Pick your Speciality

Nuclear Medicine

Q&A Professional Association

 What are the key points of specialist training?

Specialist training in nuclear medicine is divided into 3-5 years of specialist training and 1-2 years of non-specialist training (5 years in total). Up to one year of research can be recognized as non-specialist training. Radiation protection courses must be completed during further training.

How expensive is this specialist training?

CHF 4000 is required for the award of the federal continuing education title in nuclear medicine. Course costs and compulsory attendance at congresses are normally covered by the relevant training centre.

What further training options and specializations are there?

There are no specialisations in nuclear medicine. The European Society of Nuclear Medicine offers further training opportunities.

How can a stay abroad in this area be implemented or is it even necessary? (e.g. necessity of the USMLE)

Periods spent abroad are not required to obtain the title of Specialist in Nuclear Medicine. For the recognition of further training periods abroad, it is best to contact the Titles Commission of the Swiss Institute for Continuing Medical Education in advance. However, at least 2 years of further training must always be completed at a category A nuclear medicine training center.

How well can this specialty be combined with research (clinical research or basic research)?

Nuclear medicine is a research-orientated subject. During further training in nuclear medicine, a publication in a peer-reviewed journal or a dissertation at a university faculty is required. The topic must have an affinity to the subject of nuclear medicine.

How important is it to do research (e.g. to do an MD-PhD)?

Clinical research in particular is very important in nuclear medicine. An MD-PhD is particularly helpful later on for further career planning at a larger or university hospital.

How important is it for your starting job to gain an insight into this subject area during the elective year?

It is very useful but not essential to have gained an insight into the subject of nuclear medicine during the elective study year.

Q&A Physicians

Senior physician, M, 46 years old

How old are you?

46 y/o

Where did you study and when did you graduate?

Freiburg im Breisgau (Deutschland), 2005

Do you have a doctorate?

Yes

When did you become a specialist?

June 2014.

How long did your specialist training take?

5.5 years.

What is your current position (and background)?

Senior physician in nuclear medicine, since 2023 (2014 deputy senior physician, 2016 senior physician).

How does your working week look like? 

Workload 70 %, no shift work, varying patient contact depending on workplace (diagnostics without patient contact, outpatient clinic and ward with patient contact).

When and why did you choose this specialization?

At the end of 2008, desire for a change, at that time in further training in haematology and oncology since 2005; reason: exciting subject with targeted diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, varied subject as ‘cross-sectional subject’ with cooperation with many specialist disciplines, alternation between clinical work and findings within a subject, regulated daily work routine

How would you describe your time as a resident?

Structured training with good teaching.

Is part-time work possible already during residency?

Yes.

What working modalities does your specialist title offer?

Mainly work in the hospital (clinic and research), practice only rarely and with a significantly reduced spectrum of actual work in the clinic.

How competitive is it to complete this specialist title in Switzerland?

Small specialist society, growing and emerging discipline, therefore less competitive.

How would you rate your work-life balance on a scale of 1-10? Would your colleagues with the same specialist title confirm this?

3

How easy is it to implement family planning in this field?

Relatively good.

What do you wish you had known before your specialist training?

Nothing.

Why should someone choose this specialty?

Emerging speciality with a very broad spectrum and interfaces with many other medical specialities, many new developments in the clinic and research, varied work through a combination of clinical work on the ward and in the outpatient clinic with patient contact and diagnostic workstation without patient contact, relatively regulated working day, few services compared to many other specialities.

What challenges await someone in this field?

3 radiation protection courses/modules as part of specialist training, participation in on-call duties after acquiring basic knowledge.

Is it necessary to write the master’s/doctoral thesis in this subject area?

No.

Is it possible to find an assistant doctor position in this specialty directly after the federal examination?

Yes, but lateral entry from other disciplines (especially radiology, internal medicine, oncology, cardiology, endocrinology and neurology) is also possible.

What advice would you give to young medical students?

If you are looking for an innovative, up-and-coming speciality with a combination of clinical work (ward and outpatient clinic) and diagnostics and many ‘interfaces’ with other disciplines, you should definitely consider nuclear medicine when choosing a speciality for your specialist training.

Resident, F, 30 years old

How old are you?

30 y/o

Where did you study and when did you graduate?

Münich, 2020

Do you have a doctorate?

Yes

When did you become a specialist?

Currently ongoing, resident in 4th year

How long did your specialist training take?

Will take 5 years.

What is your current position (and background)?

Resident in 4th year.

How does your working week look like? 

50 working hours per week (+/- 5 hours). No shift work. On-call duty 4 x 1 week per year. Depending on the rotation, a lot of patient contact (consultations, therapies) or little patient contact (PET/CT, SPECT/CT).

When and why did you choose this specialization?

I decided to specialise in nuclear medicine in the second year of my medical studies. I have an engineering background and I was fascinated by the combination of nuclear physics and medicine and the resulting possibilities in medical diagnostics and therapy.

How would you describe your time as a resident?

  • Very well-structured further training with various rotations that make it possible to achieve all the case numbers required for the specialist within the specified training period
  • 1:1 teaching is often possible
  • 2 partial examinations for nuclear medicine specialists within 5 years
  • Varied further training with interfaces to other specialities (radiology, endocrinology, oncology)

Is part-time work possible already during residency?

Yes.

What working modalities does your specialist title offer?

Most job opportunities are found in hospitals and in research. It is possible to work in practices (mostly radiological practices).

How competitive is it to complete this specialist title in Switzerland?

Low to moderately competitive depending on the hospital.

How would you rate your work-life balance on a scale of 1-10? Would your colleagues with the same specialist title confirm this?

9

How easy is it to implement family planning in this field?

Possible well.

What do you wish you had known before your specialist training?

Two examinations in radiation protection must be passed to qualify as a medical specialist.

Why should someone choose this specialty?

  • Interest in a subject that offers both diagnostic and therapeutic areas
  • Interest in radiology, radiation protection, oncology and endocrinology
  • Good basic understanding of physics

What challenges await someone in this field?

  • Cross-sectional radiology: CT/(MRI) diagnosis must often be learnt in parallel in order to adequately diagnose nuclear medicine modalities (SPECT/CT, PET/CT, PET/MRI).
  • 1 external year required for the specialist title

Is it necessary to write the master’s/doctoral thesis in this subject area?

A doctoral thesis is part of the continuing education catalogue.

Is it possible to find an assistant doctor position in this specialty directly after the federal examination?

Yes.

What advice would you give to young medical students?

Choose your specialist doctor honestly and based on what you are really interested in. One of the greatest resources for motivation and professional development is enjoying your work and being fascinated by the subject.