Symposium on the Teaching of N u c l ~ a rChemistry* *
COURSES IN RADIOISOTOPES A T THE OAK RIDGE INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR STUDIES R. T. OVERMAN O a k Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, Tennessee W . \ n nnd p a - t w r rrsr:~rrlr nnd clrvelopmrnt. i n the 1~11r4r:lr seirnrrx crentrd mnny new nnrl important rescweh terhniqum spplir:~hlr to lnrgr nrc:ts of rvork. At tllr snme timr, srwrity rrquirrmrr~tswri~n~sly intrrf r r ~ lwith t h r nonn:A sprrnd of tl~rsrtrrlmiqucs to intrrestrrl lnl~orntorirs. 1.1111s111.- n m l nrwe for sl~ort, eonrrntr:~twl ro~~rrr.;n i m ~ lnt the mnturr rrsrnrrh norkrr nlrcnily trninwl i l l his given firlrl. ' ~ h rSpwid l'rnining 1)ivision of the Oak Ridge 111stitutr01 X~wIrnr Stwlirs WIIS srt up to mrrt this ntwl. I lrr most prrs-ing clemnnrl frrr training \vnr in the firlrl of rn(lioisotr~pw. Ilrrv wns n rrsrnrrh tmI of
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O a k Ridge,
mnjor importnnce, applicable to w r y large areas of hot11 f ~ ~ n ~ l n m r unnd t n l nppliwl rrsrnrrh. Ry June, l!I?R, t l ~ e,\tomic ISncryy ('~~rnminsion w:~snhle to m e t nll lrgitim~~tr requests lor rdir,isotopes. The mu& rooming r d i a t inn-instmment rn:~n~~fnrturers were turning o ~ l trollntrrs nnrl other rquipment with great spccrl. Yet thrrr w r e rclntivrly f c n rrsrnrch srientistn \vho knew how 'to npply r:~~lioisotopes to thrir work n.it11 snfety mil rffirirnry. Tllror~ghn srrirs of scvrntern COIIR~S, t,he Sprrinl Trt~ining1Xvisi11nl ~ n sgiven t h r t.rnining to mow thnn 55ll svirntists i n this r w n t r y nud n few foreign r o m trirn. 'These milinisotope trnining courses p r e w n t d some I I ~ I I S I I : ~prfhlrms. An important one W:IS 111~ great flivrrsity of hnrkground of participnnts, both in eclur,ntion nnrl esprrienrr. :~gr~cwlturr 1.0 roo lo^. 1 3 ~~wtionnlly, n major portion nf t he pnrtiripnnts h ~ l dilort ~ ~ r rlrprres nl in ihr .srirnrrs or in mcdirinc; some 11rlrl 110th 11.1). nnd P1l.D. ilrcrwx, while rr few 11nd only :I hnrhrlor'~ degre, hut w r e group lenrlrrs in thrir 'hother prohlem was the fnrt thnt participants v n r i d widrly in the rvnys they pI:~nnrulto use rndioisotoprs tinrl in the prohlrms they 11ndunder studv. To meet the.se and reI n t d proklems, the courser were huilt on the following hnsw prrmisrs: (1) The work in the coursr .should be p d o m i nnntly inhorntow eupcrienre with n minimum of lerture mnterial. (2) Background mnterinl in the (levrlopmmt of con-
rrpts should I* presented by nnr l r e t ~ ~ r in e r order to pant luul to hnw :In ndrquntn grnsp of t h r field before h r salisfnctorily rornplrted the conrsr. ol~tninrontinuity nnd rompletrnrs*. 'l'hr p r e w ~ t twhnicnl stnfl is rompowl of Dr. ( 3 ) T h r clisrus?;ion of t r ~ h i q u mand throry of the trrl~niquesshould he intrprxtnl into the Inhorntory Itnlph 1'. Ovrrmi~n,rhcmist end rlivisionnl rhnirmnn, srs*ions nnd sl10111dbe t n ~ ~ p hprimnrily t hy prmonnl I h . ICliznhrth Rnnn. fivliorhrmist., Dr. Rex Cr. F l ~ ~ h n r t y , pl~y.+i.it, rind Jlr. Italph I'irminhnc, chrmist and instnlsuprrvisinn of 1111 instmrtor. ( 4 ) Thrre shoulrl I= n maximum of two persons to n mrnt clrsignrr. ;\ survny Iuw brrn made of the fields to whir-h the working group to insure nrtire pnrtiripntion hy all in both the lnhorntory terhniques nnrl in mrnsurrment psrtiripnnts err npplyinp their kno\vledge nnd shows Iwm I~rn:allyall the fields of srience h a w Ixen covrrwl. exprrimrnts. ( 5 ) Thrrp shoulcl bc ndequnte discu?iqion periods l'hr usr nf rndioisotopcq in rrwnrrh nnrl in mrflirr~l stedily, nnd nmong the lendrrs crntrml nrowd the prohlrms common to the whole trrntmrnt is sprr~~rling nrr thorn \vho h a w nt~endwlour 11:wir: rourRs in rndinrlnss. (6) There should he n w e l l c q u i p ~ d library nnd isotopr trchniqurs. .\ltl~ough the rxnrt firld of nppliadrnunte time nvsilnhle for studv to sunnlrment the Irrture work of t h r pnrt,iripnnts. (7) There shor~ld hr nmplc time for consdtntion hrt\vren the pnrtiripnnt nnd his inst,n~ctow. ( R ) Thr eiprrim&ts sho~~lrl be n.q simple n.9 po?iqihlr so thnt the rarlionctirity terhniquen will he prmlominnnt. In ernrral. onlv . n w a r or so of rollem cl~emistrv should hr wwssnn. ns n common rlrnominntnr f
