Back close
Admissions
Courses offered at the following campus
Kochi
APPLY NOW

Overview

To commemorate the 25 years (Silver Jubilee) of meritorious services by Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging department, Post-Doctoral Certificate programs (PDCC) has been initiated by this department at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Cochin for the next academic session in 2025 and has received institutional approval.

Nuclear Oncology & Theranostics Fellowship programme (post-doctoral) is an annual programme open for both national and international candidates. Students will undergo training at Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences under Amrita Vishwa vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India. Fellows will get first-hand experience in Nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures that will include Nuclear thyroidology, endocrinology, nephro, urology, neurology, cardiology,
pulmonology, oncology etc.

Imaging includes all the routinely performed Gamma camera, PETCT & PETMR scans. Students will have access to report PET based radiopharmaceuticals like 18F FDG, 18F DOPA, 18F Choline, FAPI, 68Ga PSMA, 68Ga Exendin, Ga68 DOTA, Ga68 CXCR etc. Theranostic responsibilities will include scheduling and managing patients posted for Low dose & high dose I 131 therapies, PRRT, Lu/ Ac PSMA therapy, Radiosynovectomy, TARE, Palliative bone pain therapy etc. In the MD/DNB Nuclear medicine curriculum, while these topics maybe well covered, many important variables and practical tips may not have been addressed due to non-availability of resources, low workload or other reasons. At Amrita Institute, Kochi we have excellent workload, facilities and infrastructure to expose the fellows to diagnostic and multidisciplinary radionuclide theranostic work. With multispecialty departments, infrastructure and medical experts, we hope to achieve high end training and education to NM physicians.

Duration of Program: : 1 year (Open throughout the year)

Attention Please !

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has not appointed any Agent or Third-Party Client for securing admission in any programme. Students are hereby requested to contact only the toll-free number on our website for any admission related queries.
– Issued in Public Interest by Directorate of Admissions and Academic Outreach

About of the Course

Block Image
Open for National & International Nuclear medicine physicians

 

Number of Seats: 2 + 2

Applicable to Indian & International Nuclear medicine physicians

Place of Work: Dept. of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging, Kochi, Kerala, India

Eligibility: MD / DNB Nuclear medicine or equivalent course from International universities

Fees: For national candidates’ monthly stipend will be paid as per hospital policy. Other details also can be clarified from admission office.

Leave benefits will be informed during the joining and will be based on hospital policy.

Block Image

Admission is Open Throughout the Year.

International candidates need to get approval from their respective govt. / ministry. National medical council approval (NMC, New Delhi) to be obtained by International candidates (to contact course coordinator for details).

International candidates can also write to the program director

CV/ documents to be sent to Email ID: ssundaram@aims.amrita.edu

Program Director:
Dr. P. Shanmuga Sundaram, MBBS, DRM, DNB, MNAMS, FANMB, FICNM
Head, Dept of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging,
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences,
Cochin. Kerala

Program Details

The department is already successfully running a structured postgraduate Nuclear medicine programme from 2008 onwards. By introducing this new certificate program, we aim to improve and further refine the overall standards and clinical outlook of NM fellows in dealing with day to day Nuclear medicine procedures. Fellows will take care of regular duties, academics in the department and will also interact with clinical departments and tumour board meetings. The curriculum formulated meets national and international standards of Nuclear medicine syllabus. This course is open for both National and International Nuclear medicine qualified doctors. International students will need approval from their respective hospitals, higher authorities as well as from their ministry to undertake the course in India along with approval from National Medical council (NMC), New Delhi.

We have the complete infrastructure to undertake both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Faculties are experts in the field and are well respected both nationally and internationally. The curriculum is designed to cover all relevant topics in the field. Each element of the program is structured to maximize the experiences gained by each fellow. On successful completion of the course with theory and practical examinations, certicate will be issued from the institution.

Duties

Fellows will be on rotational duty along with MD students in Gamma camera, PET and theranostic duties. This will cover all aspects of Nuclear oncology and theranostics. Reporting of daily performed diagnostic scans, history taking, performing Gamma camera procedures, ward rounds, scan sessions, journal club, seminars, review of scientific projects, teaching MD Residents would also be the core activity. Fellows will also be exposed to Hospital Radiopharmacy, preparation of radiopharmaceutical, quality control, dosimetry. Fellows will also attend interdepartmental meetings and multimodality therapy meetings, Learn treatment pathways as per Disease
management group protocols for various malignancies. Candidate has to follow all rules and policies as laid down by the Head of the department, institute, university and local government during the course tenure. Unauthorised leave or absence from duty will not be permitted especially to International students. He / she has to undertake all jobs assigned to him / her during the tenure for award of fellowship.

