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Dear AFOMP Colleagues and Friends,
Welcome to the September issue of the AFOMP PULSE newsletter, brought to you by our wonderful editorial team and contributors.
The AFOMP executive committee and the committees have been busy in these last 6 months, bringing to our members more educational opportunities via our webinars and AFOMP School. We are now in the process to commence 6 monthly industrial webinars to showcase the developments from the medical industry. (Thank you Prof Jin Xiance and Prof Byung-Chul Cho).
We will be also in near future announcing the AFOMP awardees in the usual categories (https://afomp.org/category/award-programs/).
Our hard working Malaysian team, led by Prof Jeannie Wong and Prof Chai Hong Yeong and in collaboration with the AFOMP science committee (led by Prof Shigekazu Fukuda) are in the process of finalizing the program for AOCMP/SEACOMP 2024 (https://www.aocmp2024.com/). 380 abstracts were received, and I hope to meet many of you in Penang. The scientific program and the preconference workshops look fantastic.
Please, also note that we currently have a call open for our AFOMP NMOs to submit expressions of interest to host AOCMP 2026 (https://afomp.org/2024/04/20/call-for-expressions-of-interest-eoi-to-host-the26th-asia-oceania-congress-of-medical-physics-aocmp-in-2026/). Looking forward to receiving your expressions.
I am also very pleased to report that we are aiming to run an IOMP School on the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, from October 5-8, 2024, at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The school will directly precede the AOCMP 2024. This will allow the interested participants to attend both the IOMP school as well as the regional medical physics congress. The expected registration will be ~USD75. We are very grateful to our Malaysian hosts for accommodating the event.
AFOMP ExCom has established a Diversity Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) group, led by Prof Anupama Azhari and we will be running a DEI survey and releasing an AFOMP DEI statement. In this aspect, I will be delivering a 30-minute public lecture on DEI at the opening of AOCMP2024, underscoring our commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Both research and business data consistently demonstrate that diverse teams are more adept at problem-solving, fostering creativity, and accelerating innovation compared to homogenous groups. Homogenous teams feel easier. But easy may be bad for performance and outcomes. Scientific research benefits greatly from the varied viewpoints and experiences that diverse teams bring, leading to quicker advancements and novel insights in research methodologies. Furthermore, inclusive practices not only strengthen team dynamics but also drive organizational success and market growth. Diverse teams can also be happier teams, as autonomy and uniqueness are some of the key characteristics of excellent workplaces. It is the capacity of the organisation to tolerate and encourage the sense of difference that excellent workplaces develop. At the same time, diversity and inclusivity promotes a sense of ownership and identity; being seen to be different and special through pride in the place of work, knowing the business and managing the technology. But while we all are diverse individuals, we are also connected by clear values, i.e. the extent to which we see and understand the overall purpose and individual behaviours expected in the place of work. In case of medical physics, it means serving our communities, the patients, and their families.
Aligned with this, is our initiative, led by AFOMP SG Dr Aik Hao Ng, to establish an Early Career Medical Physicist Sub-committee of AFOMP to establish a platform for networking, collaboration and mentoring for our younger and emerging members.
Lastly, as you may already know, the International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM) World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering 2025 (Adelaide, Australia) preparations are under way. Please visit https://wc2025.org/. The exhibition and sponsorship package has also been launched (https://wc2025.org/sponsor-exhibitor/). Abstract submissions for WC2025 will open in September 2024, with 26 determined tracks. The accommodation package is finalized, with efforts underway to include student-friendly options. We are actively seeking sponsors for participant travel, leveraging various partnerships to gain travel grants for the participants. As per the Local Organizing Committee KPIs, we aim to have 30% of participants from low to middle income countries and 25% student participants. We are hoping to have as many of our IOMP colleague to attend the WC2025 as possible, hopefully finally overcoming all the travel difficulties imposed by COVID restrictions at the last WC2022.
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude for your continued support and looking forward to seeing you in Penang for AOCMP 2024.
Best regards,
Eva Bezak
President, AFOMP