Nuclear Medicine (Radiology) Training: Entry Requirements

Core training: 24 months; At accredited nuclear medicine settings, at most 12 at each
Accredited settings: 2; At least
Paediatric training: 15 days; At least, 5 of them at an accredited children's hospital
Positron emission tomography: 20 days; At least, full-time equivalent
Radionuclide therapy: 5 days; At least, in a service treating beyond radioactive iodine

Rules and conditions

Two phases of at least 12 months full-time equivalent each, specialty consolidation and the completion phase, each ending in a decision on evidence of competence
No non-core training on this route
At most 12 months is recommended at any one accredited private setting, unless you show the training there is broad and diverse
Paediatric and radionuclide therapy blocks run 3 months at most
Up to 10 paediatric days can come from an adult setting with many paediatric cases, on request to the Training Program Committee, after 12 months there
To train overseas, talk to the Training Program Committee first. The setting applies for accreditation before you start, which can take 6 months, and its training must match that in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand

Accredited settings46 in Australia, each accredited for a set number of trainees. Core training counts only at an accredited setting, in the 2027 accredited settings list
What each setting givesNot every setting gives cardiac, therapy, bone densitometry, paediatric or positron emission tomography work. The list shows which, and you arrange what is missing at another setting
Who employs youThe hospital or private radiology practice that runs the setting
OverseasUniversity College London Hospital, for 1 trainee
In the territoryNo setting is accredited

What every accredited nuclear medicine setting must give you

Patients a year: 2,500; At least for each trainee, across every kind of nuclear medicine study
General nuclear medicine: 1,500; Cases a year at least for each trainee, cardiac and paediatric studies included
Cardiac studies: 200; A year at least for each trainee, done hands-on, with 200 more from a case library
Positron emission tomography: 500; Oncology studies a year at least for each trainee, where the setting is accredited for it

Rules and conditions

At least 20 radionuclide therapy cases a year for each trainee, and 200 bone densitometry scans a year where you report them on site
A setting with no paediatric work arranges 5 to 10 working days a year for you at an accredited children's department. One with no positron emission tomography arranges up to 10 working days a year at a setting that has it
A setting with no bone densitometry arranges the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society course for you
Regular interdisciplinary clinical meetings, where you present and discuss cases, and undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
Clinicians from other specialties who come to the department for advice on scans, and correlative imaging you discuss with the specialists concerned
Hands-on work such as red and white blood cell labelling and Technegas or aerosol preparation, and routine quality control of gamma cameras, radiopharmaceuticals and computers
A nuclear medicine physicist, a radiation safety officer and a radiopharmaceutical scientist you can consult
An active research program with a project for you, and the time to complete it
Leave to attend the Basic Sciences Course, a medical library, and a case library kept up to date
A setting in or affiliated with a university teaching hospital, able to give you 12 months of training

Rotation supervisors: 2; Each rotation, at least one a Fellow of the RACP or the RANZCR in nuclear medicine
Research project supervisor: 1; Nominated before specialty consolidation, recommended
Specialist for each extra trainee: 1; Full-time equivalent, on top of the specialist always on site

Rules and conditions

A nuclear medicine specialist who is, or could be, a Fellow or member of the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists is on site whenever routine nuclear medicine procedures run
The specialist is present whenever you do a procedure and supervises all your reporting. A nuclear medicine specialist checks every final report, after-hours emergency reports included
You take part in the daily running of the service: supervising scanning, examining patients, doing procedures and writing reports
Another credentialled specialist can supervise you only in exceptional cases, for at most 1 day a week
In positron emission tomography, a specialist credentialled in it by the Joint Nuclear Medicine Credentialling and Accreditation Committee supervises you at all times
Nominate your supervisors in each rotation plan, from the list of eligible supervisors on MyRACP. If you are already a Fellow, confirm a supervisor is eligible with the RACP, since the list is not open to you
Your research project supervisor guides your choice of project, method, analysis and writing, and can be one of your rotation supervisors

