Nuclear Medicine (1 Viewer)

[krayzie_]

So I put a transfer through for diagnostic radiography and they offered me Nuclear Medicine..

Checking around for jobs on seek and NSW health and I see close to zero employers wanting Nuclear Medicine Techs.. Its all radiographers

So tell me more.. , is it going to be very very very hard to find a PDY placement doing this course? I don't think I'd like to graduate from this degree and find zerooooo or very difficult prospects of getting a job.

Oh and hows the course compared to Diagnostic Radiography. Similar for first year then branches out for year two?

 

[Mz_Julzie]

MY friend did Nuclear Med -- then did post grad sonography! She said job prospects are very low for Nuclear Med. Diagnostic Radiography & Radiotherapy have more jobs out there than nuclear med. That being said, you could always do a 2yr masters for Diagnostic Radiography!

May I ask what are you transferring from?

 

[krayzie_]

Hey thanks.

Yea thats what I thought.. Kinda gay. Was looking around and found heaps of radiography + radiation therapist - but nuclear medicine = one. So I'm thinking when there is a PDY for nuclear medicine then they are going to get swamped with applications which then makes that position very competitive.

Transferring from B.Medical Science/B.Business.

 

[Mz_Julzie]

How long do you have left to go?
If u really want to do D.R just finish off ur degree and do 2yrs masters!
so are you going to take nuclear med?

 

[RogueAcademic]

I have a stupid question - I've never been clear what the differences are between nuclear medicine, radiography and radiotherapy. I do know that radiology is a different thing again, for those have a med degree. Are the differences big enough that there is no cross-over in the kind of advertised jobs available?

 

[krayzie_]

Well the double degree is four years, if I was to continue it this will be my third.
If I accept Nuclear Med - then I probably will have around two years as I've done the majority of the medical science subjects so I'd probably get "some exemptions" from that.

Yeah probably take it cos its same thing if I stick with the double degree. Double degree is not really what I thought it would be. Plus if I grad with nuclear medicine then do a 2yrs masters I'll be qualified in both areas

What are you studying? What is the name of the course your friend did for sonography?

 

[Mz_Julzie]

Yes there are big differences.

With radiography you'd just be either doing CT, MRI, Xray & etc other imaging.

With radiotherapy --(within the department of oncology) you'd be planning, simulating, treating. With R.T you get to also use CT for simulationg & also similar machines for taking high energy x-rays on the treatment machine.

With nuclear med, you'd be injecting radio-isotopes, PET scan, SPECT scan, etc BONE scan.

Of all 3, radiotherapy would probably be the hardest -- as it requires maths & an understanding in radiation physics for it.

I did RT and graduated. Working as a PDY now. I think it's better off you finishing off your degree, because even if you did medical science you would still remain as a 1st year to complete the nuclear med subjects as they don't have summer school and those courses are available in specfic semesters.


My friend did Masters of Health Science (Medical Sonography)


Btw, Radiotherapists make more $$$ out of the rest!
I recommend RT! It's really quite fulfilling!

 

[RogueAcademic]

Thanks for that explanation, now it makes sense. In that case, does radiology encompass a spread of all those areas? Because I had always thought that radiology involved aspects of all three areas you described too.

 

[Mz_Julzie]

Radiology department doesn't contain RT. Thats Oncology department! Nuclear Med has it's own apartment, depending on each hospital (i.e. Liverpool Hospital -- it's NM is not located in radiology!) RT has it's own area "CANCER CENTRE".

Basically though, RT & NM are more focused on cancer, while DR is broad - imaging from all aspects of injuries.


Were you thinking of doing any of those courses RogueAcademic ?

In the future RT's will be learning MRI as it will be part of new technology in imaging for radiotherapy!

 

[RogueAcademic]

Were you thinking of doing any of those courses RogueAcademic ?

No but I was am (or was) an academic at a medical faculty. I've just never looked into the other areas of the 'radio-' fields, I wasn't involved in that area.

 

[krayzie_]

I see! One more question, it says somewhere in the handbook that we HAVE TO DO a clinical or two in the country places. Is this for real? Or is it just something written down in the handbook that doesn't apply.

WTF am I suppose to do after work hours? Where am I staying? What am I using to support myself? Will I be in some foster home or is USYD going to place me in a 5 star hotel

 

[iceman_leith]

Your given residence in a dormatory style place. It's cheap and most of the time you can apply for a small government grant but you will have to support yourself. Hahah 5 star hotel. Get used to being on your own thats how uni works.

 

[Mz_Julzie]

I see! One more question, it says somewhere in the handbook that we HAVE TO DO a clinical or two in the country places. Is this for real? Or is it just something written down in the handbook that doesn't apply.

WTF am I suppose to do after work hours? Where am I staying? What am I using to support myself? Will I be in some foster home or is USYD going to place me in a 5 star hotel

Yes you got to do your clinicals out of sydney! Hahah no way 5 star hotel. You have to pay for your own accomodation!

However when back then when I was still in uni, (this only applies for RT) the government paid for the accomodation, food, travel fees & gave allowances per week!

 

[krayzie_]

Damn, are these country clinicals just for Nuclear Med or across all 3 disciplines?

And what if I can't go due to extenuating circumstances?

 

[Mz_Julzie]

Damn, are these country clinicals just for Nuclear Med or across all 3 disciplines?

And what if I can't go due to extenuating circumstances?

Yeah it's all 3 disciplines.

It is a requirement to do out of sydney clinicals to pass your course. My friends drove back to sydney from wollongong at night to work after clinicals! (btw, they last 6 weeks for each clinical subject)

 

[krayzie_]

Far out, that just sucks.

So every person you know had to get out of the city for it? No one was lucky enough to be able to do all their clinicals in the metro area?