Academic Sessions

In addition to broad clinical exposure, fellows will participate in the daily educational exercises of NM post graduate residents, journal clubs, case based discussions, inter departmental monthly meetings in Head & neck surgery, Oncology, Neurology and Endocrinology. They will be expected to participate in at least 1 NM conference during their term period and obtain a working knowledge. They will also work closely with residents of allied specialities to complete their thesis and research work. The goal of the fellowship is to train both national / international Nuclear medicine doctors to be outstanding clinicians, educators and researchers.

Prospect of the Programme, outcome

The programme prepares the Nuclear medicine physicians to fine tune his / her knowledge in Nuclear diagnostics and therapy. Nuclear Medicine in Oncology is the fastest growing subspeciality in Nuclear Medicine. The programme prepares the candidate to work effectively in cancer centres and in research Institutes, to undertake, desk to bedside- research. At the end of the programme, the candidate will be a successful specialist with comprehensive knowledge of Nuclear imaging and theranostics. He will be able to setup Regulatory compliant facility for Theranostics Practice and research. This will groom the candidate to take up routine NM procedures and academic research in comprehensive nuclear medicine.

  1. Gamma camera (Siemens & GE) : 2 in number (SPECTCT)
  2. Siemens Biograph LYSO Horizon 16 slice PET CT with TOF
  3. Simultaneous PETMR (3T) : Siemens Biograph mMR
  4. Thyroid uptake probe
  5. Handheld gamma probe
  6. Well counter
  7. High dose therapy rooms

Total number of diagnostic & therapeutic procedures: 1300 – 1400 cases per month
Therapy Procedures: Low dose & high dose I 131 therapy, PRRT, 177 Lu/ 225 Ac PSMA therapy, Terbium therapy, Radiosynovectomy, TARE, Palliative bone pain therapy

Following therapy procedures:

  1. Low dose (Hyperthyroid) & High dose I 131 therapy,
  2. I131 MIBG therapy,
  3. 177Lu /225Ac PSMA therapy
  4. 177Lu/225Ac DOTATATE (PRRT) therapy,
  5. palliative bone pain therapy,
  6. TARE using 90Y SIRSPHERES
  7. Radiation synovectomy,

To apply for a fellowship position please email your completed application and supporting documents to our Program Head (details given below). The prospective international fellows need to apply to National Medical Council (NMC) India for permission prior to joining the course. For more details, you may contact us. Please apply with following documents;

