Nuclear Medicine Residency Program

(entry after Radiology Residency)

The Nuclear Medicine Residency Program is currently looking for 2025 radiology residents interested in pursuing combined training with nuclear medicine.

Two-year fully accredited program leading to Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification in Nuclear Medicine.

Institutions

The program is based in the academic Department of Radiology at the University of Alberta, but residents will complete training at various teaching sites including the University of Alberta Hospital (UAH), Stollery Children’s Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH), Cross Cancer Institute (CCI), Grey Nuns Community Hospital (GNH), Misericordia Community Hospital (MCH), Sturgeon Community Hospital, Strathcona Community Hospital, Edmonton Radiopharmaceutical Centre as well as outpatient community clinics.

Responsibility

Dr. Alexander Tamm
Program Director, Nuclear Medicine
Email: astamm@ualberta.ca
Phone: 780-407-2787

Kamani Reddy
Program Administrator
Email: kamani1@ualberta.ca

Dr. Derek Emery
Professor & Chair
Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging

Structure of Clinical Rotation (approximate)

  • UAH/Stollery Children’s Hospital: General nuclear medicine, pediatric nuclear medicine, SPECT-CT, nuclear cardiology and PET-CT x 8 months
  • UAH: Instrumentation and in-vitro rotations x 2 months
  • RAH and Community Hospitals: General nuclear medicine, SPECT-CT and PET-CT x 6-7 months
  • CCI: Oncologic imaging x 3 months
  • CCI: NM Therapy x 2 months
  • Edmonton Radiopharmaceutical Center x 1 month
  • Outpatient Clinics x 1-2 months

Flexibility is a key feature in the final graduating year to allow residents to develop any special areas of interest for their future career and prepare for their Royal College examination.

Evaluation

The program has transitioned to the Royal College Competence by Design Curriculum. Consequently, resident evaluations will be completed by a Competence Committee which meets at least quarterly. The Program Director will act as the liaison to the residency program committee and residents.

RESOURCES AND EXPECTATIONS

Staff/Supervision

Daily supervision will be provided by dual trained radiologists and nuclear physicians.

Clinical

Residents will experience the full breadth of nuclear medicine in multiple state-of-the-art nuclear medicine practices. Equipment within these practices include four clinical, digital PET-CT facilities, one PET-MRI facility, and five clinical SPECT-CT facilities. These practices are fully integrated with diagnostic radiology. There are no mandatory rural rotations.

Educational Program

Residents have two dedicated academic half-days, one for clinical nuclear medicine (taught by the nuclear physicians/cardiologists) and one for nuclear physics (taught by a dedicated nuclear physicist).

Residents are expected to participate in multidisciplinary rounds relevant to their training and attend weekly clinical grand rounds, nuclear medicine interesting case rounds, departmental and specialized journal clubs, as well as a nuclear medicine review course hosted annually. During their training, they are expected to create at least one Department of Radiology Grand Rounds and one presentation for nuclear medicine technologists on a topic of their choice.

Residents will be expected to write the Royal College examination in nuclear medicine in their 2nd year of the program.

Research Program

The resident will need to have completed at least one research and one clinical audit project during their radiology and/or nuclear medicine training. Dedicated time, case material, library, office space, literature and secretarial support will be made available as necessary.

Specific Objectives

Our unique, well-established program effectively integrates all aspects of Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology, paving the way for graduates to provide unrivaled personalized imaging for their patients at both a macroscopic as well as molecular level. 

The aim of the University of Alberta Nuclear Medicine Residency Program is to teach residents the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to function as a safe, competent and independent consultant in the specialties of Nuclear medicine and Diagnostic Radiology. This includes the abilities to supervise, advise on, perform and interpret imaging procedures at a high standard, functioning as a capable consultant to referring family physicians and specialists alike. Residents will obtain the communication skills, knowledge and technical skills required of such a consultant and will be taught to develop a personal education strategy to help establish a habit of continuous learning. The importance of the team approach to the provision of imaging services will be emphasized throughout the residency. Residents will develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes relating to critical appraisal, research methodology, data presentation and analysis pertinent to Nuclear Medicine and Radiology. They will also learn to practice ethically and consistent with the obligations and attitudes of a physician respectful and sensitive to culture, ethnicity and gender.

Our program mandate is to support and foster education, research, quality assurance and continuing professional development. We seek to engender the same sense of responsibility in our residents towards the specialties of Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology at large, ensuring a healthy, thriving discipline that is responsive to the needs of the public and our clinical colleagues. To that end, we are committed to providing our residents with the expertise and resources necessary to achieve these goals.

Application Pre-requisites

Applicants should have successfully completed (or be in progression towards) a RCPSC-accredited Radiology postgraduate qualification (FRCPC, FRCR, etc.)"

TO APPLY:

To apply, please send the following documents and any further questions to Cindy Doyle in the summer two years prior to the start date of the fellowship.

  • Current CV
  • Brief (<200 word) personal letter of why you would like to do nuclear medicine
  • 3 reference letters and contact information
  • Medical school transcript
  • Undergraduate transcript

Once these have been submitted, you will be notified of receipt and interview status will be released by no later than the second week of September.