The qualified medical physicist (QMP) education was established in Finland during the 1960s.
The education scheme was analogous to the specialization programs of the physicians. It included a graduate degree (MSc) in physics, an examination in radiation safety, administrative education, professional courses, five years of practical training in five areas of medical physics: radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, clinical physiology, diagnostic radiology and clinical neurophysiology, and finally a QMP examination with extensive theoretical content. The qualifications were granted by a special board of medical physicists.
The education of QMPs has very long traditions in Finland, and the content is not limited only for ionizing radiation in medical physics.