The control exerted by the Medical Education Council in Nepal over the qualifications of Nepali medical physicists is a matter of concern. Recently, the Chinese government extended a scholarship opportunity to the Ministry of Education in Nepal to study medical physics in China through a Chinese government scholarship. However, the Ministry of Health's decision to grant the Medical Education Council the authority to manage scholarship applications has raised issues. The Council, in turn, has established criteria exclusively allowing MSc MIT students to apply, a move deemed unethical. This restrictive criterion has unfairly limited opportunities for deserving physics graduates to apply.
The term "medical physics" inherently implies that priority should be given to students who have completed their undergraduate studies in physics. This is essential for them to effectively engage in the clinical aspects of medicine, leveraging their strong physics background to become qualified medical physicists. Many international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), emphasize the necessity of a robust physics foundation for the study of medical physics.
The Medical Education Council's failure to acknowledge the contributions of existing medical physicists in the country, coupled with their reluctance to facilitate an easy path to registration, is a source of concern. By exclusively opening scholarship opportunities to MSc MIT students through the PG entrance exam, the Council disregards the valuable experience and expertise of qualified medical physicists, leaving them feeling humiliated, restrained, and neglected.
In response to the current situation, a crucial step to be taken by the Ministry of Education (MOE) is an immediate halt to ongoing application procedures. This should be followed by expediting the council registration for existing medical physicists. Subsequently, a re-evaluation of the application process is essential to ensure inclusivity, welcoming physics students from across Nepal.
Shahi is a medical physicist at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital.
