Pennsylvania currently has an approval process for non-board certified Medical Physicists performing mammography facility equipment surveys in Pennsylvania for compliance with the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). This process has existed since the inception of the MQSA in Pennsylvania in 1995. Medical Physicists are permitted to conduct mammography equipment surveys by meeting state approval requirements, without being board certified, i.e. Certified Medical Physicists. Federal regulation 21 CFR 900.12(a)(3)(i)(A) allows a Medical Physicist to, "Be State licensed or approved or have certification in an appropriate specialty area...." Pennsylvania does not have a licensure program for this purpose. Each state in the U.S. has the opportunity to have a licensure program or an approval process for Medical Physicists.
The Pennsylvania approval process includes a Bachelor’s degree and 40 hours of training or as it is termed, contact hours in the Federal regulations. Pennsylvania also requires 20 MQSA equipment surveys be performed under direct supervision.
The majority of the MQSA Medical Physicists performing Pennsylvania MQSA equipment surveys are qualified under the Federal regulations and are either board certified or licensed in another state and therefore do not need Pennsylvania approval. Any questions concerning the approval process can be directed to the Radiation Control Division of the Bureau of Radiation Protection.