Course in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes
Online 300-hour course in ethics in the medical use of radioisotopes. 6 modules covering Royal Decree 601/2019 (justification and optimisation in medical exposures), Directive 2013/59/Euratom (basic safety standards) and OLINDA/EXM. Personal tutor assigned and enrolment open.
Course in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes — studying from South Africa
South Africa is one of the few African countries with an operating nuclear power programme, centred on the Koeberg power station near Cape Town, operated by Eskom. The country also has nuclear research and fuel cycle activity through the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, known as Necsa, based at Pelindaba near Pretoria. Nuclear engineers work on reactor operation, safety, fuel management and decommissioning. The National Nuclear Regulator is the independent authority that licenses and oversees nuclear activities.
Fees for South Africa: R 13 900 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the professional bodies in South Africa for this area?
SEIUM qualifications are private and not accredited by any South African body, so they are not official state degrees. Nuclear activities in South Africa are regulated by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), and professional registration runs through ECSA. Acceptance of a private qualification in this regulated field rests with employers or the relevant authority, so verify before enrolling.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in nuclear engineering?
Nuclear employers, including Eskom and specialist contractors, typically require formally recognised qualifications, security clearances and regulatory competence. A private SEIUM qualification may add background knowledge but is unlikely to meet formal requirements on its own. Discuss this with employers in the nuclear sector to understand how they would view it.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
The programme is fully online and taught in English, so you can study from South Africa without a student visa. Master's programmes require 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments and employer sponsorship is possible. Ask SEIUM about time-zone and workload details before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioisotopes.
Apply the requirements for patient consent and information.
Analyse situations requiring special care, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding and paediatrics.
Identify conflicts of interest in research and the radiopharmaceutical industry.
Evaluate the management of errors and accidental exposures.
Interpret the framework for justification and optimisation of medical exposures.
Develop an integrated ethical analysis of a clinical case.
Who it's for
- Hospital radiation physicist who wishes to specialise in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes.
- Medical specialist in nuclear medicine who wishes to specialise in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes.
- Radiopharmacist who wishes to specialise in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes.
- Higher technician in diagnostic imaging who wishes to specialise in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes.
- Member of a research ethics committee for medicinal products who wishes to specialise in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes.
- Patient safety manager who wishes to specialise in Ethics in the Medical Use of Radioisotopes.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter public healthcare.
What you'll work with
- Royal Decree 601/2019 (justification and optimisation in medical exposures)
- Directive 2013/59/Euratom (basic safety standards)
- ICRP 105 (radiological protection in medicine)
- IAEA SSG-46 (radiological protection in medical uses)
- WMA Declaration of Helsinki
- Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 (clinical trials of medicinal products)
- Oviedo Convention (human rights and biomedicine)
- Law 41/2002 (patient autonomy)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Diagnosis and therapy with unsealed sources1.2Commonly used radiopharmaceuticals and their purpose1.3Clinical benefit versus patient exposure1.4Who decides and with what information1.5The clinical relationship and asymmetry of knowledge1.6Vocabulary for explaining an examination1.7The justification principle applied to the individual patient1.8Radiation-free alternatives and when to consider them1.9Basic bioethics vocabulary1.10Exercise: justifying an indication for a case
2.1Minimum content of prior information2.2Written consent: when it is required2.3Capacity, legal representation and minors2.4Information on unlikely risks2.5The right not to know and its limits2.6Patient refusal and alternatives2.7Documentation in the clinical record2.8Information on precautions at discharge2.9Protection of cohabitants and carers2.10Practice: drafting a consent document
3.1Known and suspected pregnancy3.2Breastfeeding and recommended interruption3.3Paediatric population and activity adjustment3.4Patients with cognitive impairment3.5Patients enrolled in clinical research3.6Repeated examinations and cumulative dose3.7Screening and exposure of healthy people3.8Donors and healthy volunteers3.9Exposures not justified by patient pressure3.10Practice: deliberating three difficult cases
4.1Research ethics committees4.2Designing trials with radiopharmaceuticals4.3Consent in research and compensation4.4Patient data protection4.5Relationship with the pharmaceutical industry4.6Transparency of funding4.7Publication of results and bias4.8Compassionate use and access to new therapies4.9Equity of access to nuclear medicine4.10Practice: a committee opinion on a protocol
5.1Incorrect administration of a radiopharmaceutical5.2Duty to inform the patient of the error5.3Internal and regulatory notification5.4Root cause analysis and corrective actions5.5Just culture in the department5.6Management of waste and excreta5.7Protection of healthcare staff5.8Mandatory continuing education5.9Quality indicators and clinical audit5.10Practice: managing the communication of an error
6.1Choice of department and procedure6.2Analysis of clinical justification6.3Information and consent procedure6.4Protocols for special situations6.5Discharge instructions and protection of cohabitants6.6Error reporting system6.7Team training plan6.8Ethical and quality indicators6.9Project report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OLINDA/EXM, MIRDcalc, IDAC-Dose, Hermes Medical Solutions, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: analysis of informed consent documents, case studies of accidental exposures and review of radionuclide therapy protocols. Assessment is continuous by module, plus a final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Describe the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radioisotopes.
Apply the requirements for patient consent and information.
Analyse situations requiring special care, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding and paediatrics.
Identify conflicts of interest in research and the radiopharmaceutical industry.
Evaluate the management of errors and accidental exposures.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient command of Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That averages between 10 and 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with OLINDA/EXM, MIRDcalc, IDAC-Dose, Hermes Medical Solutions. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma on passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be credited towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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