Clinical Radiology Phase 2 Examinations: 3; Pathology, Clinical Radiology and the clinical examination, passed before nuclear medicine training starts

Rules and conditions

Basic Sciences examination: 8 to 9 weeks after the Basic Sciences Course, online at your training setting with your supervisor observing, in multiple-choice and long-answer questions. Pass it to complete the course

Learning captures: 12; Each phase, at least one a month
Observation captures: 12; Each phase
Progress reports: 4; Each phase, at least one every 3 months
Paediatric case report: 1; By the end of training, reviewed by the Training Program Committee
Continuous Assessment Program: 1; Each core year: 2 written assignments and 1 oral assessment task

Rules and conditions

Rotation plans are due 28 February for rotations in the first half or whole of the year, and 31 August for the second half, with the position description and weekly timetable
A Progress Review Panel decides at the end of each phase
The paediatric case report takes a clinical question from a patient in your paediatric training, appraises the evidence and applies it to the case
Research project: needed only if your RANZCR research project does not meet the RACP research project requirement. Wait for RANZCR to mark yours, then apply for recognition of it
The Continuous Assessment Program is run by the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists for its trainee members, who register in February and March. Each written assignment is a 1,500-word essay
In the oral assessment task you review 6 cases, then two examiners question you and give feedback
Every assessment set in your core years is completed, in proportion for part-time training

Cardiac cases: 300; At least, 200 with the stress test performed and reported under supervision
Positron emission tomography: 300; Studies at least, at most 100 of them paediatric or adolescent
Bone mineral density scans: 200; Reported under supervision, or the bone densitometry course

Rules and conditions

One logbook through training, submitted twice in each phase, every 6 months
Up to 100 cardiac cases can be joint reports or library cases, and 10 correlated with coronary catheterisation or CT angiography are recommended
The bone densitometry course is the 2-day practitioner course of the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society, with its examination passed
The radionuclide therapy and theranostics package: the 5 days, 2 multidisciplinary meetings on high-dose therapy, and a theranostics course, 5 more days or 8 more meetings

Basic Sciences Course: 8 days; Over two weeks in June, required by the end of training
Supervisor workshops: 3; Free, by the end of training

Rules and conditions

Basic Sciences Course: run once a year by the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists for its trainee members, mostly online with two in-person practical days
An exemption from the Basic Sciences Course is asked of the Training Program Committee by 15 April
RACP Supervisor Professional Development Program: practical skills for supervisors, teaching and learning in healthcare settings, and work-based learning and assessment, as virtual or face-to-face workshops or online courses
Recommended: the RACP Communication Skills, Ethics, Introduction to Leadership, Management and Teamwork, and Research Projects resources

Part-time training: 0.2; Full-time equivalent, at least
Interruption: 12 months; Continuous, with no extra training required
Time limit: 8 years; To complete the program

Rules and conditions

Each application to train part-time or to interrupt training covers up to 12 months, and is made again to extend it
More than 12 continuous months away can bring a return to training plan for the first 6 months back, and more than 24 months requires one and may add training
Approved full-time parental and medical leave does not count toward the time limit

Nuclear Medicine (Radiology)

Prerequisites

Applications

Timeline

When to apply

Selection format

Competition

Program structure

Clinical Radiology Training

Training time

Examinations

Assessments

Specialty consolidation

Training time

Assessments

Completion

Assessments

Selection criteria

Academic

Publications & research

Personal statement

Referees

Interview

Application process

Entry tips

What the college has changed

Training posts

Official resources

Official links

Prerequisites

Applications

Timeline

When to apply

Selection format

Competition

Program structure

Training time

Examinations

Assessments

Training time

Assessments

Assessments

Selection criteria

Academic

Publications & research

Personal statement

Referees

Interview

Application process

Entry tips

What the college has changed

Training posts

Official resources

Official links

Related specialties