Program Overview

Nuclear Medicine Technologist Program

The Nuclear Medicine Technologist Program is an accredited program that includes CT certification. The program holds a seven-year accreditation status with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT-2017). Two academic options are available for studying NMT at the University: the Certificate Course of Study and the BS in Health and Kinesiology (HK) with Emphasis in Nuclear Medicine Technology.

Program Overview

The Certificate course of study is an option for students who already have earned a BS degree. The certificate applicant must complete all prerequisite courses and submit a formal application to the Department of Radiology. Final applicants will be selected for an in-person interview and a shadow experience. Students who are selected will be required to complete all of the NMT Required Content Classes. At the completion of this course of study, the student will earn a Certificate of Completion in NMT and Computerized Tomography (CT) and be eligible to sit for the NMT and CT certification examinations (NMTCB and/or ARRT).

Certificate Course of Study

Nuclear Medicine Technologist Program is offered in both a certificate format and an academic partnership with the University of Utah Department of Health and Kinesiology (HK). For students completing a bachelor of science (BS) degree in health education, nuclear medicine technology is an emphasis option. For students who have already completed a bachelor's degree, a certificate program in nuclear medicine technology is offered.

BS in Health and Kinesiology (HK) with Emphasis in Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT)

The nuclear medicine technology emphasis is structured for students who do NOT have a BS degree. Upon completion of the NMT emphasis, the student will earn a BS in HK with Emphasis in NMT and be qualified to take the national NMT and CT certification exams. Emphasis students will also receive certificates of completion. This educational opportunity has been made possible due to an academic agreement between the Department of Radiology and the HK Department of the University of Utah.

Admission Criteria

• The emphasis applicant must complete all prerequisite courses and submit a formal application to the Department of Radiology.
• Final applicants will be selected for an in-person interview.
• Emphasis applicants have Health Education courses to complete in addition to the nuclear medicine program prerequisites and must be declared as a HK major.
• An admissions committee from NMT program representatives will interview and select students based on their perceived ability to successfully complete the program and become competent and compassionate NMT's.

Program Structure

• The required content of the NMT program is structured to be completed in four semesters, which equates to 16 months.
• The accepted student will dedicate three (3) semesters or 12 months to the NMT curriculum and the final 4 months to the dedicated CT curriculum.
• Program officials can reduce the number of students accepted each year based on employment outlook and program effectiveness.

Program Statistics

• Graduate achievement data is an indicator of program effectiveness, demonstrating the extent to which a program achieves its goals.
• The current report on graduate achievement data, identified by program, is available.

Responsibilities of a Nuclear Medicine Technologist

A Nuclear Medicine Technologist is a highly specialized healthcare professional who works closely with the nuclear medicine physician. Some of the technologist's responsibilities are to:

• Prepare and administer radioactive chemical compounds, known as radiopharmaceuticals.
• Perform patient imaging procedures using sophisticated radiation-detecting instrumentation.
• Accomplish computer processing and image enhancement.
• Analyze biologic specimens in the laboratory.
• Provide images, data analysis, and patient information to the physician for diagnostic interpretation.
• Gains the patients confidence by obtaining pertinent history, describing the procedure and answering any questions.
• Monitors the patients physical condition during the course of the procedure.
• Notes any specific patient comments which might indicate the need for additional images or might be useful to the physician in interpreting the results of the procedure.

What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine provides information to physicians about both the structure and (most importantly) the function of the human body. Nuclear medicine is a unique and broad term that includes nuclear medicine imaging, PET/CT, and other molecular procedures. The techniques are safe, painless, and cost-effective. Nuclear medicine is a way to gather medical information that would otherwise be unavailable, require surgery, or require more expensive diagnostic tests. Nuclear medicine combines computer technology, advanced medical instrumentation, chemistry, physics, and radioactivity to diagnose and treat disease.