Expansion of a Multinational Medical Physics Course for Radiation Oncology Residents In East Africa As a Collaborative Model for Education In Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Abstract
Purpose
Stark global inequities persist in access to radiological health services, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing an increasing cancer burden while facing critical shortages in trained medical physicists and radiation oncologists. Virtual education models have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing workforce gaps in global health settings. This work describes the expansion of a medical physics course for radiation oncology residents from a single-institution pilot to a multinational program across East Africa.
Methods
Building upon a successful pilot at the University of Nairobi Medical School in Kenya, the course expanded to include radiation oncology residents at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania and the National Cancer Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. An international teaching faculty of 15 lecturers from 11 institutions across three continents began a year-long curriculum of 25 biweekly virtual lectures. Topics span foundational physics, imaging modalities, and radiation therapy techniques, including treatment planning, IMRT, stereotactic procedures, brachytherapy, and quality assurance.
Results
The expanded course enrolled 45 radiation oncology residents across the three participating institutions. Faculty represented academic medical centers, cancer centers, and global health organizations from the United States, Germany, and Kenya, including UC San Diego, UCLA Health, Cedars-Sinai, Moffitt Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, UT Health Houston, UAB, CU Anschutz Medical Campus, RAD-AID International, University of Würzburg, and University of Nairobi.
Conclusion
This multi-country collaboration demonstrates a scalable, replicable framework for medical physics education in LMICs. By leveraging international expertise and virtual delivery, this model addresses workforce shortages while providing radiation oncology trainees with essential physics knowledge for safe and effective clinical practice.