ABSTRACT
In 1963, my meandering in medical physics took quite a dramatic turn. This event could well also have been an important point in the wider development of medical physics, at least in its radiological manifestations. By the end of the 1950s the revolution in radiotherapy was in full swing. Betatrons and linear accelerators were being installed in large numbers in established centres; indeed the linear accelerator was soon to become the standard equipment in any radiotherapy department. At the same time, telecurie units using cobalt and occasionally caesium had come into widespread use. However, the geographical distribution of these high-tech services over the regions of the world was very uneven. For example, alongside the sophistication of Western Europe, the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arab world seemed to lag far behind. This was a matter of some concern to the United Nations. This led the IAEA, with the WHO, to call meetings of experts in radiotherapy and medical physics in Vienna and then in Canada in 1962 to consider this problem. Among many proposals from Montreal was one which encouraged the IAEA to send visiting experts to appropriate developing areas, either on short-term appointment to point the way to special efforts or over the longer term to initiate and assist major developments.
