Dulaney-Browne Library: Nuclear Medicine: Introduction to U.S. & International Regulations and Clinical Practice Resources: Societies

Professional Societies

Numerous medical professional societies are dedicated to or have significant involvement with clinical nuclear medicine.

Physicians, Scientists, and Technologists are members of these professional societies. These societies are a major source of news, continuing education and government relations activities. There are multiple societies in the United States and throughout the world that have nuclear medicine as all or part of their activities.

In the United States, there are several organizations whose focus is on nuclear medicine, including nuclear cardiology and PET imaging. Additionally, the major U.S. radiology societies have nuclear medicine as one of their areas of interest along with the other modalities practiced by radiologists. In many other countries, nuclear medicine is considered a separate specialty, so the radiology societies in those countries are not involved in nuclear medicine the way American radiologists may be.

Government Relations is of special interest to the Nuclear Medicine community because legislation and regulations have a major impact on the specialty. The actions of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) significantly affect Nuclear Medicine. See the "U.S. Regulations" tab above for more information.

Key U.S. Nuclear Medicine and Radiology Societies

There are many professional societies that have an interest in nuclear medicine. Those listed below are the societies that are most involved with nuclear medicine. The societies are listed relative to the extent their efforts are focused on nuclear medicine, with those most dedicated to nuclear medicine at the top. The bottom two organizations have some nuclear medicine activities, as part of their broader interest in all aspects of radiology.

Society of Nuclear Medicine and the

Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologists Section

The SNM is the major U.S. scientific and professional society that specializes in Nuclear Medicine. The SNM has 16,000 members including physicians, scientists, and technologists. The SNM publishes the very well known Journal of Nuclear Medicine as well as newsletters and books. The Society sponsors U.S. and international meetings and workshops designed to increase the competencies of nuclear medicine practitioners and to promote new advances in the science of nuclear medicine.

The ACNM is a trade association composed of professionals in nuclear mediicne. The College provides access to activities concerning the business and socioeconomics of nuclear medicine, scientific information, and improvements of clinical practice. The ACNM's goal is to assure a legislative, legal, regulatory and economic framework that encourages and makes practicable the safe, appropriate use of nuclear medicine procedures to improve the quality of health care service available to patients.

The ASNC is an international professional association which provides nuclear cardiology professionals with continuing education programs, promotes accreditation and certification, and is the principal advocacy organization for nuclear cardiology. ASNC has over 4500 members including physicians, scientists, and technologists.

The AMI is composed of four separate councils, one of which is the Institute for Clinical PET (ICP) which focuses on the PET (Positron Emission Tomography) aspect of Nuclear Medicine. The AMI's activities include educational programs, government relations, and publication of a journal and newletter.

The American Collge of Radiology is composed of 34,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists, and nuclear medicine physicians. The ACR advances these professions through their education, accreditation, and government relations programs.

The RSNA promotes radiology through education and research. Over 46,000 members of the RSNA include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, nuclear medicine physicians, and radiologic scientists.