BASIC RADIATION PROTECTION EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS; GEORGIAN EXPERIENCE AND FUTURE...

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Biology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Assessed knowledge in Medical Physics and Radiation Risk Estimates from standard TSMU curriculum.
• Evaluated learning outcomes of an elective Radiation Protection course.
• Identified a need to enhance medical student education in radiation-related fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of current medical physics and radiation risk education at TSMU.
• To assess the impact of elective courses on student knowledge of radiation protection.
• To identify areas for curriculum improvement in radiation biology and physics.

Main Methods:

• Two groups of medical students (5th-year and 1st-2nd-year) were tested.
• Testing occurred before and after participation in elective courses or summer/winter schools.
• A standardized questionnaire was used for pre- and post-training assessments.

Main Results:

• Student test results indicated a need for curriculum enhancement.
• Current modules in 'Medical physics' and 'Radiation risk estimates' require improvement.
• The elective 'Radiation protection' course showed varying learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the necessity for curriculum reform in radiation-related medical education.
• Recommendations include integrating a basic radiobiology course into the medical faculty curriculum.
• Expanding the medical physics course with detailed medical imaging methods is advised.