Nuclear Medicine

[UB-Vinny77]

<p>I’m not sure if this is the right place for this.</p>

<p>But I am looking for a career in Nuclear medicine, I really love everything Nuclear, just fascinates me. Only thing that really does. What are some careers in such a subject.</p>

<p>Not that I’m greedy, but I will need to make a decent paycheck, I will have people to support very soon, including my mother and $50k a year will not support my family and my current family.</p>

[shades_children]

<p>Do a Google search for “careers in nuclear medicine”. Also see this page: <a href=“Page not found - College of Charleston”>Page not found - College of Charleston;

<p>If you’re truly interested in the field, have you considered applying for the ACS Nuclear Summer School? (<a href=“Page not found - College of Charleston”>www.cofc.edu/~nuclear/nukess.html</a>) You can learn about all sorts of nuclear and radiochemistry. The unit on nuclear medicine is only a week long, but you get to do all sorts of cool stuff like visit medical facilities, use a Tc-99 generator, etc.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, based on your other posts, it seems that you’re a computer science student who dislikes chemistry. How on earth did you hit upon nuclear medicine?</p>

[UB-Vinny77]

<p>well I hate chemistry with a passion, all except Nuclear chemistry, in HS did horribly in Chemistry, though Nuclear chemistry section I got 100’s on all tests, Its the only thing that interests me.</p>

[bluedevilmike]

<p>I don’t even know what nuclear medicine is. Is that just a specific subset of radiology?</p>

[shades_children]

<p>Basically. Using radioactive isotopes like Tc-99 to assist in imaging of various organ systems, etc.</p>

[Bigredmed]

<p>

A nuclear medicine specialist employs the properties of radioactive atoms and molecules in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, and in research. Radiation detection and imaging instrument systems are used to detect disease as it changes the function and metabolism of normal cells, tissues, and organs. A wide variety of diseases can be found in this way, usually before the structure of the organ involved by the disease can be seen to be abnormal by any other techniques. Early detection of coronary artery disease (including acute heart attack); early cancer detection and evaluation of the effect of tumor treatment; diagnosis of infection and inflammation anywhere in the body; and early detection of blood clot in the lungs are all possible with these techniques. Unique forms of radioactive molecules can attack and kill cancer cells (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid cancer) or can relieve the severe pain of cancer that has spread to bone. The nuclear medicine specialist has special knowledge in the biologic effects of radiation exposure, the fundamentals of the physical sciences and the principles and operation of radiation detection and imaging instrumentation systems.

</p>

<p>The above is from the AAMC’s Careers in Medicine page.</p>

<p>Residency requires a transitional PG1 year in either surgery or internal med, followed by 3 years of nuclear medicine training. It’s not a very popular specialty and it appears that sometimes programs dont’ even fill the spots they have available.</p>

<p>There is also a 1 year fellowship off of the Diagnostic Radiology residency path. </p>

<p>Not really sure what the differences are…</p>