What does a Nuclear Medicine Physicist do?

The physicist is a key member of the nuclear medicine team and has specific responsibilities for the scientific and technical aspects of the service. The professional role of a nuclear medicine physicist will fall within some or all of seven main areas.

Equipment management includes specification and acceptance testing of new equipment, as well as regular quality control of existing equipment. Data acquisition and processing covers the design and implementation of methods for acquiring images with the gamma camera and for computer processing of these data. It may also require the development of specific software for this purpose. Research and development of new techniques is often carried out as part of a multi-disciplinary team and medical physicists also have a role in the teaching and training of many other staff groups. Quality assurance is concerned with the production of well documented systems for managing and organising processes and audit is an important part of this. Many physicists are involved with radiation protection work to ensure the safety of patients, staff and the public. Finally, in some hospitals, physicists may also have a role to play in the radiopharmacy or the administration of radioisotopes for treatment of certain diseases. In many of the above areas, contact with patients is an important part of the job. What skills and qualifications are required? The physicist's role in nuclear medicine is thus a challenging one. It requires a sound scientific background, a capability for innovation, attention to detail and, above all, the ability to work within a multidisciplinary team that includes clinicians, technologists, pharmacists and nurses. The physicist must be prepared to work with patients and computer skills are essential, as the work will often involve advanced medical image processing. A nuclear medicine physicist will usually have had a general training as a medical physicist before deciding to specialise in nuclear medicine. How do I get into the profession? The entry qualification is a good honours degree in a physical science.In the UK new entrants to the profession are usually appointed to a training post in one of the medical physics training schemes approved by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).Applications for most of these training posts are handled centrally by the Clinical Scientists Recruitment Centre, who also deal with recruitment of other clinical scientists, such as biochemists. However some training schemes advertise directly. Posts are advertised in January or February each year for commencement in September. The trainee spends two years undergoing basic medical physics training in a broad spectrum of activities, of which nuclear medicine is only one part. An approved MSc course usually forms part of this basic training. The successful completion of basic training leads to the award of theIPEM Postgraduate Diploma (DipIPEM).After completing basic training, the physicist who wishes to specialise in nuclear medicine must obtain a permanent post (Agenda for Change band 7) in nuclear medicine. There are also opportunities for candidates with alternative qualifications and experience to enter the profession at this stage. The next four years are spent gaining advanced training and responsible experience within a structured Programme of Advanced Training and Responsibility (PATR). >Although not essential, in some centres the opportunity also exists to study to PhD level and this is generally encouraged. Two years into PATR candidates should have completed sufficient training to obtain state registration, which is now a mandatory requirement to practise as an NHS clinical scientist in the UK. State registration is administered by the Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS).How does a physicist's career proceed? Completion of PATR leads to corporate membership of the IPEM (MIPEM) and physicists would then be expected to progress through higher Agenda for Change (Afc) posts, taking more responsibility at each level. The “Modernising Scientific Careers” agenda will change the training period and structure by 2010. The highest Afc level is band 9, at which point the individual is usually in charge of a large regional scientific department. Afc band 8 posts normally correspond to responsibility for smaller scientific departments or a major departmental sub-division. Continuous in-service training (referred to as Continuing Professional Development, CPD) is essential as a means of demonstrating up-to-date skills and knowledge for professional staff at all grades. A physicist's CPD is locally determined but is overseen by the IPEM. References 1. Cosgriff PS, Perkins AC, Hart GC (1996) The role of the physicist in Nuclear Medicine. Nuclear Medicine Communications 17: 643-647. 2. Williams NR et al (1999).

Guidelines for the provision of physics support to nuclear medicine. Nuclear Medicine Communications, 20:781-787. General information on medical physics:
The General Secretary
The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
Fairmount House
230 Tadcaster Road York
YO24 1ES
Tel: 01904 610821
Fax: 01904 612279
Web site: www.ipem.ac.uk
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Information on state registration of clinical scientists:Association of Clinical Scientists
C/o Association of Clinical Biochemists
130-132 Tooley Street
London
SE1 2TU
Tel: 020 7940 8960
Web site: www.assclinsci.org
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Training posts for clinical scientists:
Clinical Scientists Recruitment Centre
Northgate Harvest
Wrest House,
Wrest Park
Silsoe
MK45 4HG
Tel: 01525 863605
Web site: www.nhsclinicalscientists.info
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