The Bologna Process highlights, among its most significant compromises, the establishing, in all European countries, of a study level of Postgraduate in which they are fitted, in coordination, the studies leading to the obtaining of a Master's degree and a Doctorate. These studies are aimed to qualify the student for an advanced training of specialised character, in a specific scientific, technical or artistic area, or else to promote their training in research works. Furthermore, collaboration between departments of a same university and between universities, Spanish and foreigners are favoured, so that they can jointly organise postgraduate programmes leading to the obtaining of a Master's degree or a double degree and a Doctorate.

In Spain, as well as in Europe, the field of applications of physics to health sciences, whether in terms of the aspect of the basic funcion of living organisms or the development of diagnosis and therapy techniques, is acquiring an strong relevance. In fact, physics are increasingly required in all the areas related with healthcare: the related industry, the electromedicine services, radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy of hospitals and the healthcare administration.

Medical Physics is concerned with providing the scientific base for the use of new diagnosis technologies and therapy (traditional, computerised and digital radiology, magnetic resonance imaging, tomography, particle accelerators, etc.), establishing criteria for the correct use of particles; establishing criteria for the correct use of physical agents that medicine employs (ionising radiations, microwaves, laser, etc; establishing criteria for the radiological protection of workers and patients; participating in the design of auxiliar tools and establishing regulations to measure many biological variables. Luckily, the use of the most modern diagnosis techniques is linked to physics. As such, radiophysicists work in all the Spanish hospitals, which handle the most modern equipment and watch over their state and function. But also the competition of expert physics in medical physics is necessary in commercialisation companies and in all the areas that, in one way or another, have a relation with the use of physics in medicine.

Regarding the initiatives in the European Union related with the Master's Degree in Medical Physics, we can say that the process of convergence of the studies is being carried out in greater or lesser degrees in all countries, specially in Scandinavian countries, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands. Specifically, in the United Kingdom the traditional study plans are adapted almost perfectly to the requisites of Bologna (3 years of Bachelor and 1 or 2 of Master's). Given that in that country there exists much academic tradition of Medical Physics (regulated in Master's) it is not surprising that they quickly offer this European official degree. 

Spain is one of the few European countries that does not count with regulated studies for this discipline. Currently, this is carried out by the very same industry, in hospitals or university departments. All of this in a very isolated manner as in the universities there are very few groups that carry out research on this matter.

Physicists carry out in hospitals specific assistance tasks such as treatment planning with radiations, control of radiology equipment, design and control of radiological premises, staff control and of the zones exposed to radiations, etc. These tasks are legislated since the programme of access to Resident Physicist Intern was created. The Royal Decree 220/1997, of 14 February, creates and regulates the obtaining of the official degree of Expert in Hospital Radiophysics, from a regulated postgraduate training, of theoretical-practical nature, being indispensable to develop practical aspects through a system of residency in hospitals, with a training period of three consecutive years, through which the specialisation in Hospital Radiophysicist is obtained. It allows professional development of the tasks mentioned above.

In order to access the different teaching units authorised to the training of Experts in Hospital Radiophysics it is necessary to pass a test of national character controlled by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs who selects candidates (graduates in Physics or any other university degree in scientific and technological disciplines).

The Master's Degree in Physics expects to train its students in the physical and technological aspects that are needed as a basis to delve in the field of Medical Physics. We have to highlight that this Master's does not provide with a training in Expert in Hospital Radiophysics, training that can only be achieved through the system of hospital residency. The training of new students is aimed to delve in radiation physics (ionising and non-ionising) in its application to medicine that allows, to graduates with different training, to be in good condition to pass the national test of access to expert training.