Nuclear Medicine Selective/Elective
The Radiology Department offers a 2-4 week selective/elective to all medical students who are interested in Nuclear Medicine. Medical students may spend two or four weeks on the nuclear medicine selective. Students attend readouts with radiology residents, nuclear medicine fellows and faculty. Students observe the performance and interpretation of common studies such as 18 F – Fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT, myocardial perfusion, MUGA, gallium, iodine-131, bone and HIDA scans. Medical students will learn the diagnostic and therapeutic scope of nuclear medicine. The objective of this selective is for the student to learn the indications for the various nuclear medicine studies and how the information they provide contributes to patient management. During the course of the rotation, students will be able to:
- Understand the basic principles of the imaging techniques used in nuclear medicine.
- Discuss the major nuclear medicine studies performed at Los Angeles General Medical Center and understand their analysis and interpretation.
- Correlate the use of nuclear medicine imaging studies with their roles in diagnosing diseases and their impact on treatment decision.
- Discuss the range and scope of diagnostic/therapeutic decisions made by nuclear medicine physicians.
- Practice interpreting imaging data and arriving at an appropriate diagnosis, under the supervision of attendings, fellows and residents.
- Understand when to consult nuclear medicine and how to interpret the results of the studies.
- Describe the working relationship between radiologists and clinicians and be able to interact effectively with radiologists.