Of all the radiology subspecialties...

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medinah

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Why was Nuclear medicine created into its own residency?

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Wow, 100 views and not even a guess!
 
Nuclear medicine involves administration of radioactive compounds and imaging of those compounds. This raises a whole other slew of factors (radiopharmacy, handling of radiation, radiation therapy) that other imaging does not.
 
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Why was Nuclear medicine created into its own residency?

It's not just in the US. In most places in the world, nuclear medicine is a separate specialty from radiology.

In some countries neuroradiology is a separate specialty, in some neuroradiology is a supspecialty of neurosurgery.
 
In the 'old days', radiology included nucs and rad-onc. At some point, the whole thing got split three ways.
To some extent, diagnostic rads still includes diagnostic nucs. 95% of nucs can be covered by a general rads with an interest in the subject matter.
 
Nuclear medicine involves administration of radioactive compounds and imaging of those compounds. This raises a whole other slew of factors (radiopharmacy, handling of radiation, radiation therapy) that other imaging does not.


And the handling and administration of the radionuclides is by the nuc. med. physician?
 
And the handling and administration of the radionuclides is by the nuc. med. physician?

Not necessarily, its usually the NM doc or nucs fellowship trained radiologist that is designated the radiation safety officer, responsible for overseeing rather actually doing the delivery and adminstration of the radiopharmaceuticals.
 
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