Division of Nuclear Medicine

Education

The Division of Nuclear Medicine is affiliated to two teaching institutions, namely Stellenbosch University (SU) and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
 
Registrars specializing in Nuclear Medicine are trained through the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of SU. The training programme includes anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, physics and instrumentation, radiopharmacy and clinical nuclear medicine. During the four-year training period the registrars also deliver a clinical service to patients referred to the Nuclear Medicine division from Tygerberg Hospital and other hospitals and clinics. Registrars are registered for an MMed degree from SU.
 
The final exams for the MMed (Nuc Med) are written through the College of Nuclear Physicians (CNP) of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), and successful candidates obtain a fellowship of the CNP. After completion of a research assignment, the students can also obtain the MMed (Nuc Med) from SU.
 
Nuclear Medicine also offers an MSc in Nuclear Medicine normally taken by scientists and pharmacists, and a PhD in Nuclear Medicine. These qualifications do not lead to a medical specialist registration in South Africa. Lectures on Nuclear Medicine are also given to undergraduate medical students during their clinical training.
 
CPUT provides training for radiographers. The Radiography School is situated at the main campus in Bellville, where clinical training is offered. Practical training is divided between the three tertiary hospitals, namely Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children's Hospitals. Radiography students obtain a BSc degree in Nuclear Medicine after a four-year training period. Radiographers with a qualification in either diagnostic or therapeutic radiography can also obtain an MSc degree in Nuclear Medicine after two additional years of training.​