Science in medicine-imaging and instrumentation. An introductory multimedia course in medical physics

The physics department of the Open University (OU) intends to produce an introductory `medical physics´ course. It will be based around an extensive computer simulation and video package with a reader and support material. Here, the author describes the project, outlines his rationale and aims, and invites participation from interested colleagues. The course has the provisional title Science in Medicine-Imaging and Instrumentation (SiMI2). It will be a 30 point module which can be taken as part of a (minimum) 360 point undergraduate degree. SiMI2 is intended to be a highly motivating component of the early part of the degree. The course will be of difficulty equivalent to that found at first year level in a conventional full-time degree. The author expects SiMI2 to be extremely popular. Surveys have shown repeatedly that medicine and health are the science related topics of most interest to the general public. Within the OU the largest population Science Faculty course is `Health and Disease´. The author hopes that SiMI2 will help to widen entry into physics. It will help to demonstrate the relevance of physics to matters that are of great concern to almost all people at some time in their lives