Nuclear Medicine Physicians

High School

Nuclear medicine physicians must devote many years to study before being admitted to practice. Be sure to enroll in a college preparatory course, and take courses in English, languages, the humanities, social studies, and mathematics, in addition to courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. Take advanced placement or honors classes and strive to achieve high grades, ideally graduating in the top of your class.

Postsecondary Training

A bachelor's degree from an accredited undergraduate institution is the first required step toward a medical profession. Some colleges offer premedical courses. A good general education is important, with as many science courses as possible and a major in biology or chemistry is considered adequate preparation for the study of medicine. Courses should include physics, biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, English, mathematics, social sciences, and computer science.

Early in their senior year, college students should begin to apply to medical schools, and research into schools should be done well before that. Prepare to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), as all medical colleges in the United States require this test for admission. The MCAT score is one of the determining factors for the acceptance or rejection of medical school applicants. The examination has four sections: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.

It is recommended that students apply to at least several institutions to increase the chances of being accepted by one of them. Approximately one out of every two qualified applicants to medical schools is admitted each year. To facilitate this process, the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) will check, copy, and submit applications to the medical schools that students specify.

In addition to the traditional medical schools, there are several schools of basic medical sciences that enroll medical students for the first two years (preclinical experience) of medical school. They offer a preclinical curriculum to students similar to that which is offered by a regular medical school. At the end of the two-year program, you can then apply to a four-year medical school for the final two years of instruction.

Grades are only one of the criteria used in determining acceptance of a student to a medical school. Other determining factors include an interview, emotional stability, integrity, reliability, resourcefulness, and a sense of service. Students can display these traits through extracurricular activities and awards.

Studies during the first two years of medical school cover human anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, microbiology, pathology, medical ethics, and laws governing medicine. Most instruction is given through classroom lectures, laboratories, seminars, independent research, and the reading of textbook material and other types of literature. Students also learn to take medical histories, examine patients, and recognize symptoms.

During the last two years in medical school, students become actively involved in the treatment process. They spend a large proportion of the time in the hospital as part of a medical team headed by a teaching physician who specializes in a particular area. Others on the team may be interns or residents. They are closely supervised as they learn techniques such as how to take a patient's medical history, how to conduct a physical examination, how to work in the laboratory, how to make a diagnosis, and how to keep all the necessary records. As students rotate from one medical specialty to another, they obtain a broad understanding of each field. They are assigned to duty in internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, and other specialties. Students continue to take course work during this time, and are responsible for assigned studies and some independent study.

Most states require all medical school graduates (M.D. or D.O.) to complete at least one year of postgraduate training, and some require an internship plus a one-year residency. To specialize in nuclear medicine, or other medical specialties, students will spend from three to eight years in internship and advanced residency training. Another two or more years of practice in nuclear medicine is usually required. (The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education offers a list of accredited post-M.D. medical training programs in the United States on its Web site, https://www.acgme.org.) Students must then pass a specialty board examination to become a board-certified physician. The residency years are stressful—residents often work 24-hour shifts and put in up to 80 hours per week while earning a relatively meager salary.

Nuclear medicine physicians who pursue a teaching or research career may also earn a master's degree or a Ph.D. in a biology or chemistry subfield, such as biochemistry or microbiology.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education seminars, webinars, and other learning opportunities are provided by the American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and other organizations.