Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-7-711 - Authorized Medical Physicist Training

A. A licensee shall require an authorized medical physicist to be an individual who:

1. Is certified by a specialty board whose certification process includes all of the training and experience requirements in subsections (A)(2)(a) and (B) and whose certification has been recognized by the Department, the NRC, or an Agreement State. 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 two years of full-time practical training and/or supervised experience in medical physics:

i. 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

ii. 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 R9-7-710, R9-7-719, R9-7-721, R9-7-723, R9-7-727, R9-7-728, or R9-7-744; 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. Meets the following alternative training requirements:

a. Holds 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 one 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:

i. Performing sealed source leak tests and inventories;

ii. Performing decay corrections;

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

iv. Conducting radiation surveys around external beam treatment units, stereotactic radiosurgery units, and remote after loading units as applicable; and

b. Has obtained written attestation that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in both subsections (A)(2)(a) and (B); and has achieved a level of competency sufficient to function independently as an authorized medical physicist 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 medical physicist who meets the requirements in this Section, or equivalent Agreement State or NRC requirements for an authorized medical physicist for each type of therapeutic medical unit for which the individual is requesting authorized medical physicist status.

B. A licensee shall require an authorized medical physicist to be an individual who has 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 super-vised by an authorized medical physicist authorized for the type(s) of use for which the individual is seeking authorization.

C. Exceptions. An individual identified as a teletherapy or medical physicist on a Department, a NRC, or another Agreement State license or a permit issued by the NRC or another Agreement State broad scope licensee or master material license permittee or by a master material broad scope license permittee on or before January 14, 2019, need not comply with the training requirements in subsection (A).

D. The training and experience required in this Section shall be obtained within the seven years preceding the date of application or the individual shall have had related continuing education and experience since the required training and experience was completed.

E. Individuals who, under subsection (C), need not comply with training requirements described in this Section may serve as preceptors for, and supervisors of, applicants seeking authorization on Department licenses for the same uses for which these individuals are authorized.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-7-711

New Section R9-7-711 recodified from R12-1-711at A.A.R. 813, effective March 22, 2018 (Supp. 18-1). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 24 A.A.R. 2151, effective July 12, 2018 (Supp. 18-3). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 25 A.A.R. 3561, effective 12/3/2019. Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 28 A.A.R. 3533, effective 11/2/2022.