Our programs provide the training, resources, and experience needed to thrive in nuclear medicine and oncologic imaging.
We train leaders in the field of molecular imaging who are setting new standards in patient care and scientific investigation. Our unparalleled caseload and collegial, comfortable, state-of-the-art facility make our program highly competitive. Training focuses on excellence in clinical care, research, and teaching while fostering the individual interests and talents of trainees.
Further, we reassess the effectiveness of our training programs on an ongoing basis to ensure that their goals are being met.
Clinical Curriculum
A total of eight trainees are in the program at a given time. The training consists of rotations in all clinical subspecialties of nuclear medicine, including general nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology, PET/CT imaging, and radionuclide therapy. The rotation schedule is planned by the program director and chief residents, but it is flexible. Trainees actively participate in the performance and interpretation of studies and work one-on-one with our highly experienced faculty throughout the day. Discussions, suggestions, and example enable each resident to achieve a high level of clinical competence and confidence.
There is dedicated time allotted for research and anatomic imaging training (in CT and MRI). Outside electives are available at Weill Cornell Medical College/New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center in order to provide exposure to nononcology nuclear medicine imaging. Opportunities are available for trainees who may wish to pursue rotations at other outside institutions.
Trainees share on-call responsibilities at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Calls are weeklong, about once every six to eight weeks depending on the total number of trainees.
Course content is reviewed and updated yearly with direct input from trainees.
Conferences
All trainees participate in various conferences — including specialty tumor boards, conferences with the faculty, multidisciplinary disease management team (DMT) conferences, and radiology case conferences — that are held on a weekly basis.
Physics
Throughout the entire length of the training program, trainees participate in an in-house weekly physics curriculum, usually on Friday mornings. This is designed to provide the fundamentals for understanding the principles of radiation, radiation safety, diagnostic imaging physics, and development and administration of radionuclides.
Course content is reviewed and updated yearly with direct input from trainees.
Procedural Training
We have one of the strongest radionuclide therapy programs in the country, with world-renowned experts in lymphoma and prostate cancer as well as special procedures in other subsites. We offer extensive training and hands-on experience in methods including Ra-223, Y-90, Microspheres, Y-90 Ibritumomab tiuxetan, and PET-guided IR procedures. Trainees directly participate in all aspects of therapy.
Grand Rounds
Our department hosts weekly Grand Rounds presentations from local experts and visiting professors that present on contemporary and novel topics. Residents also have the opportunity to present their own research at Grand Rounds.