I. Applying to take an ABSNM Certification Exam
A. General Application Questions
1. Reference Letter
Question: Can I have someone write a reference letter attesting to my experience and competency?
Answer: Freely written reference letters are not accepted by the ABSNM. The Letter of Reference / Attestation of Experience and Competency form for the relevant exam must be used by the supervisor.
2. Training/Experience with Respect to Degree Date
Question: Can my professional experience be before I received my master’s or doctorate degree?
Answer: No, the training/experience must be after the date of the qualifying master’s or doctorate degree as indicated on the academic transcript.
Question: Does post-doctoral experience count as professional experience?
Answer: Yes.
3. Part-Time Training/Experience
Question: Can my training/experience be part time?
Answer: Yes, what matters is the full-time equivalent, defined as (% effort) x (duration). On the application the Duration Effort and % Effort devoted to the Specialty area need to be provided. On the Letter of Reference / Attestation of Experience and Competency form the supervisor must give the start and end date (or ongoing) of supervision and the % effort in the exam specialty area. For the Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation exam the supervisor must indicate effort in Medical Physics and the effort in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation.
4. Earliest Exam Date for Master’s/Doctorate Degree received on July 1
Question: I received my graduate degree on July 1. How soon can I take the exam?
Answer: The training/experience must occur after the date of the graduate degree. Depending on the exam and the graduate degree, either 2 or 3 years training/experience after the degree is required. For example, if you received your degree on July 1, 2020, the soonest that you could have acquired 2 years training/experience is July 1, 2022 and the earliest that you could have acquired 3 years training/experience is July 1, 2023. If your requirement is 2 years training/experience, then the earliest that you could take the exam is in June 2023. If your requirement is 3 years training/experience, then the earliest that you could take the exam is in June 2024.
5. Date of My Master’s or Doctorate Degree
Question: What counts as the date of my Master’s or Doctorate degree for the purposes of training/experience after my degree?
Answer: The applicable date is the date of the degree on your transcript.
6. Foreign Training/Experience
Question: I received my training/experience in a foreign country (i.e. outside of the United States). Will this count?
Answer: Yes, as long as the Supervisor meets the proper qualifications appropriate for the specific specialty exam.
B. Questions for Specific Specialty Exams
B.1. Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (NMPI) Exam Qualifications
1. Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (NMPI): Medical Physics and NMPI Training/Experience
Question: I am unclear on the medical physics and NMPI training/experience requirements. Can you explain in greater detail?
Answer: For the NMPI specialty exam there are two sets of training/experience requirements. (a) Either 2 years (doctorate degree holders) or 3 years (master’s degree holders) training/experience in medical physics are required after the receipt of the degree. Nuclear medicine physics is considered a branch of medical physics. Thus this requirement can be met by a combination of NMPI and non-NMPI (e.g. diagnostic radiological physics) training/experience.
(b) In addition, NMPI exam candidates must have 1 year (doctorate degree holders) or 1.5 years (master’s degree holders) full-time equivalent training/experience in nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation. This can coincide with the training experience of the part (a) requirement.
Example 1: A person with a doctorate degree who has 2 years of full-time training/experience in NMPI will meet the (a) and (b) requirements.
Example 2: A person with a doctorate degree who has 1 year of full-time training/experience in medical physics (non-nuclear) and 1 year of full-time training/experience in NMPI will meet the (a) and (b) requirements.
Example 3: A person with a doctorate degree who has 2 years full-time training/experience in medical physics, of which 20% was in NMPI, will meet the part (a) requirement. This person has 0.40 full-time equivalent years of training in NMPI and will need an additional 0.60 full-time equivalent years of training/experience in NMPI to meet the part (b) requirement.
2. Residency Program Training
Question: Does time spent in a medical physics or nuclear medicine physics residency program (e.g. a CAMPEP approved program) count as training/experience?
Answer: Yes.
3. Previous Work Experience as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Question: I worked for several years as a nuclear medicine technologist before receiving my graduate degree. Can this count as part of the training/experience requirement?
