Live in the amphitheater, Lectures, Seminars

Mandatory attendances to Lab exercises

ICT is used. in communication with students (via e – class ) for easier management of material and consultation and creation of working groups.

Special emphasis is given to the oral examination with emphasis on the possibility of analyzing situations. The student is not asked to memorize terms, mathematical equations or case law but

a) be able to research and find answers through this whole set of documents (laws, books, etc.), already being aware of some basic principles;

b) become the property of any process to be part of a quality assurance system;

c) the student is able to predict what might happen if the procedure approved for the case is not followed.

The material in which the student is going to be examined in the form of multiple choice questions and problem solving during the course is mentioned in detail.

Theoretical training by any supervisory means and to be carried out (blackboard, video projections , slides, etc. ) aims to transmit knowledge and experience. Where appropriate, it will be accompanied by demonstrations in clinical and laboratory settings to understand the theory. Two additional elements will allow real consolidation:

a) the teacher, as far as possible, mentions and analyzes specific examples from the international literature and reality or his personal experience. For example, the “Accident Prevention” course will include the theoretical part and conclude with a description of the accident at the Radiotherapy Department of Zaragossa State Hospital , Spain (several dead and hundreds injured by overexposure to radiation). The responsibility of all involved will be analyzed (management, radiophysicists , radiotherapists , technicians and construction company). It will be shown that the error is never of one individual but of an entire chain

The course is the basic tool for learning radiation protection techniques to protect health from the dangers of exposure to ionizing radiation for medical purposes.

The course aims to introduce students to the appropriate theoretical and practical training and to provide professional skills in the field of radiation protection.

It also refers to the practical aspects of radiation protection procedures. In this sense, the course is the basis on which continuous education and training will be provided on the clinical use of new techniques and the relevant requirements of clinical radiation protection.

Finally, the aim of the course is for students to understand the importance of the basic principles of radiation protection outside the area of ionizing radiation and the ever-increasing complex legal framework that governs these procedures.

It should be emphasized that this course differs from the classical radiophysics courses taught in the 1st year of the Medical Department in the following points:

Emphasis   is placed on the legal dimension of the need for radiation protection

• The philosophy of professionalism and clinical observance of the necessary regulations is introduced. The student learns that regardless of inclination, direction and specialty he will choose in the future, he is involved in his professional field with radiation either diagnostically or therapeutically.
• Radiation and its consequences are demystified through the description in the hospital and with specific examples of the diagnostic and therapeutic value of radiation, its use, abuse and protection from it.
• For the first time, the student is immersed in the idea of quality assurance. He learns that the faithful observance of work protocols, the application of scientific criteria for the selection and use of technological equipment, ensures the fidelity and quality of the image with simultaneous minimum radial load.

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Has knowledge and understanding of:

• The use of radiation in the whole range of human activities
• The dangers of using radiation to hospital staff and patients
• Radiation handling for medical reasons safely for staff and patients, accident prevention and management.
• The legal framework governing the use of radiation
• An additional goal is to ensure quality in radiological operations (patient – staff – machinery – space chain) through the faithful observance of radiation protection rules.

1. Introduction (1 hour)

1.1. Objectives

1.2. Necessity of Radiation Protection in the Hospital

2. Physics of Radiation (2 hours)

2.1. Basic principles

2.2. Radiation-Matter Interaction

2.3. Environmental Radiation

2.4. Radiation of Medical Operations

3. Etiology and Legislation of Radiation Protection (3 hours)

3.1. Rationale

3.2. Dose Definition – Dose Limits

3.3. European and International Legislation

3.4. Greek legislation

3.5. Organizations

3.5.1. GAEC

3.5.2. ΙΑΕΑ

3.5.3. ICRU

4. Radiation Protection Training (1 hour)
5. Staff Responsibilities (1 hour)
6. Dosimetry and Radiation Protection of Patients and Staff (3 hours)

6.1. Control and Dosimetry Instruments

6.2. Staff dosimetry

6.3. Sensitive Population Groups

6.4. Personnel Logistics – Licenses

7. Description of Parts Using Ionizing Radiation (2 hours)

7.1. External Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy

7.2. Nuclear Medicine – in vitro , in vivo

7.3. Radiodiagnostics

7.3.1. CT scanner

7.3.2. Classical Radiodiagnostics

7.3.3. Invasive Radiology – Angiography

7.3.4. Mammography

7.4. Surgeries

7.5. Dentistry – Maxillofacial

7.6. Computer Radiation

8. Radiobiology – Radiopathology (3 hours )

8.1. Mechanisms Ionizing Radiation Actions

8.2. Biophysical and Cellular Basis of Radial Carcinogenesis

8.3. Biological Base of Maximum Allowed Dose Limits

8.4. Methods for Detection of Hypersensitivity to Radiation

8.5. Danger of Doses from Medical Applications

8.6. Chronic Radiation with low dose

9. Accidents (2 hours)

9.1. Radioactive Contamination

9.2. Information Systems for Radioactive Accidents

9.3. Dosimetric Accident Assessment

9.4. Surgery after a major accident

9.5. Accident History In Hospitals And Outside – Lessons Learned

9.6. Accident Reporting to the Competent Authorities

9.7. Prevention

10. Transportation of Radioactive Materials to and from Hospital (1 hour)

10.1. General Principles of Transport – Procedures

10.2. Transport safety

10.3. Radioactive Residues (disposal – disposal – transport)

11. Radiation Equipment Management (1 hour)

11.1. Standards

11.2. Selection Criteria

11.3. Necessity of Quality Controls

12. Protection from Non- Ionizing Radiation (2 hours)

12.1. Radiation protection bases, High / Low Frequencies

12.2. E / M Fields of very low frequencies

12.3. Mobile

12.4. Effect of magnetic fields on pacemakers – trackers

12.5. Magnetic – Electrical Tomography

12.6. Electrical safety

12.7. Lasers

12.8. Ultrasound

13. Quality Assurance (1 hour)

13.1. Quality Assurance Systems – Responsibilities and Obligations

13.2. Implementation of a Quality Assurance System for Integrated Radiation Protection of a Hospital

14. Ionizing Radiation outside the Hospital (3 hours)

14.1. Industrial Applications of Ionizing Radiation

14.2. Ionizing Radiation Research Applications

14.3. War Use of Ionizing Radiation

-Proposed Bibliography:

• Printed matter
• International Bibliography
• European Union Radiation Protection Directives
• Legislation and Methodology of other European countries
• Greek legislation
• Teacher notes
• Multi-question computer program ( self -education and examination) that includes 2000 topics
• Images, texts and educational simulations from the internet
• Transparencies and slides
• Video projections
• Education based on real problems Based Learning – PBL).

This is a process that is already applied to the education of students in many universities. A series of issues/problems will be given (accidents, machine selection procedures, legal issues, interdepartmental and administration communication issues, etc.) which will be discussed between teachers / students and malfunctions, consequences and possible solutions will be recorded.

-Related scientific journals