Radioactive pharmaceuticals are used to highlight affected areas in the body for diagnosis. A degree in nuclear medicine is required, along with certification, and internships to gain experience. Specializations include nuclear cardiology and PET. Good social skills and staying up-to-date with technology are important for this career.
Radioactive pharmaceuticals are given to patients, by injection or other means, to allow a nuclear medicine technician to more readily see whether disease is present in the body. In other words, when radioactive pharmaceuticals are administered to a patient, the affected areas are highlighted. Medical diagnostic equipment will be able to detect the disease as it will show up on a diagnostic image. This is how a nuclear medicine technologist helps doctors diagnose patients’ illnesses. If you want to become a nuclear medicine technologist, you will generally need a college degree and a graduate certification.
Some states allow licensure without a four-year nuclear medicine degree; however, other states require a four-year nuclear medicine degree. So, if you want to become a nuclear medicine technologist, it can be very helpful if you have a bachelor’s degree in nuclear medicine. Courses during the nuclear medicine degree will include courses such as biology, medical imaging equipment, and courses specifically related to radioactive materials in medical diagnostics.
Additionally, if you hope to earn a degree in nuclear medicine, there will be a required internship where you have supervised experience in a hospital or other medical setting. The purpose of this is to ensure that you fully understand the information you learned in the classroom. For example, you will learn about radiation safety standards and how to record the amount of radioactive pharmaceuticals you use on each patient.
You will most likely apply for a job as a nuclear medicine technologist during your final semester of college. Your school’s career services department can help you find a job. You can also do a job search online at a medical website that has specific listings for nuclear medicine technologist jobs.
In combination with schooling, certification can be helpful for your career. Granted, certification rules differ depending on where you hope to work. Therefore, it is always a good idea to check local laws regarding the practice of a nuclear medicine technologist. If you seek certification, please note that there is one certification offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (AART) and another certification offered by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB).
Once you start working as a nuclear medicine technologist, you will likely specialize in nuclear cardiology or positron emission tomography (PET). Work related to nuclear cardiology involves imaging where patients have to exercise to allow the nuclear medicine technician to get pictures of the blood flowing to the heart area to find out if there is a problem. PET technologists use imaging equipment that allows them to obtain three-dimensional images of the entire body.
If you want to become a nuclear medicine technologist, it helps to have good social skills, because a large part of a nuclear medicine technician’s job involves talking to patients and helping them feel calm when performing the diagnostic procedure. In addition, it is important for a nuclear medicine technologist to stay abreast of new developments in technology. There are often improvements every year, so a nuclear medicine technician’s job is never done when it comes to reading and staying informed on how to operate diagnostic equipment correctly. Of course, if you have good soft skills and stay abreast of changes in technology, you can become a nuclear medicine technologist.
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