From:	Pomije, Brian D. (LCDR)
Sent:	Wednesday, September 07, 2005 9:41 AM
To:	Loscocco, Michele F (CDR); Van Way, Rick L (LCDR); Fong, Raynard K   CAPT; Maher, John M CDR; Hecht, Sheila C , LCDR; Frampton, Scott W  CIV; Giel, Daniel T. (CIV); Saylor, Tillman K (NNMC Contractor); LaFontaine, Richard L CT
Cc:	Pomije, Brian D. (LCDR); Ely, Karen D. (CIV); Clark, Dorothy M. (CIV); Earles, Marvin R LCDR ; Glennon, Brendan K. CDR BUMED; Lino CDR Fragoso (E-mail) (Lino.Fragoso@navy.mil)
Subject:	NRMP - Listing of Brachytherapy Medical Physicists on Navy Permits

To all Naval Medical Center RSOs and Brachytherapy Physicists:

As you are most likely aware, the NRC has recently revised the qualification requirements for an Authorized Medical Physicist (AMP).  The old requirements in Subpart J of 10 CFR Part 35 will go away at midnight on 24 October 2005, and the only option at that time will be to qualify under the new Part 35 regulations.  However, if an individual is listed on the NRMP as an AMP prior to 24 October 2005, they can essentially be "grandfathered" in the future under 10 CFR 35.57.  Even though an AMP is not required for manual brachytherapy under 35.400, most Agreement State and NRC medical licensees are adding brachytherapy physicists to their permits as AMPs.

Since certification by either the ABR or ABMP is accepted by the NRC under 10 CFR 35.961 of the old regulations (pasted below), and since the older training and experience pathway may be easier to comply with, it may be advantageous to most brachytherapy medical physicists to qualify under the old regulations.

To get listed on the NRMP, each command would be required to submit an application for an amendment, and provide all supporting documentation as required by the regulations and by NUREG-1556, Vol. 9, Rev. 1 (section attached).  As with all amendment applications, documentation of RSC approval must be included.

Note that recentness of training in 10 CFR 35.59 still applies, and if greater than 7-years, the amendment request may need to be forwarded to the NRC for review and approval by the Advisory Committee on the Medical Use of Isotopes (ACMUI) per NRMP Information Notice 2004-04 (http://www-nehc.med.navy.mil/downloads/occmed/infonotices/InfoNotice_10May2004_recentness_of_training.pdf). 

V/r,

LCDR Pomije

Brian D. Pomije, MS, DABR
Lieutenant Commander, Medical Service Corps, USN
Radiation Health Team Leader
Navy Environmental Health Center
620 John Paul Jones Circle (Suite 1100)
Portsmouth, VA 23708-2103

W: (757) 953-0766; DSN: 377-0766
Cell: (757) 651-2814
Fax: (757) 953-0685

10 CFR 35.961 Training for authorized medical physicist.
The licensee shall require the authorized medical physicist to be an individual who--
(a) Is certified by the American Board of Radiology in--
(1) Therapeutic radiological physics;
(2) Roentgen ray and gamma ray physics;
(3) X-ray and radium physics; or
(4) Radiological physics; or
(b) Is certified by the American Board of Medical Physics in radiation oncology physics; or
(c) Holds a master's or doctor's degree in physics, biophysics, radiological physics, or health physics, and has completed 1 year of full time training in therapeutic radiological physics and an additional year of full time work experience under the supervision of a medical physicist at a medical institution that includes the tasks listed in §§ 35.67, 35.632, 35.633, 35.635, 35.642, 35.643, 35.644, 35.645 and 35.652, as applicable.