BSMS > Postgraduate > Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine

Key facts

MSc, PGDip, PGCert

Full-time: 1 year

Part-time: 2-3 years but up to a maximum of 5 years

Eligible applicants: UK, international

Start Date: September 2023

Location: University of Sussex, Falmer

Course Leader: Professor Sabina Dizdarevic

Read Professor Sabina Dizdarevic's profile here >

General enquiries: brighton.ac.uk/enquiries

This course will commence in 2023 and is currently undergoing validation by the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, equal partners of Brighton and Sussex Medical School. For expressions of interest please email the Course Leader, Professor Sabina Dizdarevic at: sabina.dizdarevic@nhs.net, including the subject line: 'MSc Nuclear Medicine Expression of Interest'.

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Course overview

This new course, and the first nuclear medicine postgraduate programme at BSMS, draws on the experience of leading educators in the field of nuclear medicine to deliver unique and flexible study in this exciting, expanding and important specialty.

Nuclear medicine is a specialty that involves all applications of radioactive materials in diagnosis, treatment and medical research, with the exception of the use of sealed radiation sources in radiotherapy (WHO definition).

It is a highly specialised and important area of healthcare, which pertains to many areas of medicine across the whole age spectrum from neonatal to geriatric medicine and underpins the management of many cancer, cardiovascular, infection, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.

The practice of nuclear medicine in the UK is closely regulated, with practitioners having to satisfy IR(ME)R and ARSAC requirements to lead nuclear medicine services. Nuclear medicine specialists therefore have stringent educational requirements to ensure provision of a high-quality service in the UK.

Study at our postgraduate diploma level is designed to address both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine education to satisfy the General Medical Council (GMC) mandated requirements in the training curriculum for nuclear medicine physicians, and the course has GMC approval.

The modular structure of the course allows the learning experience to be tailored to the needs of many others working with nuclear medicine, including: Radiologists/Radionuclide Radiologists, Nuclear Medicine Technologists and Radiographers, Clinical Scientists, Oncologists and Cardiologists.

You can study full or part-time to fit around NHS commitments - with teaching provided online and on-demand, supplemented with webinar tutorials to allow remote study.

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Who is it for?

This nationally unique course will constitute the GMC mandated Knowledge Based Assessment (PGDip) for Nuclear Medicine Physicians Higher Specialty Training. It has been endorsed by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board and incorporated into the GMC approved curriculum.

Its flexible and redesigned structure will also suit the educational requirements of other healthcare professionals working in the UK including:

Radiologists/Radionuclide Radiology Consultants and/or Trainees
Nuclear Radiographers
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Nuclear Medicine Nurses

Individual components of the course are likely to be attractive to the following clinical groups wanting to extend their practice to include clinical nuclear medicine:

Oncologists – Consultants and/or Trainees
Endocrinologists – Consultants and/or Trainees
Cardiologists – Consultants and/or Trainees
Neurologists and/or Neuroradiologists
Oncological Radiologists leading Multidisciplinary Team meetings (MDTs)
Internal Medicine trainees
Clinical Scientists

Course structure

Post Graduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits

One compulsory module:

Nuclear Medicine Physics, Radiopharmacy and Regulations (20 Credits)

PLUS

Two modules chosen from the following options:

Single-photon Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
F18 FDG PET Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
Advanced PET and SPECT Diagnostic Multimodality Imaging (20 Credits)
Molecular Radiotherapy and Theragnostics (20 Credits)
Anatomy and Pathology for Nuclear Medicine Interpretation for Non-Radiologists (20 credits)

Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits

PGCert in Nuclear Medicine

PLUS

Three modules chosen from the following options*:

Single-photon Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
F18 FDG PET Oncology Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine (20 Credits)
Advanced PET and SPECT Diagnostic Multimodality Imaging (20 Credits)
Molecular Radiotherapy and Theragnostics (20 Credits)
Anatomy and Pathology for Nuclear Medicine Interpretation for non-Radiologists (20 credits)
Research Methods and Critical Appraisal (20 Credits) or
Leadership and Change Management in Clinical Services (20 Credits)**
Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and Social Care (20 Credits)**

*For UK nuclear medicine physician trainees, the PGDip must meet the requirements of the GMC curriculum and include basic nuclear medicine science module and all of the four (of the first listed) nuclear medicine clinical modules. The sixth module can be either Research Methods, Leadership and Change Management, or Communication, Learning and Teaching. The Research Methods module would be the preferable choice, and is mandatory for the MSc.
**One of these two modules can be undertaken towards the PGDip.

Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits

PG Dip in Nuclear Medicine, including Research Methods and Critical Appraisal module

PLUS

Dissertation Module (60 credits)

Why BSMS?

Drawing on the experience of Professor Sabina Dizdarevic, BNMS Research Lead and Chair of Intercollegiate Standing Committee on Nuclear Medicine, RCR/RCP, previous Education Scientific Chair for the British Nuclear Medicine Society and Honorary Clinical Professor and Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre (CISC) PET Clinical Lead at BSMS, alongside a team of highly renowned nuclear medicine physicians, radionuclide radiology consultants, nuclear medicine scientists and advanced practitioners based at the University Hospitals Sussex and working nationally across the UK - our programme offers a flexible and newly designed structure to fit with your work and life commitments.

BACKGROUND IMA PET CT Scan image of whole body and CT scan Comparison in Sagittal plane of patient cancer disease

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Individual Module Certification (Continuous Professional Development)

Each taught module or subcomponent course from the postgraduate programmes (PGCert, PGDip and MSc) can be taken individually and flexibly to suit those with busy work and life commitments.

These can be accredited individually or used to build modules or programmes.

The PGCert and PGDip can be accredited and build towards an MSc.

The time limit for course involvement will be five years.

Entry requirements

The programme is open to post-registration doctors involved in nuclear medicine and any healthcare graduates allied to or seeking to further extend their scope of practice in nuclear medicine, including but not limited to: nuclear medicine technologists, radiographers, nurses, clinical scientists, and imaging and non-imaging specialty doctors.

Trainees entering the Nuclear Medicine Specialty Training Programme are expected to apply in line with the GMC approved curriculum.

Applicants may be interviewed depending on the strength of their applications. They will be expected to be aware of the latest trends and developments in nuclear medicine.

Claims for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be considered with a maximum of 50% of the total credits permitted.

Applications are welcomed from International students with appropriate qualifications and experience. Students for whom English is not a first language must demonstrate an acceptable standard of comprehension and communication in the English Language (IELTS; minimum overall score of 7.0 and 7.0 in the writing element).

Due to visa restrictions, international students requiring a student visa (including EU/EEA who require a student visa) are eligible to apply for BSMS full-time Masters courses only. Part-time Masters courses, all PGDip and all PGCert courses are open to UK and Irish students and international students (including EU/EEA) who have an alternative visa/immigration permission to stay in the UK (such as settled/pre-settled status, Tier 2/work visa, indefinite leave to remain etc).

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Fees and funding

The fees listed below are the overall costs for full-time courses taken in the academic year 2023/24. Where courses are taken part-time over more than one academic year, fees are usually charged pro-rata for the modules taken during each academic year.

With effect from 2021/22 onwards, EU nationals starting new postgraduate courses will pay international fees and will not be eligible for student funding from the UK government. However, there are exceptions to this for Irish nationals and EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. For the latest information, please see gov.uk/student-finance.

MSc

UK £11,840

International £24,210

PGDip

UK £7,894

International £16,140

PGCert

UK £3,947

International £8,070

Postgraduate 20 credit single modules

UK £1,316

International £2,690

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Further information

To find out more and express your interest, please email Course Leader, Professor Sabina Dizdarevic at: sabina.dizdarevic@nhs.net, including the subject line: 'MSc Nuclear Medicine Expression of Interest'.

Apply here

Applications are made through the University of Brighton online portal. Applications for 2023/24 entry will open soon.