Masters Degrees (Radiopharmacy)

The training provided by the Radiopharmaceutics & PET Radiochemistry MSc programme will equip you to work as a radiopharmaceutical scientist in a PET radiochemistry centre (cyclotron unit) or a conventional radiopharmacy, to provide diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals to nuclear medicine centres or to study for a PhD.

Key benefits

- The only MSc level course in PET Radiochemistry subject worldwide.

- Includes a one-week work experience placement in a hospital, PET centre or industrial cyclotron centre.

- Multidisciplinary programme open to graduates in various science disciplines: chemists, bio-scientists, physicists, pharmacists.
Located in the heart of London.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/radiopharmaceutics-and-pet-radiochemistry-msc-pg-dip-pg-cert.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The MSc in Radiopharmaceutics & PET Radiochemistry at King's College London is unique, not only in the UK but worldwide. Radiopharmaceutics is a growing international industry facing a major skills shortage - graduates from this programme are in demand - whether in hospitals, preparing radiopharmaceuticals for cancer patients, in research in universities or industry or in the drug industry which is increasingly using PET (Positron Electron Tomography) as a major drug development tool.

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in the principles and practice of radiopharmaceutical science; manufacturing and quality assurance of radiopharmaceuticals; appreciation of the design and operation of accelerator machines including cyclotrons; synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals from cyclotron-produced radionuclides; application of radiopharmaceuticals in biomedical research and clinical nuclear medicine.

- Course purpose -

To educate, train and equip students from a chemistry, pharmacy or related background to enter employment as radiopharmaceutical scientists in a PET radiochemistry centre (cyclotron unit) or in a conventional radiopharmacy, to provide diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals to nuclear medicine centres or specialised commercial centres, or to study for PhD in this field.

- Course format and assessment -

The programme is assessed by a variety of mechanisms including: written examinations; practical laboratory work and reports; case studies and oral presentations; workshops; audio-visual presentations; and laboratory- or library-based research projects.

Career prospects

Expected destinations are the NHS and commercial nuclear medicine services, the pharmaceutical industry or PhD research.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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Develop skills for the provision of safe, high quality nuclear medicine services through training with a strong scientific and academic framework in an approved structured service environment. The MSc and PG Dip are specifically designed for doctors with the PG Cert open to scientists, technologists, radiographers or nurses.

Key benefits

- GMC approved course for nuclear medicine training
- Conveniently based in central London
- All learning materials including audio-recorded lectures are accessible online via King’s E-learning and Teaching Service (KEATS) to support distance learning.
- Contact with experts in their field from across the UK.
- Close links with medical schools and nuclear medicine departments.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/nuclear-medicine-science-and-practice-msc-pg-dip-pg-cert.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

This programme, taught collaboratively, draws on professional expertise from many disciplines. Lectures cover clinical practice, radiopharmaceutical, scientific and regulatory issues in nuclear medicine, and also diagnostic nuclear oncology and radionuclide therapy. Practical studies include clinical observations, audit, physics and radiopharmacy experiments and original research.

- Course purpose -

This programme develops skills for the provision of safe, high-quality nuclear medicine services by offering nuclear medicine training with a strong scientific and academic framework in an approved structured service environment.

- Course format and assessment -

MSc, PG Dip & PG Cert: unseen written exams and essays for taught modules;

MSc & PGDip: portfolio of clinical studies, audit and experiments and an unseen clinical exam for Practical module; report on research project and short oral exam for Research module.

Required modules:

- Clinical Practice of Nuclear Medicine
- Diagnostic Nuclear Oncology And Radionuclide Therapy
- Nuclear Medicine Research
- Practical Nuclear Medicine
- Radiopharmaceutical & Regulatory Issues In Nuclear Medicine
- Scientific Basis Of Nuclear Medicine

*Please note: core modules differ depending on qualification*

Career prospects

Students continue to work in a range of nuclear medicine services.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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The School of Clinical Medicine offers a programme in Medical Imaging with an option in Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Safety or Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography.

The Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Safety strands are offered in parallel on a bi-annual basis, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging and CT strand are offered on alternate years. In September 2013, the MRI and CT strands will commence.

The main aim of the programme is to train and qualify Radiographers in the practice of Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Safety, Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Computed Tomography.

The course is intended for qualified Radiographers with a clinical placement in a Nuclear Medicine Department, a Radiology Department, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department or a Computed Tomography Department. It is a course requirement that the student must spend a minimum of 15 hours per week on clinical placement in a Nuclear Medicine Department, a Radiology Department, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department or a Computed Tomography Department as appropriate to fulfill the requirements of the course.

The M.Sc. in Medical Imaging will be run over 12 months on a part-time basis.

In the M.Sc. in Medical Imaging, there are 4 separate strands: Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Safety, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography. Students will choose one of the 4 options.

