Overseeing the growth of medical physics: Indonesia case

Abstract

As a nation of 261 million people (2015 survey), Indonesia has been in constant need of improvement in healthcare services which includes clinical medical physics services. A growth in number of clinical medical physicists, particularly in the field of radiation therapy, has been observed since the last thirty years. However, it is not until the last decade that a major increase took place owing to three main reasons; (1) the increase in number of radiotherapy facilities, (2) the founding of more medical physics programs in universities, and (3) the fusion of two previously-independent professional societies into one government-acknowledged professional body. All the three main reasons have positive linkage to another, allowing the field to grow even more in the future. This paper discusses the contribution of the three reasons to the growth status in medical physics profession, their relation and two-way impact to the academic aspect, as well as the future opens as consequence of this growth. Immediate plans and ongoing schemes will also be described to elaborate the chances of medical physics to thrive in Indonesia.