Course on Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities
Online 300-hour course in protection in nuclear medicine facilities. 6 modules covering Directive 2013/59/Euratom (medical and occupational exposures), Royal Decree 601/2019 (justification and optimisation in medical exposures) and MicroShield. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course on Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities — 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 10 200 (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 organisation and techniques of a nuclear medicine department.
Design shielding and classify areas of a nuclear medicine facility.
Apply radiation protection measures to exposed workers.
Optimise patient protection, including cases of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Establish discharge criteria for patients treated with radionuclides.
Implement quality assurance programmes and incident management.
Develop an integrated protection project for a nuclear medicine department.
Who it's for
- Hospital medical physicist wishing to specialise in Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities.
- Hospital radiation protection technician wishing to specialise in Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities.
- Higher technician in diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine wishing to specialise in Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities.
- Quality manager in nuclear medicine wishing to specialise in Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities.
- Medical facilities inspector wishing to specialise in Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities.
- Consultant in nuclear medicine department design wishing to specialise in Protection in Nuclear Medicine Facilities.
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter public healthcare.
What you'll work with
- Directive 2013/59/Euratom (medical and occupational exposures)
- Royal Decree 601/2019 (justification and optimisation in medical exposures)
- Royal Decree 1841/1997 (quality criteria in nuclear medicine)
- IAEA SSG-46 (radiation protection in medical uses)
- ICRP Publication 128 (patient doses from radiopharmaceuticals)
- ICRP Publication 140 (protection in radionuclide therapy)
- AAPM TG-108 (shielding of PET and PET/CT facilities)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures1.2Radionuclides used clinically and their characteristics1.3Generators, radiopharmacy and dose preparation1.4Patient flow from appointment to discharge1.5Equipment: gamma camera, emission tomography and hybrid equipment1.6Distribution of spaces and circulation1.7Staff involved and their roles1.8Authorisation of the radioactive facility1.9Differences from diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy1.10Exercise: describe the workflow of a procedure
2.1Shielding calculations for rooms and radiopharmacy2.2Shielding of hot cells, syringes and containers2.3Metabolic therapy rooms2.4Ventilation and extraction in radiopharmacy2.5Area classification and signage2.6Access control and changing rooms2.7Management of solid and liquid waste2.8Decay storage and release criteria2.9Patient toilets and treatment of excreta2.10Practice: size the shielding of a room
3.1Exposure pathways for department staff3.2Whole-body, extremity and lens-of-eye dosimetry3.3Handling techniques that reduce finger doses3.4Protection during patient administration3.5Care of therapy patients3.6Monitoring surface and personnel contamination3.7Response to spills3.8Protection of the pregnant worker3.9Staff training and accreditation3.10Practice: optimise dose preparation
4.1Justification of the clinical indication4.2Administered activity and its optimisation4.3Diagnostic reference levels4.4Paediatric adjustment of activity4.5Identity checks and control of administered dose4.6Pregnancy and breastfeeding4.7Dosimetry in metabolic therapy4.8Discharge instructions and protection of household members4.9Recording doses in the clinical history4.10Practice: review an activity protocol
5.1Quality assurance programme for equipment5.2Quality control of radiopharmaceuticals5.3Verification of dose calibrators and measuring equipment5.4Events of erroneous administration5.5Internal and regulatory notification5.6Root cause analysis and corrective actions5.7Clinical audit of the department5.8Regulatory inspection and common findings5.9Radiological performance indicators5.10Practice: investigate an administration incident
6.1Choosing the department and its procedure portfolio6.2Design of spaces and shielding6.3Classification of areas and workers6.4Worker protection programme6.5Patient optimisation protocols6.6Management of waste and excreta6.7Quality assurance programme6.8Training and emergency plan6.9Radiation protection plan 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 MicroShield, OLINDA/EXM, MIRDcalc, advanced Excel (shielding calculations), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are based on real procedures: shielding calculations for PET rooms, quality control of dose calibrators, and review of area classification. Assessment is continuous throughout each module, plus the final integrated project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Describe the organisation and techniques of a nuclear medicine department.
Design shielding and classify areas of a nuclear medicine facility.
Apply radiation protection measures to exposed workers.
Optimise patient protection, including cases of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Establish discharge criteria for patients treated with radionuclides.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient proficiency in Spanish to read technical regulations.
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 is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The course works with MicroShield, OLINDA/EXM, MIRDcalc and advanced Excel (shielding calculations). Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrated project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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