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What path should I take to be a Nuclear medicine physician.
I wanna become a certified nuclear medicine physician
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Fred’s Answer
Well...I'm not a doctor, but this is my understanding. First, you'd get an undergraduate degree - generally 4 years. Doctors usually go for something like chemistry or biology, but that's not a requirement. Then you go to Med school for three years. Near the end, you pick a couple of fields you'd consider specializing in. I believe this is where you'd chose nuclear med and a few others. Programs then select who they want to accept, and hopefully, you get your first choice. As I understand it, this is not a guarantee. I don't know what happens if you match into something you don't really want - if there is a "do-over" the next year or not.
Then you'd spend a few more years getting training in your specialized field. Somewhere in there, you have to take the boards to become licensed to practice that kind of medicine.
Then you'd spend a few more years getting training in your specialized field. Somewhere in there, you have to take the boards to become licensed to practice that kind of medicine.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Sphesihle
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Helene’s Answer
To become a nuclear medicine physician, which is my profession, you must go to medical school typically 4 years, then do an internship usually for one year, then either become a radiologist which take s 4 years of training followed by a fellowship in nuclear medicine or go directly into a nuclear medicine residency.
You are much more marketable if you go the route of radiology then nuclear medicine.
Good luck
You are much more marketable if you go the route of radiology then nuclear medicine.
Good luck
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Joseph’s Answer
As well as the biology and chemistry studies others have mentioned, nuclear medicine and radiation safety are often quite physics-based, so it's worth also keeping up at least a basic grounding in physics as part of your studies too.
In fact, here in the UK, the nuclear physics Masters I studied shared a whole bunch of lectures with a counterpart program covering medical radiation for physicists looking to get into nuclear medicine or radiology. I suspect the people on that program end up in more technical roles rather than as practicing physicians, but a pure physics route can be a way into parts of nuclear medicine too, at least in the UK. Perhaps not directly relevant to you as I don't know whether a similar pathway exists in your country and regardless you'll want to take the physician route through med school route then specializing into nuclear medicine, but the fact that it can be done that way should give you some idea of the importance of physics in nuclear medicine.
In fact, here in the UK, the nuclear physics Masters I studied shared a whole bunch of lectures with a counterpart program covering medical radiation for physicists looking to get into nuclear medicine or radiology. I suspect the people on that program end up in more technical roles rather than as practicing physicians, but a pure physics route can be a way into parts of nuclear medicine too, at least in the UK. Perhaps not directly relevant to you as I don't know whether a similar pathway exists in your country and regardless you'll want to take the physician route through med school route then specializing into nuclear medicine, but the fact that it can be done that way should give you some idea of the importance of physics in nuclear medicine.
Updated
Sami’s Answer
Although you don't necessarily have to major in Biology or Chemistry as an undergrad, you should plan on taking at least some upper-level biology courses (Cell biology, Genetics, etc.) and doing well on them. Getting into med. school is, of course, very competitive and this will increase your chances of gaining admission. If nuclear medicine is a highly sought after medical specialty then you'll need to do very well in medical school.
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