Answer: No, only work experience after you received your graduate degree will count.
4. Work Experience in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation
Question: What counts as work experience?
Answer: The NMPI exam qualifications require “full-time-equivalent practical experience devoted to nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation.” This is hands-on work experience, not self-study or online training. The work experience must be as a physicist, not as a technologist or lab technician.
5. Work Experience as an Imaging Physics or Nuclear Medicine Physics Resident
Question: I was a trainee in a full time structured residency program which is mostly hands-on work experience. Does this time count as work experience for the purposes of fulfilling full-time practical experience requirement in NMPI?
Answer: Yes, according to the length of time spent on NMPI. This would be 100% for a Nuclear Medicine Physics residency and the fraction of time devoted to NMPI for an Imaging Physics residency.
6. Work Experience as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist after a Master’s Degree: NMPI Exam Requirements
Question: I worked as a nuclear medicine technologist and received my master’s degree. Does my work experience as a technologist after the receipt of my degree count toward my training/experience as a medical physicist or the NMPI requirement?
Answer: No, your training/experience must be in the professional role of a medical physicist or nuclear medicine physicist.
7. Supervisor Qualification as a Physicist, Scientist, or Engineer with an Established Career in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation
Question: Can you provide some more details on what is meant by this supervisor qualification?
Answer: This is a pathway for an exam candidate to demonstrate practical experience in nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation in a research or development facility where the supervisor has an established career in nuclear medicine research or instrumentation. This may be in an industrial or academic laboratory or in a research environment at an academic medical center. The supervisor must submit his or her CV, resume or other documentation with the attestation form that supports this established career qualification. A supervisor who serves as a Radiation Safety Officer or a Health Physicist and who does not have an established career in nuclear medicine research or instrumentation or does not supervise the candidate in a research or development laboratory would not qualify.
B.2. Radiation Protection Exam Qualifications
1. Supervisor Qualifications for Radiation Protection Exam
Question: Does the supervisor attesting to my experience have to meet any requirements? I do not see any listed in the ABSNM Exam Requirements.
Answer: There are no specific requirements however the qualifications of the supervisor must be given on the Letter of Reference / Attestation of Experience and Competency form.
2. Work Experience as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist after a Master’s Degree in Health Physics: Radiation Protection Exam Requirements
Question: I worked as a nuclear medicine technologist and received my master’s degree in Health Physics. Does my work experience as a technologist after the receipt of my degree count toward my training/experience for the Radiation Protection exam?
Answer: No, your work experience must be in the professional role of a health physicist.
B.3. Other Exams
1. Discontinued Specialty Exams
Question: I do not see any information on the ABSNM web site about the Molecular Imaging or the Radiopharmaceutical Science specialty exams. Why is that?
Answer: These specialty exams have been discontinued and are no longer offered.
II. Examination Format and Protocol
1. Exam Format
Question: Can you describe the exam format?
Answer: The General and Specialty exams are multiple choice. A time of 3.5 hours is allocated for the General exam in a morning session. After a break for lunch the 2.5 hour Specialty exams are offered.
2. Examination Dates
Question: When are the exams offered?
Answer: The examinations will preferably be held in June or July of each year. Though typically the examination is held in conjunction with the SNMMI annual meeting in June, the date and location could be moved due to reasons such as public health, other emergencies or logistical factors.
3. Exam Location
Question: Where is the exam offered?
Answer: The exam is generally offered at one of the conference hotels associated with the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting. The exam may be held at an alternate location due to public health, other emergencies or logistical factors.
4. Is Taking the Exam at a Testing Center Possible?
Question: Can I take the ABSNM board exam at a testing center near me?
Answer: No, the exam must be taken in person.
5. Calculator
Question: Can I use my own calculator or the calculator on my cell phone during the exam?
Answer: No, you must use a physical TI-30XS calculator that will be provided by ABSNM at the exam site. There are no exceptions. You are encouraged to practice with a TX-30XS calculator while preparing for the exam so that you are familiar with its operation.
A. General Application Questions
1. Reference Letter
Question: Can I have someone write a reference letter attesting to my experience and competency?
Answer: Freely written reference letters are not accepted by the ABSNM. The Letter of Reference / Attestation of Experience and Competency form for the relevant exam must be used by the supervisor.
2. Training/Experience with Respect to Degree Date
Question: Can my professional experience be before I received my master’s or doctorate degree?
Answer: No, the training/experience must be after the date of the qualifying master’s or doctorate degree as indicated on the academic transcript.
Question: Does post-doctoral experience count as professional experience?
Answer: Yes.
3. Part-Time Training/Experience
Question: Can my training/experience be part time?
Answer: Yes, what matters is the full-time equivalent, defined as (% effort) x (duration). On the application the Duration Effort and % Effort devoted to the Specialty area need to be provided. On the Letter of Reference / Attestation of Experience and Competency form the supervisor must give the start and end date (or ongoing) of supervision and the % effort in the exam specialty area. For the Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation exam the supervisor must indicate effort in Medical Physics and the effort in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation.
4. Earliest Exam Date for Master’s/Doctorate Degree received on July 1
Question: I received my graduate degree on July 1. How soon can I take the exam?
Answer: The training/experience must occur after the date of the graduate degree. Depending on the exam and the graduate degree, either 2 or 3 years training/experience after the degree is required. For example, if you received your degree on July 1, 2020, the soonest that you could have acquired 2 years training/experience is July 1, 2022 and the earliest that you could have acquired 3 years training/experience is July 1, 2023. If your requirement is 2 years training/experience, then the earliest that you could take the exam is in June 2023. If your requirement is 3 years training/experience, then the earliest that you could take the exam is in June 2024.
5. Date of My Master’s or Doctorate Degree
Question: What counts as the date of my Master’s or Doctorate degree for the purposes of training/experience after my degree?
Answer: The applicable date is the date of the degree on your transcript.
6. Foreign Training/Experience
Question: I received my training/experience in a foreign country (i.e. outside of the United States). Will this count?
Answer: Yes, as long as the Supervisor meets the proper qualifications appropriate for the specific specialty exam.
B. Questions for Specific Specialty Exams
B.1. Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (NMPI) Exam Qualifications
1. Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (NMPI): Medical Physics and NMPI Training/Experience
Question: I am unclear on the medical physics and NMPI training/experience requirements. Can you explain in greater detail?
Answer: For the NMPI specialty exam there are two sets of training/experience requirements. (a) Either 2 years (doctorate degree holders) or 3 years (master’s degree holders) training/experience in medical physics are required after the receipt of the degree. Nuclear medicine physics is considered a branch of medical physics. Thus this requirement can be met by a combination of NMPI and non-NMPI (e.g. diagnostic radiological physics) training/experience.
(b) In addition, NMPI exam candidates must have 1 year (doctorate degree holders) or 1.5 years (master’s degree holders) full-time equivalent training/experience in nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation. This can coincide with the training experience of the part (a) requirement.
Example 1: A person with a doctorate degree who has 2 years of full-time training/experience in NMPI will meet the (a) and (b) requirements.
Example 2: A person with a doctorate degree who has 1 year of full-time training/experience in medical physics (non-nuclear) and 1 year of full-time training/experience in NMPI will meet the (a) and (b) requirements.
Example 3: A person with a doctorate degree who has 2 years full-time training/experience in medical physics, of which 20% was in NMPI, will meet the part (a) requirement. This person has 0.40 full-time equivalent years of training in NMPI and will need an additional 0.60 full-time equivalent years of training/experience in NMPI to meet the part (b) requirement.
2. Residency Program Training
Question: Does time spent in a medical physics or nuclear medicine physics residency program (e.g. a CAMPEP approved program) count as training/experience?
Answer: Yes.
3. Previous Work Experience as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Question: I worked for several years as a nuclear medicine technologist before receiving my graduate degree. Can this count as part of the training/experience requirement?
Answer: No, only work experience after you received your graduate degree will count.
4. Work Experience in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation
Question: What counts as work experience?
Answer: The NMPI exam qualifications require “full-time-equivalent practical experience devoted to nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation.” This is hands-on work experience, not self-study or online training. The work experience must be as a physicist, not as a technologist or lab technician.
5. Work Experience as an Imaging Physics or Nuclear Medicine Physics Resident
Question: I was a trainee in a full time structured residency program which is mostly hands-on work experience. Does this time count as work experience for the purposes of fulfilling full-time practical experience requirement in NMPI?
Answer: Yes, according to the length of time spent on NMPI. This would be 100% for a Nuclear Medicine Physics residency and the fraction of time devoted to NMPI for an Imaging Physics residency.
6. Work Experience as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist after a Master’s Degree: NMPI Exam Requirements
Question: I worked as a nuclear medicine technologist and received my master’s degree. Does my work experience as a technologist after the receipt of my degree count toward my training/experience as a medical physicist or the NMPI requirement?
Answer: No, your training/experience must be in the professional role of a medical physicist or nuclear medicine physicist.
7. Supervisor Qualification as a Physicist, Scientist, or Engineer with an Established Career in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation
Question: Can you provide some more details on what is meant by this supervisor qualification?
Answer: This is a pathway for an exam candidate to demonstrate practical experience in nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation in a research or development facility where the supervisor has an established career in nuclear medicine research or instrumentation. This may be in an industrial or academic laboratory or in a research environment at an academic medical center. The supervisor must submit his or her CV, resume or other documentation with the attestation form that supports this established career qualification. A supervisor who serves as a Radiation Safety Officer or a Health Physicist and who does not have an established career in nuclear medicine research or instrumentation or does not supervise the candidate in a research or development laboratory would not qualify.
B.2. Radiation Protection Exam Qualifications
1. Supervisor Qualifications for Radiation Protection Exam
Question: Does the supervisor attesting to my experience have to meet any requirements? I do not see any listed in the ABSNM Exam Requirements.
Answer: There are no specific requirements however the qualifications of the supervisor must be given on the Letter of Reference / Attestation of Experience and Competency form.
2. Work Experience as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist after a Master’s Degree in Health Physics: Radiation Protection Exam Requirements
Question: I worked as a nuclear medicine technologist and received my master’s degree in Health Physics. Does my work experience as a technologist after the receipt of my degree count toward my training/experience for the Radiation Protection exam?
Answer: No, your work experience must be in the professional role of a health physicist.
B.3. Other Exams
1. Discontinued Specialty Exams
Question: I do not see any information on the ABSNM web site about the Molecular Imaging or the Radiopharmaceutical Science specialty exams. Why is that?
Answer: These specialty exams have been discontinued and are no longer offered.
II. Examination Format and Protocol
1. Exam Format
Question: Can you describe the exam format?
Answer: The General and Specialty exams are multiple choice. A time of 3.5 hours is allocated for the General exam in a morning session. After a break for lunch the 2.5 hour Specialty exams are offered.
2. Examination Dates
Question: When are the exams offered?
Answer: The examinations will preferably be held in June or July of each year. Though typically the examination is held in conjunction with the SNMMI annual meeting in June, the date and location could be moved due to reasons such as public health, other emergencies or logistical factors.
3. Exam Location
Question: Where is the exam offered?
Answer: The exam is generally offered at one of the conference hotels associated with the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting. The exam may be held at an alternate location due to public health, other emergencies or logistical factors.
4. Is Taking the Exam at a Testing Center Possible?
Question: Can I take the ABSNM board exam at a testing center near me?
Answer: No, the exam must be taken in person.
5. Calculator
Question: Can I use my own calculator or the calculator on my cell phone during the exam?
Answer: No, you must use a physical TI-30XS calculator that will be provided by ABSNM at the exam site. There are no exceptions. You are encouraged to practice with a TX-30XS calculator while preparing for the exam so that you are familiar with its operation.