To safeguard the future of our profession, it is important that we maintain the quality of educational events by using this accreditation system.
Interested applicants may visit the EBAMP website for more information on accreditation and CPD points.
I would like to receive an EEB diploma and I am already a certified medical physicists (for example by American Board of Radiology, American Board of Medical Physics, etc.). Do I still have to sit for an EEB exam?
There is no equivalency between EEB exams and the ones you are mentioning. That`s why you have to sit for EEB exams to receive an EEB diploma. Also please be aware that EEB diploma doesn`t replace any national certificate or licence requested by national legislations for physicists to work as MP or MPEs.
EEB provides diplomas/certificates to those medical physicists that have reached a certain level in medical physics in order to be recognized by the relevant national competent authorities. In other words, you are not recognized as a clinically qualified MP only by including an EEB certificate in your CV. It is up to a national competent authority to recognize you as a clinical MP taking into consideration your CV i.e. clinical training, experience etc.
More information can be found at EEB subpage
MPE education
Who can access the EFOMP e learning platform?
The EFOMP elearning platform opened in January 2019 and contains EFOMP school material, either in the format of video recordings, presentations or both,
Access to the EFOMP elearning platform in 2019, has been granted to all the European Congress of Medical Physics 2018 registered participants and to collegues that have attended the EFOMP school editions since 2013.
Starting from January 1st, 2020 access is granted only to Individual Associate Members of EFOMP. Security credentials are sent to all individual associate members by the system adnministrators (e-learning@efomp.org).
The Individual Associate Membership category is available via EFOMP website and the annual fee is 15 euros as approved by the EFOMP Council Meeting in Warsaw (12 October 2019). Individual Associate Member registration
Which are the educational events offered by EFOMP?
How do I apply for grants?
The ENEN project supports financially, through mobility grants, students and professionals wishing to carry out education or training activities in medical physics.
ENEN2plus will be the largest cross border mobility action to date. 2.5 Million euros are expected to finance the mobility of more than 1000 people doubling the figures of the previous ENENplus project
New funding opportunities for early career professionals 2023
MPE recognition across Europe
Is it possible to get a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) certificate in one European country if an MPE certificate was already obtained in another European country?
Before answering this question, some explanation has to be given concerning the education, training and registration of MPEs in European countries and what EFOMP Policy has to say about this matter.
Almost all European countries are represented in EFOMP by their National Member Organization (NMO). EFOMP has now 36 NMOs which may be found here.
A recent survey (2020, [1]) showed that 22 NMOs have a system for education, training and registration of MPEs in place. Such a system is called a National Registration Scheme (NRS).
EFOMP has published several policies concerning the education, training and registration of MPEs [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Four of these policies [2, 3, 4, 6] described recommendations which have to be fulfilled by an NRS in order to meet the EFOMP standard. In 2018, EFOMP started to evaluate NMOs NRSs to see if they may apply for a formal EFOMP approval.
As of August 20223, already 10 NMOs have applied for approval of their NRS and all of them were granted approval. At the moment, NRS approval by EFOMP does not guarantee that MPE registrations are accepted by other NMOs, but it is an important step forward.
Registration of MPEs is a matter for the respective country itself and the process for registration and re-registration may differ between countries. Not all countries have an MPE registration, even with an NRS in place. According to the 2020 survey, 15 countries have MPE registration and re-registration. The lack of a system for registration makes it hard, or even impossible, for MPEs registered elsewhere to get recognized in such a country. Countries with a system for registration may also have guidelines on how to grant MPE registration for MPEs educated, trained and registered elsewhere. The evaluation procedure may contain a check for the relevent proper university degree and the clinical experience acquired, including radiation protection. MPE registration by an EFOMP approved NRS may be a great advantage here.
