Reston, Va. - The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is pleased to introduce a new Nuclear Medicine Physics Residency Training Grant, made possible through support from the Education and Research Foundation for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. The grant was created to encourage the training of nuclear medicine physicists within established or new medical physics residency training programs, specifically to increase the number medical physics residents training in nuclear medicine physics and ultimately seeking board certification.

There is a growing need for training opportunities for qualified medical physicists to work in nuclear medicine. "New rules and training requirements are being applied for those looking to become certified in nuclear medicine physics," said Frederic H. Fahey, DSc, chair of the SNMMI Grants and Awards Committee. "Only a few residency training programs exist for nuclear medicine physicists, and it's critical that there be more training opportunities so that these individuals can qualify to sit for board certification exams."

Currently, two organizations certify nuclear medicine physicists-the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM). The Nuclear Medicine Physics Residency Training Grant will provide funds to support one resident per year who commits to training in nuclear medicine physics within a medical physics residency training program that is currently accredited or in the process of becoming accredited. Funding would be awarded to the residency training program-either accredited or applying for accreditation-which would then identify a resident to which the support would be applied.
Criteria used to judge the potential success for the training program include commitment to nuclear medicine physics, adequate staff resources, facilities relative to nuclear medicine training, and the quality of the training program based on the description of the training rotations, didactic content and quality of training partners if used.

"I encourage all program directors of accredited nuclear medicine physics training programs, as well as those in the process of applying and those preparing to apply for accreditation to submit an application for this grant," noted Fahey. "The grant will provide the means to attract nuclear medicine physicists to the program and will help build the credibility of the program as well."

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