Hybrid Courses in the Field of Particle Therapy 2024
- Course types 1a & 1b: course details, dates and target groups
- Course types 2a & 2b: course details, dates and target groups
- Course type 3: course details, dates and target groups
- Free course participation for course type 3
- Online Phase and Online Sessions
- Hybrid Attendance Phase in Heidelberg
- Guided Tours at HIT: online or on-site
- Program Leaders
- Fees 2024
- Registration 2024
- Contact
- Partners
- Accreditation, Endorsements and Certification
The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg offers three hybrid courses in the field of particle therapy. The courses are organized under the auspices of the Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO) in close cooperation with the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) as well as the University Hospital Heidelberg.
- Course type 1a: Hybrid Specialized Course Particle Therapy for Physicians (24 Teaching Units (TUs))
- Course type 1b: Hybrid Specialized Course Radiation Protection Particle Therapy (ST5) for Medical Physics Experts (MPEs; 18 TUs)
- Course type 2a: Hybrid Teaching Course Particle Therapy, including Specialized Course for Physicians (40 TUs)
- Course type 2b: Hybrid Teaching Course Particle Therapy, including Specialized Course for MPEs (33 TUs)
- Course type 3: Hybrid Teaching Course Particle Therapy (37 TUs)
All courses are designed as flexible as possible to fit into the professional's busy schedule. As one of the largest radiation therapy centers in Europe, the unique Ion-Beam Therapy Center with its isocentric gantry as well as many years of experience in online-enhanced teaching, Heidelberg is an excellent place for further education of physicians and physicists, and young scientists.
Please feel free to download our flyer here to share with your colleagues:
Course types 1a & 1b: course details, dates and target groups
Course type 1a Hybrid Specialized Course Particle Therapy for Physicians (24 Teaching Units (TUs)) is designed for physicians and can be counted towards the "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie" in accordance with point 3, Appendix 1 of the letter ("Rundschreiben") of the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety as of June 18th, 2015, (file number (Aktenzeichen (Az)).: RS II, 4 – 15174) as well as the requirements of the "Richtlinie Strahlenschutz in der Medizin".
Course type 1b Hybrid Specialized Course Radiation Protection Particle Therapy (ST5) for MPEs (18 TUs) is designed for Medical Physics Experts (MPEs) and can be counted towards the "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie" in accordance with Appendix 4 of the guidelines of the Radiation Protection Act (Richtlinienmodul zur StrlSchV „Erforderliche Fachkunden im Strahlenschutz für Medizinphysik-Experten (MPE)" - Anforderungen an den Erwerb) as of Feb. 1st 2021 as well as the requirements of the "Richtlinie Strahlenschutz in der Medizin".
The course types are split into an online phase (covering 50% of all TUs) that is terminated by a mandatory online test, and a hybrid attendance phase in Heidelberg about the remaining 50% of TUs. At the end of the whole course, the mandatory exam (Multiple Choice) takes place either online or on-site and covers all TUs of each course type. To successfully complete the course, participation in all live sessions of the respective course program via Zoom or on site in Heidelberg is mandatory. The exact days and times of the sessions are specified in the respective course program. For online-only participation, it is also mandatory to switch on the webcam during the live sessions on Zoom.
Dates at a glance (2024):
- Online phase: Oct. 14th - Nov. 24th 2024
- Online test (Multiple Choice): Nov. 8th - Nov. 24th 2024
(During this period participants can do the online test whenever they have time.) - Hybrid Attendance Phase in Heidelberg: Nov. 28th - Nov. 29th 2024
(All days and times are indicated on the program. Please download it and read it carefully.) - Exam either online or on-site (Multiple Choice): Nov. 29th 2024, 1 - 2pm
Further details at a glance:
- Teaching Languages: English and German
- Language of the online test: English
- Language of the exam: German
- "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie": Yes
- Target Groups:
- Course type 1a: Physicians
- Course type 1b: MPEs
- Hybrid Mode of Attendance Phase: there are two options available and participants can book, respectively:
- attendance 100% virtually: participants attend the attendance phase and the exam via Zoom.
- attendance in Heidelberg: participants attend the attendance phase and the exam on-site in Heidelberg
Programs 2024:
Course types 2a & 2b: course details, dates and target groups
Course type 2a Hybrid Teaching Course Particle Therapy, including Specialized Course for Physicians (40 TUs) as well as course type 2b HybridTeaching Course Particle Therapy, including Specialized Course (ST5) for MPEs (33 TUs) combines all TUs of the specialized courses with 14 additional teaching units in order to provide a deeper understanding of particle therapy and its clinical applications. Furhtermore, there is an introduction to the FLASH Radiotherapy with Particles.
Same as for course types 1a and 1b, each course is split into an online phase, that ends up with a mandatory online test (Multiple Choice) about all topics taught during the online phase. The remaining TUs are taught during Online Sessions and the hybrid attendance phase in Heidelberg. The mandatory exam (Multiple Choice) at the end of the whole course is about all TUs that are part of the specialized courses (marked with * in the program; 24 or 18 TUs, respectively) and can either be taken online or on-site in Heidelberg. To successfully complete the course, participation in all live sessions of the respective course program via Zoom or on site in Heidelberg is mandatory. The exact days and times of the sessions are specified in the respective course program. For online-only participation, it is also mandatory to switch on the webcam during the live sessions on Zoom.