  1. Curriculum vitae with complete educational details and details of passing Nuclear medicine post-graduation/ equivalent degree for international candidates. Students waiting for results can also apply.
  2. Personal statement / your interest in choosing this program
  3. Copies of passing Medical School and relevant educational & postgraduate passing certificates.
  4. For International candidates, copy of permission from your state / govt relieving you of your local hospital duties and allowing you to pursue post-doctoral certificate program in India.
  5. Undertaking that you will complete entire 1-year fellowship course
  6. Evidence of prior research activity if any & publications (may be listed on your CV)
  7. Photograph
Outlines of the Programme
  1. Basic Science aspects of Nuclear Medicine Imaging
  2. Nuclear imaging techniques in Oncology: SPECT, SPECTCT, PETCT and PETMR
  3. Characteristics of Therapeutic radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals,
  4. Methods of Production of radionuclides, quality control measures of radiopharmaceuticals
  5. Tracer Kinetic Models, compartmental analysis and software-based dose estimates
  6. Principles of Internal Dosimetry: Calculation of the radiation dose from internally
    administered radionuclide
  7. Radiobiology and Health physics
  8. Radiation transport
  9. Radiation protection in diagnostic and therapeutic set up: Design of diagnostic lab and Isolation ward as per the norms of AERB, Principles of waste management and decontamination and various other mandatory requirements for the use of radionuclides.
  10. Principles of Radionuclide administration as Out Patient procedure and in patient procedures
  11. Principles of Radionuclide administration as an In Patient procedure and its waste management
  12. Nuclear Accidents: nuclear fallouts, either due to nuclear reactor accidents or due to war-time events, protection measures and preparedness, treatment at the time of over radiation exposure and dealing with long-term sequelae.
  13. Research methodology. Good clinical Practice, Institutional ethics committee, regulatory process for research in clinical nuclear medicine.
  14. Biostatistics for imaging
  15. Evidence based Medicine in imaging and theranostics
Clinical & Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine
  1. NM imaging in various organ systems: Planar, SPECTCT, PETCT, PETMR
  2. Imaging with 18F FDG, Non FDG tracers like Choline, DOPA, 131I MIBG, 68Ga DOTA NOC, PSMA, FAPI, 68Ga RGD, Exendin etc.
  3. I 131 Therapy in Thyroid disorders; benign thyroid diseases (Graves’ disease, Toxic MNG, ATN), Differentiated thyroid cancer, counselling, follow up strategy and whole body I 131 scans.
  4. National and international guidelines and regulations pertaining to therapeutic administration of radionuclides
  5. Radionuclide therapy in Liver tumours, Prostate cancer, Neuroendocrine tumours, Neuroblastoma, Phaeochromocytoma and other malignancies
  6. Procedures and management for I 131 MIBG, Y 90 (TARE), PRRT therapy
  7. Bone pain palliation using various radionuclides such as Sm153, Sr89 etc.
    • Patient selection, response evaluation, toxicity identification and care.
    • Narcotics and drug
  8. Radiosynovectomy – Intra-articular injections, patient selection, monitoring, post
     treatment support
  9. Pain control with therapy
  10. Radioimmunotherapy
    • 131I, 177Lu, 90Y based formulations.
    • Experience reported in literature
    • Patient selection, response evaluation and dosimetry, toxicity
  11. Locoregional internal radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma and others
    1. Planning a TARE procedure, executing the procedure with radiology and postop care
    2. Hepatopulmonary shunt evaluation and quantification prior to TARE
    3. Impact of TACE
    4. Radiopharmaceuticals for TARE
  12. Radionuclide patches for treatment of cutaneous lesions/malignancies
  13. Research agents in radionuclide therap
Recent Advances in Nuclear Medicine
  1. Updates on Instrumentation, Intraoperative probes, imaging – PET, SPECT, CT, MRI
  2. New Development of Radiopharmaceuticals, Understanding formulations of various Radiopharmaceuticals used in routine and research therapy. Therapeutic procedures – Emphasis on safe delivery of Radiopharmaceuticals to intended site, confirming to regulatory principles.
  3. Post processing techniques of CT, MR, PET & SPECT.
  4. For aid of surgical planning, estimating dose and confirming dose delivery.
  5. Quantitation techniques, RECIST, PERCIST, i-RECIST
  6. Radiomics and Artificial intelligence techniques
Therapies & Multimodality Management
  1. Trans Arterial Radio Embolization & Sandwich Therapy between chemo/targeted therapy & Isotope based therapy. Patient preparation and post treatment patient care for first 24 hours. In day care unit, he will be exposed to patient care especially during infusion of antibodies and other chemotherapeutical agents.
  2. Be able to perform pharmacological stress to study myocardial perfusion abnormalities and cerebral blood flow.
  3. Evaluation of completion of RFA and other ablative procedures using 18F FDG or similar agents.
  4. Ictal – Interictal study – cerebral blood flow dynamics using SPECT agents, cerebral imaging with SPECTCT and PETMR.
  5. Pharmacological stress myocardial perfusion SPECT for major vascular / nonvascular surgeries
  6. Stress Myocardial perfusion SPECT in Kawasaki disease / congenital heart disease patients post repair
  7. Lung perfusion in patients with pulmonary artery stenosis, Tetrology of Fallot, congenital heart disease, emphysematous
  8. Identify long term and short-term therapy related toxicities using nuclear medicine techniques.
Exams & Program Evaluation
  1. Daily record/ log book of both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures undertaken has to be mentioned and verified by mentor
  2. Postings with dates to be recorded in logbook
  3. Participation certificate after attending educational conference/ s to be attached in logbook
  4. This record will have to be successfully presented to the supervising consultant at the end of each block of the rotation and the record book has to be signed by the fellow and the supervising consultant. The log book will be submitted at the time of the annual assessment.
Exit Exam

Theory – 2 papers: 100 marks each – 3 hrs duration per exam.
Practicals & Viva voce exam will be conducted at the end of the term as per the hospital
guidelines – total 100 marks.
Fellowship certificate will be issued to the fellows who successfully clear the exit
examination and should have atleast 1 original article and 1 case report published in scopus
indexed journals at the completion of term.

Documents should be emailed to Program Head:

Dr. P. Shanmuga Sundaram,
Head & Clinical Professor,
Dept of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging,
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences,
Cochin, Kerala, India
Email ID : ssundaram@aims.amrita.edu

Admissions Apply Now