Nuclear Medicine Technology program
Undergrad majorJoin the field of precision medicine.
Do you want to provide doctors with the data and images to help them diagnose and manage disease?
Nuclear Medicine Technologists work on the cutting edge of the radiology field to more precisely diagnose and treat patients with diseases from cancer to Parkinson’s. These healthcare professionals work with a growing number of radiopharmaceuticals and high-tech imaging instruments to help pinpoint health problems.
If you would like an active career where no two days are the same and your objective is caring for and treating patients, this may be the right career for you. UW-La Crosse’s accredited program offers three years of solid academic and laboratory preparation at UWL and one year of internship experience at a partnering clinical site.
Nuclear medicine technologist jobs
Employment of nuclear medicine technologists has seen dramatic growth over the past 30 years as new radiopharmaceuticals and imaging technologies are continually developed. Employment of NMTs is expected to grow 5 % from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
After completing a nuclear medicine technology bachelor’s degree program, students must pass the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board exam, to become a certified nuclear medicine technologist (CNMT).
With this certification, graduates can work anywhere in the world with a variety of career routes. Most become practicing nuclear medicine technologists who work with patients in a healthcare setting, but other routes are available in industry and government.
Positions
- Nuclear medicine technologist
- Quality assurance specialist
- Radiation safety officer
- Education
- Data Analyst
Further education
- Physician assistant
- Medical doctor
- Medical dosimetrist
- Medical physics
- Education
- Management and leadership
What distinguishes UWL’s Nuclear Medicine Technologist program?
UWL’s program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT).
The instructor for pre-professional courses managed a nuclear medicine department for 14 years and served as an active NMT for 23 years. Clinical Assistant Professor Aileen Staffaroni is also active in the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) at the regional and national level.
Graduating students of UWL’s Nuclear Medicine Technology program find work in the field. For the past seven years, the program has had 100 % placement of students in related careers.
Students have access to a nuclear lab where they use instrumentation and radioisotopes that are used at clinical internship sites.
UWL’s program is possible through partnerships with clinical internship sites at UW Health in Madison; Gundersen Health System in La Crosse; and Fairview in Minneapolis. Students also have the flexibility to choose additional locations for clinical internships at Mayo School of Health Science in Rochester; Northwestern Medicine School of Nuclear Medicine Technology in Chicago; Marshfield Clinic Nuclear Medicine Technology Program; Aurora Health Care’s Nuclear Medicine Technology Program in Milwaukee; and Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
UWL has an internship partnership program that is available to those students who are interested in preparing for careers in NMT in industry. Siemens Medical Solutions offers an internship to graduates of the program, preparing students to enter industry careers.
UWL’s program has a strong reputation among employers and clinical internship sites. The program is known for providing students and graduates with solid training in the core sciences and nuclear medicine technology.
UWL has a Nuclear Medicine Technology Club for students pursuing careers in NMT or considering it. The group provides networking opportunities for professional development, teambuilding and community service opportunities. Students can also join the Society for Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging.
The NMT program is an opportunity to earn a healthcare degree in four years. UWL has a 3 + 1 program where the first two years typically involve fulfilling general education requirements and taking introductory science and math classes. The final year is an internship at a clinic off campus.
Nuclear Medicine Technologists work directly with patients and have many opportunities to connect with them during appointments where they learn about the history of the patient, educate the patient, and prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals.
Sample courses
NMT 314 Cross-Sectional Anatomy This course revisits anatomy specifically from an imaging perspective. Students will learn to identify normal and abnormal structures on CT and MRI scans and locate topographic landmarks on diagnostic and simulation images. Prerequisite: BIO 313 with a grade of "C" or better. Students with credit in RT 421 cannot earn credit in NMT 314. Offered Fall.
NMT 344 Medical Ethics and Health Administration This course will focus on medical ethics, diversity, inclusive excellence, as they pertain to the profession of imaging sciences. We will also have a full review of the health information systems that support the technologist in their role in taking care of patients. Prerequisite: admitted into one of the NMT or RS programs. Offered Spring.
NMT 398 Research Writing in Nuclear Medicine Technology This course focuses on students learning how to interpret published data and how to write an article ready for publication in professional journals in the field of nuclear medicine. Students in the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program will learn how to read, review, and comprehend NMT literature through a series of different writing exercises. Students will have opportunities to become comfortable deciphering the most up to date journal publications writing a journal article. Students will draft and revise their own work to become publication ready in "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology. Prerequisite: concurrent enrollment in NMT 399; admission to NMT Program. Offered Spring.
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