Dates at a glance (2024):
- Online phase: Oct. 14th - Nov. 24th 2024
- Online test (Multiple Choice): Nov. 8th - Nov. 24th 2024
(During this period participants can do the online test whenever they have time.) - Online Sessions on Zoom: Nov. 25th - Nov. 26th 2024 (see programs)
- Hybrid Attendance Phase in Heidelberg: Nov. 28th - Nov. 29th 2024
(All days and times are indicated on the program. Please download it and read it carefully.) - Exam either online or on-site (Multiple Choice): Nov. 29th 2024, 1 - 2pm
Further details at a glance:
- Teaching Languages: English and German
- Language of the online test: English
- Language of the online exam: German
- "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie": Yes
- Target Groups:
- Course type 2a: Physicians
- Course type 2b: MPEs
- Hybrid Mode of Attendance Phase: there are two options available and participants can book, respectively:
- attendance 100% virtually: participants attend the attendance phase and the exam via Zoom.
- attendance in Heidelberg: participants attend the attendance phase and the exam on-site in Heidelberg
Programs 2024:
Course type 3: course details, dates and target groups
Course type 3 Hybrid Teaching Course Particle Therapy comprises 37 English-speaking teaching units (TUs) and cannot be counted towards the "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie". Basic knowledge of medical physics and radiation therapy is required. It also includes the introduction to FLASH Radiotherapy with Particles.
It is also split into an online phase with the mandatory first online test (Multiple Choice) about all topics of the online phase. Online Sessions on Zoom as well as the hybrid attendphase cover the remaining topics (see program). The course is concluded by the mandatory second online test (Multiple Choice) about all topics taught during the online sessions on Zoom and the hybrid attendance phase. To successfully complete the course, in addition to successfully passing both online tests, participation in all live sessions of the respective course program via Zoom or on site in Heidelberg is mandatory. The exact days and times of the sessions are specified in the respective course program. For online-only participation, it is also mandatory to switch on the webcam during the live sessions on Zoom.
Dates at a glance (2024):
- Online Phase: Oct. 14th - Nov. 24th 2024
- First Online Test (Multiple Choice): Nov. 8th - Nov. 24th 2024
(During this period participants can do the first online test whenever they have time.) - Online Sessions on Zoom: Nov. 25th - Nov. 26th 2024 (see program)
- Hybrid Attendance Phase in Heidelberg: Nov. 28th - Nov. 29th 2024
(All days and times are indicated on the program. Please download it and read it carefully.) - Second Online Test (Multiple Choice): Nov. 29th - Dec. 15th 2024
(During this period participants can do the second online test whenever they have time.)
Further details at a glance:
- Teaching Language: English (no German ability required)
- Language of the first and second online tests: English
- "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie": No
- Target Groups:
- Young national and international scientists
- BSc, MSc or PhD students from around the globe
- Physicians and MPEs without interest to gain the "Fachkunde Partikeltherapie"
- Hybrid Mode of Attendance Phase: there are two options available and participants can book, respectively:
- attendance 100% virtually: participants attend the attendance phase via Zoom.
- attendance in Heidelberg: participants attend the attendance phase on-site in Heidelberg
Program 2024:
Free course participation for course type 3
We are pleased to waive the participation fee of course type 3 for a limited number of selected participants this year. Candidates who meet all application conditions given on this page below as a PDF can submit their application including all application documents via the application portal below. This free course participation is aimed at candidates from DAC countries listed by the OECD in the current list on this website https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/oda-eligibility-and-conditions/dac-list-of-oda-recipients.html (or as PDF here) as "Least Developed Countries", "Low Income Countries" or "Lower Middle Income Countries".
Application Deadline for free course participation is expired. Regular bookings are still possible until Sep. 25th 2024.
Please note: If the candidates are selected for free course participation, the candidates can participate for free either online or on site. If the selected candidates decide to attend on site, all additional costs for accommodation and traveling has to be covered by the candidates themselves. These costs are not covered by DKFZ!
Online Phase and Online Sessions
All courses start with an online phase of 6 weeks. It is designed to be as flexible as possible in order to take into account the professional's busy schedule. During this period, participants get access to the virtual learning platform "Moodle" which provides all learning materials such as recorded video lectures and lecture notes as PDFs.
In addition, there are three assignments for participants of course types 2a, 2b, and 3, that need to be solved in small groups during the online phase. During the Online Sessions the results of these three assignments will be discussed with our teachers and the whole group. To work on the group assignments, further online rooms and tools will be provided to participants for individual use.
The online phase of all course types are concluded by the mandatory online test about all topics of the online phase. Please note the following:
- For course types 1 and 2: 70% of the points need to be reached to successfully pass the online test and to be accepted for the hybrid attendance phase. If a participant reaches less than 70%, but more than 50%, a short online oral interview on Zoom will be arranged individually with the course leaders prior to the hybrid attendance phase.