EFOMP expects more NMOs to start an NRS which includes registration and more NMOs which apply for approval of their NRS.
| Country | NRS present | MPE (re-) registration | NRS approved by EFOMP |
| Austria | Y | Y | Y |
| Bulgaria | Y | Y | |
| Czech Republic | Y | ||
| Denmark | Y | Y | |
| Estonia | Y | Y | |
| Finland | Y | Y | Y |
| France | Y | Y | Y |
| Germany | Y | Y | Y |
| Greece | Y | Y | Y |
| Hungary | Y | Y | Y |
| Ireland | Y | Y | Y |
| Italy | Y | Y | |
| Lithuania | Y | ||
| Malta | Y | Y | |
| Netherlands | Y | Y | Y |
| Norway | Y | Y | |
| Poland | Y | Y | |
| Romania | Y | Y | |
| Spain | Y | ||
| Sweden | Y | ||
| Switzerland | Y | Y | |
| United Kingdom | Y | Y |
Recommended literature
[1] A.J.J. Maas, A.A. Lammertsma, S. Agius, C. Bert, B. Byrne, C.J. Caruana, P. Gilligan, E. Koutsouveli, E. Pace and M. Brambilla. Education, Training and Registration of Medical Physics Experts across Europe. EJMP. Forthcoming 2021.
[2] Kaul, A., A. Benini, D.H. Bekkering, J. Chavaudra and R. Ellis. EFOMP Policy Statement Nr. 1. Medical Physics Education and Training: The present European Level and Recommendations for its Future Development 1984, https://www.efomp.org/uploads/policy_statement_nr_1.pdf
[3] Christofides S., J. Isidoro, C. Pesznyak , L. Bumbure, F. Cremers and W. Schmidt. The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics Policy Statement No. 6.1: Recommended Guidelines on National Registration Schemes for Medical Physicists, Physica Medica 32 (2016) 1–6.
[4] Caruana C.J., S. Christofides and G.H. Hartmann. European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) Policy Statement 12.1: Recommendations on Medical Physics Education and Training in Europe 2014, Physica Medica 30 (2014) 598-603.
[5] Christofides S., J. Isidoro, C. Pesznyak. F. Cremers, R. Figueira, C. van Swol, S. Evans and A. Torresin. The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics Policy Statement No. 10.1: Recommended Guidelines on National Schemes for Continuing Professional Development of Medical Physicists, Physica Medica 32 (2016) 7–11.
[6] EFOMP Policy Statement Nr. 6: Recommended guidelines of National Registration Schemes for Medical Physicists, Physica Medica XI , 4 (1995) 157-9.
[7] Sheahan N.F., S. Sherriff and I.L. Lamm. EFOMP Policy Statement Nr. 8, Continuing Professional Development for the Medical Physicist, Physica Medica XIV, 2 (1998) 81-3.
[8] Caruana C.J., V. Tsapaki, J. Damilakis, M. Brambilla, G. Martín Martín, A. Dimov, H.e Bosmans, G. Egan, K. Bacher and B. McClean. EFOMP policy statement 16: The role and competencies of medical physicists and medical physics experts under 2013/59/EURATOM, Physica Medica 48 (2018) 162–8.
[9] European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics. EFOMP Policy Statement No 9 Radiation Protection of the Patient in Europe: The Training of the Medical Physics Expert in Radiation Physics or Radiation Technology, Physica Medica 15 (1999), 149-153.
[10] Evans S., S. Christofides and M. Brambilla. The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics. Policy Statement No. 7.1: The roles, responsibilities and status of the medical physicist including the criteria for the staffing levels in a Medical Physics Department approved by EFOMP Council on 5th February 2016, Physica Medica 32 (2016) 533–540.
[11] C. Garibaldi, M. Essers, B. Heijmen, E. Koutsouveli, A.J.J. Maas, C.H. Clark, N. Jornet. Towards an updated ESTRO-EFOMP core curriculum for education and training of Medical Physics Experts in Radiotherapy – Assessment of current training practice in Europe. EJMP. Forthcoming 2021.