Nuclear Pharmacy?

[egnatalya]

To become a nuclear pharmacist, would you first become a pharmacist? As in going to pharmacy school, and then getting training for nuclear pharmacy-and then get certified to handle radioactive pharmaceuticals?
What are some good schools that offer this kind of training?

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[YourMD]

I have high hopes of pursuing a career in nuke Pharm. My plan is to attend nuclear pharmacy interships while in school and start networking early. This way i may not have to complete a residency. If not, I plan on doing well enough in Pharmacy school to land a residency without worry too much. Hope this helps!

 

[n0n0nsense]

you do not need to do a residency to be a nuke pharmacist. every residency program i have seen entails a general PGY1, followed by a specialize PGY2 in nuclear. no nuclear pharmacist i've worked with has done a nuclear residency. the best way to get into nuke is go to a pharmacy school that offers a nuclear track. these schools will provided you with an authorized user (AU) certificate, which means you can be by yourself in a facility. typically, these programs involves taking 4 semesters (200 hours) of nuke electives (most schools require 2-4 electives anyway) and either interning for 500 hours in a local nuke pharmacy or taking three one-month rotations during your clinical year in school (which should account for ~500 hours).

this page lists schools with such programs: http://www.snm.org/index.cfm?PageID=1347
fyi, the the medical university of south carolina (now SCCP) placed this program on hiatus last year. if you are interested in this school, call and inquire. if enough people show interest, they might reinstitute it.

if you don't have an UA certificate, it will make you much less appealing to prospective employers. They aren't going to want to spend $10K+ to send you for this training. also, a background (ie undergrad or work experience) in engineering/manufacturing will help differentiate you.