nuclear-medicine-physician-salaries

A Nuclear Medicine Physician is a doc who is trained in the diagnostic and therapeutic use of radioactive pharmaceuticals. So what would be the difference between a Diagnostic Radiologist and a Nuclear medicine doc, if both use radiations for diagnosis ?

A Diagnostic Radiologist reads images generated by external radiations (Xrays, Ultrasound, etc) while a Nuclear Medicine physician interprets images generated by radioactive substances from within the body. It would not be wrong to call Nuclear Medicine as "Radiology done inside out". At least that's a generalization, overlaps are bound to occur.

Arrite - let's have a look at what you were really looking for on this post : The median, mid-career Incomes for doctors in Nuclear Medicine in USA:

Houston, TX: $260,000/-
Los Angeles, CA: $285,000/-
Miami, FL: $252,000/-
New York, NY: $295,000/-
Seattle, WA: $275,000/-
National Average : $250,000/-

Pretty high - thanks to these facts:

1. There are not many residency training positions in Nuclear Medicine
2. Insurance companies pay higher for procedures than for just advice-only patient visits

Agreed that salaries are lower than Diagnostic Radiology, but nuclear medicine still remains competitive for their relatively higher incomes in comparison to other medical branches and an excellent, controlled lifestyle.

How to Become a Nuclear Medicine Physician in America ?

Here are the some of the pathways available to become a Nuclear Medicine Physician in USA, ie. to be eligible to take the American Board of Nuclear Medicine Examination:

1. For Fresh Medical School Graduates: 
A year of clinical Preliminary / Transitional residency followed by at least two years of residency training in Nuclear Medicine.
A recent proposal (which may have already been implemented) was to increase this duration to 1 + 3 years instead of the 1+ 2 years.

2. For Diagnostic Radiologists (i.e. those who have completed Diagnostic Radiology Residency) :
One Year Fellowship in Nuclear Medicine (Most Private Practice Jobs out in the market prefer this background)

3. For Internal Medicine Physicians (i.e. those who have already completed Internal Medicine Residency) :
Two Years of Nuclear Medicine Residency

Note: While most residency programs in Nuclear Medicine accept candidate applications via the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS), they usually DO NOT participate in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).

Here are some sample Nuclear Medicine Residency programs:

• University of Maryland Medical Center Program
• Vanderbilt University Program

Job Market Outlook for Nuclear Medicine

A major concern for people contemplating a career move to Nuclear Medicine in the USA has been the job market. There have been conflicting reports on how the job market for pure Nuclear Medicine physician looks - many opine that it is dismal since the private sector looks for general Radiologists with nuclear medicine skills instead of pure Nuclear Medicine physicians. However there should still be jobs out there in large specialty centers and dedicated academic centers in Nuclear Medicine. 

Now, having said all that, check out what Dr. Barry Siegel, professor of radiology and chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at Washington University, has to say about the future of Nuclear Medicine.

"My vision is probably not one that would make a lot of nuclear medicine people happy, but, I frankly see nuclear medicinefading into diagnostic radiology as a radiology sub-specialty. I think it is the only way it is going to be able to survive."

"General radiologists with nuclear medicine training of 4–6 months are eligible to read any nuclear medicine scan with no additional certification or training. Prospective employers prefer radiologists over nuclear medicine physicians, because the radiologists can read many other modalities in addition to nuclear medicine scans."

However, I choose to not make an opinion on the job market at this point for want of solid evidence or trend studies.

related Nice Books:

• Essentials of Nuclear Medicine Imaging 5th edition
• Nuclear Medicine Board Review: Questions and Answers for Self-Assessment
• Planning a Life in Medicine

Radiologist Salary in USA

Starting salary for radiologist in USA surpasses many top-paying salaries in other branches of medicine. Here are some median radiologist salary figures for sample American cities.

City	Radiologist Salary
Houston, TX	$310,000
Miami, FL	$335,000
Seattle, WA	$340,000
Los Angeles, CA	$355,000
New York, NY	$365,000

National Average Radiologist Salary : $315,000/-

Now, do keep in mind that these are averages of ALL types of settings - Academic and Private. Radiologist salary could be higher by another $100K to $250K in Private setting jobs and much more in partnership / ownership settings.

NOTE: Salaries here are the 50th Percentile Salaries and may apply to mid-career levels - the lower percentile salaries (for fresh physicians) may actually be lower by 30,000- 40,000 $. They also differ in academic versus private settings, and the type of specialization, with private sectors usually paying much more.



And these are just base radiologist salaries without the bonuses, perks and moonlighting ! No wonder the competition for Radiology Residencies is so intense in the USA - and I don't need to mention that this is one branch where it has become extremely tough for new IMGs to get in. In fact, the University California San Francisco gives a clear list of requirements that they look for in IMGs - and that includes USMLE scores of 99 to qualify.

Recentle there have been concerns about the payscales in the long term, considering how many hospitals have begun outsourcing Radiological images to radiologists in countries like Australia, India, etc.. for a much much lesser cost and high expertise. "But the facts show that not one radiologist has lost his job or found his earnings reduced", says Jagdish Bhagwati, professor at Columbia University, in an interview with financial times

How to become a Radiologist in the USA ?

There are two types of Radiologist Physicians - the Diagnostic Radiologists or the and the ones practicing Nuclear Medicine. This post is about Diagnostic Radiologists - To be one, a candidate must complete a Residency in Diagnostic Radiology after completing Medical School.

While getting into Radiology residency programs is extremely tough for IMGs (International Medical Graduates) - the IMGs who have completed Radiology residencies in non-US countries have been getting into Radiology Fellowships in the United States directly without having to do a US radiology residency first.

How Long is the Residency Training in Diagnostic Radiology ?

Candidates must first complete 1 year of Transitional or Preliminary training in primary care specialties like Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Ob-Gyn, etc and then follow it up with four years of dedicated Radiology Residency. Thus, that makes it a total of 5 years ( 1 + 4 pattern) to become a Radiologist. Some programs may offer the 1st prelim / transitional year within the same institution (like the Arora Medical Center program, but a majority of programs will want candidates to complete that 1-year on their own ( like the University of Connecticut Radiology Program ) and then participate separately in the match program for Radiology positions. Some might offer both situations like the Baylor University Program

What Fellowship Options are Available After Radiology Residency ?

Here are some:

- Abdominal Radiology
- Cardiothoracic Radiology
- Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology
- Musculoskeletal Radiology
- Neuroradiology
- Nuclear Radiology
- Pediatric Radiology
- Vascular and Interventional Radiology