The taught component of the course is covered in the first 8 months. The student may opt to exit the programme upon completion of the taught component with a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Imaging.

From May to September, students undertake an independent research project. Successful completion of the research component of the programme leads to the award of M.Sc. in Medical Imaging.

The list of common core modules currently available to students of the Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Safety, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and CT strands are:

Medico-Legal Aspects, Ethics and Health Services Management (5 ECTS)
Clinical Practice (10 ECTS)

The additional modules in the Nuclear Medicine strand are:

Physics and Instrumentation, and Computer Technology Radiation Protection and Quality Control in Nuclear Medicine (15 ECTS)
Clinical Applications of Nuclear Medicine and Hybrid Imaging (15 ECTS)
Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology applied to Nuclear Medicine (5 ECTS)
Radiopharmacy (5 ECTS)

The additional modules in the Radiation Safety strand are:

Radiation Protection Legislation (10 ECTS)
Practical Aspects of Radiation Protection (5 ECTS)
Physics and Instrumentation and Computer Technology (10 ECTS)
Quality Management and Quality Control (15 ECTS)

The additional modules in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging strand are:

Physics and Instrumentation of MR and computer technology (15 ECTS)
Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology applied to MR (10 ECTS)
Safety in MR and Quality Control (5 ECTS)
MR Imaging Techniques and Protocols (15 ECTS)

The additional modules in the Computed Tomography strand are:

Physics and Instrumentation of CT and computer technology (10 ECTS)
Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology applied to CT (10 ECTS)
CT Imaging Techniques and Protocols (15 ECTS)
Radiation protection and quality assurance in CT (5 ECTS)

All common modules and strand-specific modules must be undertaken. The taught component thus consists of 60 ECTS.
Dissertation (30 ECTS)

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The M.Sc. in Medical Physics is a full time course which aims to equip you for a career as a scientist in medicine. You will be given the basic knowledge of the subject area and some limited training. The course consists of an intense program of lectures and workshops, followed by a short project and dissertation. Extensive use is made of the electronic learning environment "Blackboard" as used by NUI Galway. The course has been accredited by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (UK).

Syllabus Outline. (with ECTS weighting)
Human Gross Anatomy (5 ECTS)
The cell, basic tissues, nervous system, nerves and muscle, bone and cartilage, blood, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, nutrition, genital system, urinary system, eye and vision, ear, hearing and balance, upper limb – hand, lower limb – foot, back and vertebral column, embryology, teratology, anthropometrics; static and dynamic anthropometrics data, anthropometric dimensions, clearance and reach and range of movement, method of limits, mathematics modelling.

Human Body Function (5 ECTS)
Biological Molecules and their functions. Body composition. Cell physiology. Cell membranes and membrane transport. Cell electrical potentials. Nerve function – nerve conduction, nerve synapses. Skeletal muscle function – neuromuscular junction, muscle excitation, muscle contraction, energy considerations. Blood and blood cells – blood groups, blood clotting. Immune system. Autonomous nervous system. Cardiovascular system – electrical and mechanical activity of the heart. – the peripheral circulation. Respiratory system- how the lungs work. Renal system – how the kidneys work. Digestive system. Endocrine system – how hormones work. Central nervous system and brain function.

Occupational Hygiene (5 ECTS)
Historical development of Occupational Hygiene, Safety and Health at Work Act. Hazards to Health, Surveys, Noise and Vibrations, Ionizing radiations, Non-Ionizing Radiations, Thermal Environments, Chemical hazards, Airborne Monitoring, Control of Contaminants, Ventilation, Management of Occupational Hygiene.

Medical Informatics (5 ECTS)
Bio statistics, Distributions, Hypothesis testing. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, T-tests, ANOVA, regression. Critical Appraisal of Literature, screening and audit. Patient and Medical records, Coding, Hospital Information Systems, Decision support systems. Ethical consideration in Research.
Practicals: SPSS. Appraisal exercises.

Clinical Instrumentation (6 ECTS)
Biofluid Mechanics: Theory: Pressures in the Body, Fluid Dynamics, Viscous Flow, Elastic Walls, Instrumentation Examples: Respiratory Function Testing, Pressure Measurements, Blood Flow measurements. Physics of the Senses: Theory: Cutaneous and Chemical sensors, Audition, Vision, Psychophysics; Instrumentation Examples: Evoked responses, Audiology, Ophthalmology instrumentation, Physiological Signals: Theory Electrodes, Bioelectric Amplifiers, Transducers, Electrophysiology Instrumentation.

