Health Sciences

Nuclear Medicine Certificate

The Nuclear Medicine Certificate is an advanced certificate and requires entering students to have already completed prior college Health Sciences and/or science coursework.

Nuclear medicine technologists are trained in the safe handling and application of radioactive materials for therapeutic and diagnostic procedures in the medical field.  The applied skills of nuclear medicine technologists complement nuclear medicine physicians by providing clinical information pertinent to patient diagnosis and treatment.

The Nuclear Medicine Certificate program is a full-time program.  Admission is limited to those who meet the specific admissions criteria.  The certificate program begins each fall semester and ends with the summer semester.

Students will receive clinical education in major area hospitals’ nuclear medicine departments and radiopharmacies.  These areas include Columbia, Florence, Anderson, Greenville, and Charleston.  Didactic instruction is given at the Health Science facility located on the Airport Campus.

The Nuclear Medicine Technology program is fully accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology and graduates are eligible to take the ARRT and the NMTCB examinations.  Upon successful completion, students receive the designation of Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist RT(N) and Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist CNMT.

Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology
2000 W. Danforth Road
Suite 103, #203
Edmond, OK  73003
jrcnmt.org

Special Requirements

Students who are admitted to the Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) program are required to purchase and maintain standard white uniforms, white shoes, laboratory coats and name pin (approximate cost of $400), nuclear medicine books and manuals (approximate cost of $850) and membership fees in professional organizations (approximate cost of $20).  Attendance of professional meetings is required.

Students are required to schedule a preliminary interview with the program director, attend an information session and complete two observations in a nuclear medicine department before being interviewed for acceptance by the interview committee.

In addition to the admissions criteria and requirements for the Health Sciences department, specific admission criteria for entry into the Nuclear Medicine Technology program may include:

• Certification or registry eligibility in radiologic technology, medical technology or nursing.  Students from hospital-based programs must meet college entry criteria and have college credits in chemistry, English, psychology and algebra; or

• A bachelor of science degree in radiologic technology, medical technology, nursing, physics, biological sciences or chemistry; or

• Sixty hours of appropriate college courses, including algebra, chemistry, computer science, medical terminology, and human anatomy and physiology; and

• A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required in coursework utilized for admissions

Students must maintain a grade of “C” in all NMT, math and science courses to successfully complete the program.  No prerequisite or curriculum course may be repeated more than once.  A “W” counts as an attempt or repeat.

Students must present CPR certification (adult, infant and child) and first-aid certification cards at the time of advisement before entering their first nuclear medicine course.  The CPR certification must be kept current while in the program.

For additional or more specific information, requests for NMT information packets can be made to the Health Sciences Department or Career Services.

Students who are accepted without an extensive health care clinical experience will be required to complete NMT 100–Preparation for Clinic during the summer semester prior to beginning professional courses.

Students are accepted contingent upon successful completion of the health form, criminal background investigation and drug screening.

Certificate:  Nuclear Medicine (39 credit hours)