Saving a life can begin with properly diagnosing the patient's condition. That's where you come in.
Prepare to Work Closely With Nuclear Medicine Physicians to Perform Imaging Procedures
As a nuclear medicine technologist, you will be responsible for patient education and support, working directly with patients during imaging procedures such as bone scans, PET, and nuclear cardiac stress tests. Technologists also prepare and administer
the compounds used in complex computer imaging studies. These test and other imaging procedures are helpful to a broad span of medical specialties, such as pediatrics, cardiology, and psychiatry.
You’ll use your observation and communications skills to analyze biological specimens in laboratories and provide data analysis and patient information to the physician to help diagnose disorders.
The Curriculum
You’ll get a strong academic foundation in our 120-credit program, which has two phases of study.
- Phase One includes 88 credits of coursework in areas such as public speaking, chemistry, biology, physics, and math that are prerequisite to the clinical year. Additionally, students complete all of the Liberal Studies requirements while
at the IUP main campus. All requirements in Phase One must be completed before progressing to the affiliating school of nuclear medicine technology.
- Phase Two includes 32 credits in the 12-month clinical year, during which students attend classes and clinical experiences through either the Nuclear Medicine Institute (NMI) at
the University of Findlay, Ohio, or the Nuclear Medicine Technology program at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) in Pittsburgh. Both programs
are fully accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT).
Students admitted to NMI spend four months at the University of Findlay, where they study the theory of nuclear medicine. The program includes 32 weeks of clinical training in one of the many affiliating hospitals. The program concludes with one
week of review and a final exam.
Students admitted to CCAC spend 12 months in the Pittsburgh area. Classes are taught at CCAC’s Allegheny Campus, and clinical practice includes rotations in three of the Pittsburgh area affiliating hospitals.
Graduates of the nuclear medicine technology program are eligible to apply for the national registry examination. The examinations are administered by the Nuclear Certification Board and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. In many states,
certification by either of these two national organizations is needed to apply for licensure so the individual may legally work in that state.