Medical Imaging (10 ECTS)
Theory of Image Formation including Fourier Transforms and Reconstruction from Projections (radon transform). Modulation transfer Function, Detective Quantum Efficiency.
X-ray imaging: Interaction of x-rays with matter, X-ray generation, Projection images, Scatter, Digital Radiography, CT – Imaging. Fundamentals of Image Processing.
Ultrasound: Physics of Ultrasound, Image formation, Doppler scanning, hazards of Ultrasound.
Nuclear Medicine : Overview of isotopes, generation of Isotopes, Anger Cameras, SPECT Imaging, Positron Emitters and generation, PET Imaging, Clinical aspects of Planar, SPECT and PET Imaging with isotopes.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging : Magnetization, Resonance, Relaxation, Contrast in MR Imaging, Image formation, Image sequences, their appearances and clinical uses, Safety in MR.

Radiation Fundamentals (5 ECTS)
Review of Atomic and Nuclear Physics. Radiation from charged particles. X-ray production and quality. Attenuation of Photon Beams in Matter. Interaction of Photons with Matter. Interaction of Charged Particles with matter. Introduction to Monte Carlo techniques. Concept to Dosimetry. Cavity Theory. Radiation Detectors. Practical aspects of Ionization chambers

The Physics of Radiation Therapy (10 ECTS)
The interaction of single beams of X and gamma rays with a scattering medium. Treatment planning with single photon beams. Treatment planning for combinations of photon beams. Radiotherapy with particle beams: electrons, pions, neutrons, heavy charged particles. Special Techniques in Radiotherapy. Equipment for external Radiotherapy. Relative dosimetry techniques. Dosimetry using sealed sources. Brachytherapy. Dosimetry of radio-isotopes.

Workshops / Practicals
Hospital & Radiation Safety [11 ECTS]
Workshop in Risk and Safety.
Concepts of Risk and Safety. Legal Aspects. Fundamental concepts in Risk Assessment and Human Factor Engineering. Risk and Safety management of complex systems with examples from ICU and Radiotherapy. Accidents in Radiotherapy and how to avoid them. Principles of Electrical Safety, Electrical Safety Testing, Non-ionizing Radiation Safety, including UV and laser safety.
- NUIG Radiation Safety Course.
Course for Radiation Safety Officer.
- Advanced Radiation Safety
Concepts of Radiation Protection in Medical Practice, Regulations. Patient Dosimetry. Shielding design in Diagnostic Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy.
- Medical Imaging Workshop
Operation of imaging systems. Calibration and Quality Assurance of General
radiography, fluoroscopy systems, ultrasound scanners, CT-scanners and MR scanners. Radiopharmacy and Gamma Cameras Quality Control.

Research Project [28 ECTS]
A limited research project will be undertaken in a medical physics area. Duration of this will be 4 months full time

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The Medical Imaging MSc, Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate offer ideal opportunities for qualified practitioners (eg in Diagnostic Radiography, Physiotherapy and Midwifery) wishing to advance their skills and career prospects within their area of specialism.

The MSc Medical Imaging course offers the following pathways:

• Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc
o Magnetic Resonance Imaging
o Medical Ultrasound
o Nuclear Medicine
o Medical Imaging

• Postgraduate Certificate only
o Radiopharmacy Practice
o Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Visit the website: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/courses/postgraduate/medical-imaging.aspx

Course detail

The course aims to:
• ensure you are a skilled, competent and confident practitioner in either Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medical Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine or Medical Imaging
• enable you to be proactive in initiating and leading role developments in your specific field
• integrate academic learning with the development of higher levels of professional practice.

Content

The course is modular in structure and flexible. Each module attracts 20 credits at Master’s level (HE4). For the award of an MSc, you'll be required to successfully complete nine modules (180 credits). All pathways have a Postgraduate Certificate award comprising three modules (60 credits) and a Postgraduate Diploma award comprising six modules (120 credits).

The modules are a mixture of workplace-based (clinical applications or open), taught and research modules. The acquisition of specific competences takes place in the work setting under the supervision of an expert practitioner, underpinned by a learning agreement.

It is expected that all assignments will be relevant and specific to your own practice within the theoretical context and learning outcomes of the module. All assessments must be passed in order to gain the degree. Individual marks are not awarded. Students’ work is graded as fail, pass, merit or distinction and comprehensive written feedback is given.

Assessment

Assessment includes long essays, seminar presentations, unseen written exams, written reports, projects and case studies and the research dissertation.

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow this link: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/how-to-apply/how-to-apply.aspx

Funding

-Masters Loans-

From 2016/17 government loans of up to £10,000 are available for postgraduate Masters study. The loans will be paid directly to students by the Student Loans Company and will be subject to both personal and course eligibility criteria.

For more information available here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/funding-your-degree/funding-your-postgraduate-degree.aspx

-2017/18 Entry Financial Support-

Information on alternative funding sources is available here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/funding-your-degree/2017-18-entry-financial-support.aspx

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