- For course type 3: 50% of the points need to be reached to successfully pass the online test.
Please also download and read our technical requirements to attend our hybrid courses:
Hybrid Attendance Phase in Heidelberg
The hybrid attendance phase takes place simultaneously on Zoom and on site in Heidelberg. Participants decide while booking if they would like to attend online on Zoom or on-site in Heidelberg. The venue at DKFZ is provided with excellent video and audio equipment to ensure interactive and high-quality lectures and sessions. Each on-site participant has their own microphone in the seminar room to broadcast questions to all online participants.
The address of the venue is:
German Cancer Research Center
Communication Center, Seminar room K1/K2 (1st floor)
Im Neuenheimer Feld 280
DE-69120 Heidelberg
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Pyq26ZDENVaXyGqX6
How to get there: https://www.dkfz.de/de/dkfz/anfahrt.html
The mandatory exam of course types 1 and 2 is scheduled at the end of the courses (see programs). The exam for course types 1 and 2 takes place online on Moodle and on Zoom as well as on site in Heidelberg. 70% of the points indicated in the exam need to be reached to get the final certificate of attendance. If a participant reaches less than 70%, but more than 50%, a short online oral interview on Zoom will be arranged individually with the course leaders.
The mandatory second online test of course type 3 is available via Moodle and can be done during approximately 14 days (exact period see course details of the course type 3 on this website). 50% of the points are needed to successfully pass the second online test.
Prior to the first session on Zoom or on-site in Heidelberg, there will be the so-called Online ID-Check or On-site Registration (either with your ID card or your passport) with the course coordinators (date and time see programs). More information about this procedure will be announced in advance on Moodle.
Snacks and beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks) during the coffee breaks in Heidelberg (see programs) are included in the registration fee.
Guided Tours at HIT: online or on-site
Participants will get access to a virtual tour to the Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT). With this tour, especially our online participants get an insight into the building and the facility.
Furthermore, on-site participants can also register for a guided tour to the facility, taking place on site in Heidelberg after the course. Participation is optional. Registration for this on-site tour will be possible during the online phase on our virtual learning platform Moodle.
Program Leaders
Professor Oliver Jäkel, PhD
Head of the Department of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, DKFZ, Heidelberg
Head of Medical Physics of the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT)
Professor Jürgen Debus, MD, PhD
Medical Director of the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) and of the Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy Clinic at the Heidelberg University Hospital
Fees 2024
- Regular fee: €400
- Reduced fee for Heidelberg Members: €290
Course type 1b:
- Regular fee: €300
- Reduced fee for Heidelberg Members: €250
Course type 2a:
- Regular fee: €560
- Reduced fee for Heidelberg Members: €450
Course type 2b:
- Regular fee: €450
- Reduced fee for Heidelberg Members: €390
Please note: only members of the Division of E040 (DKFZ), of the Division of Radiooncology and Radiation Therapy (University Hospital Heidelberg) or of the HIT can register with the reduced fee for course types 1 and 2.
Course type 3:
- Regular fee: €490
- Students' fee (BSc, MSc or PhD/MD students with enrolment confirmation ("Immatrikulationsbescheinigung")): €150
Registration 2024
The courses are fully booked. Please contact our organizing team if you would like to be put on the waiting list.
Contact
Please contact us with any questions you may have at spezialkurs.partikeltherapie@dkfz.de
Course organization
Anna Moshanina & Marcel Schäfer
German Cancer Research Center
Division of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology
Im Neuenheimer Feld 223
DE-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Phone: +49 6221 42-3481 (on Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Moshanina) as well as 42-2644 (on Mondays and Thursdays: Schäfer)
Accreditation, Endorsements and Certification
Regional Authority (Regierungspräsidium) Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
The Specialized Course Particle Therapy for Physicians (24 TUs; course type 1a and parts of course type 2a), as well as the one for MPEs (18 TUs; course type 1b and parts of course types 2b), are officially recognized as hybrid courses on November 16th 2023 by the Regional Authority (Regierungspräsidium) Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, based on §51 in combination with §47 para 3 of the "StrlSchV". This recognition is valid in all German Federal States until Nov. 16th 2028.
DGMP (German Society of Medical Physics):
Since the courses have been accepted by the Regional Authority Tübingen, all courses are automatically approved by the DGMP (German Society of Medical Physics) as education and CPD.
Landesärztekammer Baden-Württemberg (LÄK):
The course types 1a and 2a are recognized by the Society for Physicians of Baden-Württemberg (Landesärztekammer Baden-Württemberg) with 24 (course type 1a) and 40 (course type 2a) points in category K.
Since the courses 1a and 2a are recognized by the Regional Authority Tübingen, other German societies for physicians (Landesärztekammern) accepts the points by the LÄK Baden-Württemberg.
Course Type 3 Hybrid Teaching Course Particle Therapy is accredited by IOMP with 55 CPD points.
All course types are endorsed by: