Virginia Law

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user of a manual brachytherapy source for uses authorized under 12VAC5-481-2010 to be a physician:

1. Who is certified by a medical specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the NRC, the agency, or an agreement state. The names of board certifications that have been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state are posted on the NRC's Medical Uses Licensee Toolkit Web page. To have its certification process recognized, a specialty board shall require all candidates for certification to:

a. Successfully complete a minimum of three years of residency training in a radiation oncology program approved by the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Council on Postdoctoral Training of the American Osteopathic Association; and

b. Pass an examination administered by diplomates of the specialty board that tests knowledge and competence in radiation safety, radionuclide handling, treatment planning, quality assurance, and clinical use of manual brachytherapy; or

2. Who has:

a. Completed a structured educational program in basic radionuclide handling techniques applicable to the use of manual brachytherapy sources that includes:

(1) 200 hours of classroom and laboratory training in the following areas:

(a) Radiation physics and instrumentation;

(b) Radiation protection;

(c) Mathematics pertaining to the use and measurement of radioactivity; and

(d) Radiation biology; and

(2) 500 hours of work experience, under the supervision of an authorized user who meets the requirements in this subsection, 12VAC5-481-1780, or equivalent NRC or another agreement state requirements at a medical facility authorized to use radioactive material under 12VAC5-481-2010, involving:

(a) Ordering, receiving, and unpacking radioactive materials safely and performing the related radiation surveys;

(b) Checking survey meters for proper operation;

(c) Preparing, implanting, and removing brachytherapy sources;

(d) Maintaining running inventories of material on hand;

(e) Using administrative controls to prevent a medical event involving the use of radioactive material;

(f) Using emergency procedures to control radioactive material; and

b. Completed three years of supervised clinical experience in radiation oncology, under an AU who meets the requirements in this section, 12VAC5-481-1780, or equivalent NRC or another agreement state requirements, as part of a formal training program approved by the Residency Review Committee for Radiation Oncology of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Council on Postdoctoral Training of the American Osteopathic Association. This experience may be obtained concurrently with the supervised work experience required by subdivision 2 a (2) of this section.

3. Who has obtained written attestation that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in subdivision 2 of this section and has achieved a level of competency sufficient to function independently as an AU of manual brachytherapy sources for the medical uses authorized in 12VAC5-481-2010. This attestation must be obtained from either:

a. A preceptor authorized user who meets the requirements in this section, 12VAC5-481-1780, or equivalent NRC or other agreement state requirements; or

b. A residency program director who affirms in writing that the attestation represents the residency program faculty where at least one faculty member is an authorized user who meets the requirement in this section, 12VAC5-481-1780, or equivalent NRC or other agreement state requirements and concurs with the attestation provided by the residency program director. The residency training program must be approved by the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Council on Postdoctoral Training of the American Osteopathic Association and must include training and experience specific in subsection 2 of this section.