Call for Applications: Medical Physics Point/Counterpoint Moderator
All submission materials should be sent to PCP Moderator Search Committee Chair (c/o of Viv Dennis) no later than June 16, 2017.
Dr. Colin Orton, who has served as Point/Counterpoint (PCP) Moderator since 2006, has indicated to me that he would like to retire from this important volunteer position at the end of the 2017 calendar year. Since launching the monthly PCP series in 1998 during his tenure as Medical Physics Editor, PCP Moderators Bill Hendee (1998-2005) and Colin Orton (2006-2017) have recruited pairs of authors to address over 200 scientific, clinical practice, and professional controversies in a debate-like format. The debated propositions span a broad array of current issues in medical physics, including diagnostic imaging (“Cone beam x-ray CT will be superior to digital x-ray tomosynthesis in imaging the breast and delineating cancer“1), radiation therapy (“Image-guided radiotherapy is being overvalued as a clinical tool in radiation oncology”2), radiation protection (“Low-dose radiation is beneficial, not harmful”3) and scientific publishing (“The h index is the best measure of a scientist's research productivity”4) just to name a few of the more frequently cited PCP features. Under Colin’s leadership, PCP has become one of Medical Physics’ most beloved and downloaded features.
Applications are being solicited for this volunteer position. The ideal applicant will
- be a nationally and internationally recognized medical physics scholar or researcher
- have a broad range of scientific and clinical interests and will be comfortable recruiting authors, formulating debate propositions, and editing PCP features covering a diverse array of scientific, clinical, and public policy knowledge domains
- be a former or current Medical Physics Associate Editor or Editorial Board member
- be a current member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine
- commit to preparing publication-ready PCP debate manuscripts on a monthly basis
- be willing to serve as PCP Moderator Designate under the guidance of Dr. Orton no later than September 1, 2017.
If you are interested in this important leadership and scholarly position, please submit your Curriculum Vitae and letter of interest to Jeff Williamson, PCP Moderator Search Committee Chair (c/o of Viv Dennis). In your cover letter please provide a few paragraphs addressing the following points:
- The basis of your interest in this position
- What qualifications and personal strengths (e.g., intellectual temperament, scientific skills/expertise, editorial skills) make you uniquely qualified for this position?
- What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the current PCP series? What do you see as the opportunities to improve PCP?
- How would you proceed to recruit PCP authors and formulate interesting scientific, professional and clinical practice debate propositions that span the vast breadth of our field?
Please submit your CV and Letter of Interest to Viv Denis no later than June 16, 2017.
References
1A. Karellas, J. Y. Lo, and C. G. Orton, “Cone beam x-ray CT will be superior to digital x-ray tomosynthesis in imaging the breast and delineating cancer,” Medical Physics 35 (2), 409-411 (2008).
2H. I. Amols, D. A. Jaffray, and C. G. Orton, “Image-guided radiotherapy is being overvalued as a clinical tool in radiation oncology,” Medical Physics 33 (10), 3583-3586 (2006).
3M. Doss, M. P. Little, and C. G. Orton, “Point/Counterpoint: Low-dose radiation is beneficial, not harmful,” Medical Physics 41 (7) (2014).
4C. Baldock, R. M. Ma, and C. G. Orton, “The h index is the best measure of a scientist's research productivity,” Medical Physics 36 (4), 1043-1045 (2009).
PCP Moderator Search Committee roster
- Jeff Williamson, Editor-in-Chief (Chair)
- Shiva Das, Therapy Physics Editor
- Mitch Goodsitt, Imaging Physics Editor
- Sam Armato, JsBMC chair
- Colin Orton, Current PCP Moderator
- Carri Glide-Hurst, BEMP member-therapy
- Sibylle I. Ziegler, BEMP member-imaging