IAEA Training Curriculum for Nuclear Medicine Physicians
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The incidence and mortality associated to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is on the rise globally. It is expected that in the next 25 years the majority of new NCDs cases and associated deaths will occur in low- and middle-income countries. The increase in NCDs is related to several factors, including population growth, increased life expectancy and changes in lifestyle. The most frequent NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
Nuclear medicine techniques have revolutionized healthcare in the past decades and have become of paramount importance for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of health conditions, in particular NCDs. To reach the full potential of nuclear medicine, there is a need to train the involved professionals throughout their careers. However, the cornerstone of training is the specialty in nuclear medicine.
The role of the Division of Human Health at the IAEA is to strengthen the capabilities of Member States (MS) to address the needs related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of health problems through the application of nuclear techniques, including nuclear medicine. To accomplish this goal the IAEA provides education and training opportunities to professionals throughout their careers, as part of a lifelong learning process.
At present, the practice of nuclear medicine is emerging on a global scale to address its application in themanagement of non-communicable and communicable diseases. There is a need to harmonize the training programs, in order to raise the level of knowledge and competencies of nuclear medicine specialists worldwide. Trainees come from diverse backgrounds and possess different knowledge and experience; hence, the training program requires an active and standardized approach to ensure compliance with at least the minimum standards needed to provide an optimal clinical nuclear medicine care.
As a promoter of optimal nuclear medicine practice, the IAEA presents this publication, Training Curriculum for Nuclear Medicine Physicians, which offers guidelines that are based on various publications, international recommendations as well as expert advice. Furthermore, it offers competencies that a nuclear medicine trainee needs to master as drawn from the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) syllabus for postgraduate specialization in nuclear medicine, the American Board of Nuclear Medicine, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians, and the Asian Board of Nuclear Medicine, among others. Ultimately, the objective of this publication is to recommend a harmonized training programme for nuclear medicine physicians, allow trainees to develop the necessary knowledge, competencies and skills to practice this medical specialty and to ensure a safety and quality level of clinical nuclear medicine.
The first draft of this publication was prepared during a meeting of external consultants and IAEA staff in Vienna in March 2017. This group included experts with ample experience not only in the education of medical specialists, but in the preparation of guidelines and curriculum for residency training in nuclear medicine in their respective countries or regions. The manuscript was subsequently revised by internal and external reviewers familiar with the process of training nuclear medicine residents. The IAEA is grateful to the authors, contributors, and reviewers as well as the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (WFNMB), Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), Asia Oceania Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (AOFNMB), Latin American Society of Nuclear Medicine and Biology (ALASBINM), and the Arab Society of Nuclear Medicine (ARSNM), for their contribution and endorsement of this publication. The IAEA officers responsible for this publication were D. Paez, T. Pascual and F. Giammarile, of the Division of Human Health.
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