A Nuclear Medicine technologist is the health professional responsible for performing nuclear medicine examinations that assist the physician in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. The trained nuclear medicine technologist prepares and administers radiopharmaceuticals and performs patient imaging procedures using radiation detection devices. Technologists provide data analysis and patient information to the physician. The nuclear medicine technologist may be employed in hospitals, clinics, imaging centers, physician's offices, education, research and manufacturing. Graduates of the program may be eligible for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) examination for Nuclear Medicine and/or the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board examination (NMTCB). The program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
Program contact: Learn more
Program Admission Requirements
Application may be submitted to the Health Careers Enrollment Center 216-987-4247, after meeting the following requirements and while enrolled in the last prerequisite course needed:
- High School Diploma/GED and be at least 18 years of age.
- All math and science courses must have been completed within the past seven years at the time the Nuclear Medicine application is submitted. Math and science courses completed over seven years prior to the date of application may not be used to meet admission requirements.
- Complete the following courses with a 2.5 GPA or higher:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO-2331 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO-2341 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| Select from one of the following: | 5 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I 1 | ||
| Honors General Chemistry I | ||
| PHYS-1050 | Everyday Physics 2 | 2 |
| MATH-1530 | College Algebra (or higher) | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| Honors College Composition I | ||
- 1
Students with high school or previous chemistry coursework should take Chemistry Placement Test to qualify for CHEM-1300. Students with no chemistry coursework will need to take CHEM-1010 Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry before enrolling in CHEM-1300.
- 2
PHYS-1210 College Physics I will be accepted in place of PHYS-1050 for those students intending to transfer to a four year institution.
Other Information
- A 2.50 prerequisite GPA must be maintained while waiting for entry into the first program major course. After admission to the program, a 2.75 overall GPA or higher must be maintained.
- Up to 19 students can be admitted - varies depending on space available at clinical facilities.
- Certification in the Basic Life Support (CPR) course for Health Care Providers (adult, child, and infant) according to the American Heart Association standards will be required prior to receiving clinical assignment the second year of the program. Training is offered on campus during the second semester.
- Candidates will be required to present evidence of good health verified by a physical examination prior to entering clinical training the second year of the program. Please refer to Health Requirements for Western Campus Health Career Students.
- One admission requirement course may be repeated one time to improve a grade below 2.5 gpa. A "W" is counted as an attempt.
- All students enrolled in Health Career and Nursing programs requiring off campus clinical experiences are required to complete a background check that includes fingerprinting and a court search. Log onto http://www.tri-c.edu/programs/health-careers/background-check-information-bci.html for further information. Please be assured that this information will be kept confidential.
- After Program Acceptance: Details will be provided at Orientation prior to the start of the program on when to complete HAZMAT, CPR, immunizations and physical exams.
Program Learning Outcomes
This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
- Communication: Use effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills to provide comprehensive patient care in a healthcare team environment.
- Safety: Prepare, record, administer and dispose of radioactive materials according to regulatory guidelines to ensure safety of patients, co-workers and the general public.
- Patient Care: Demonstrate comprehensive patient care skills to provide safe, efficient and high quality nuclear medicine services.
- Technical Skills: Apply general science knowledge to demonstrate the proper and safe use of equipment and instrumentation for diagnostic and therapeutic applications within the scope of nuclear medicine practice.
- Eligibility for Professional Certification: Sit for Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) and/or American Registry of Radiologic Technology [N] (ARRT) and apply for state licensure as required by individual state law.
Suggested Semester Sequence
| Program Admissions Requirements Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| BIO-2331 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO-2341 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| PHYS-1050 | Everyday Physics 1 | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 5 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Honors General Chemistry I | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| Honors College Composition I | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| College Algebra 2 | ||
| Honors College Algebra | ||
| Credit Hours | 22 | |
| First Semester | ||
| MA-1010 | Introduction to Medical Terminology 3 | 2 |
| NMED-1020 | Nuclear Medicine Computers, Math, and Statistics | 1 |
| NMED-1302 | Nuclear Medicine Procedures I | 2 |
| NMED-130L | Nuclear Medicine Laboratory I | 1 |
| NMED-1501 | Radiation Physics | 2 |
| NMED-1604 | Nuclear Radiopharmacy | 2 |
| NMED-1701 | Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| NMED-1200 | Radiation Safety & Biology | 2 |
| NMED-1401 | Patient Care for Nuclear Medicine | 1 |
| NMED-1771 | Immunology and Pathophysiology for Sectional Imaging | 3 |
| NMED-1781 | Sectional Anatomy for Advanced Molecular Imaging | 3 |
| NMED-2302 | Nuclear Medicine Procedures II | 2 |
| NMED-230L | Nuclear Medicine Laboratory II | 1 |
| NMED-2601 | Molecular and Fusion Imaging with Pharmacology | 3 |
| NMED-2660 | Nuclear Medicine Therapy | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| NMED-2700 | Nuclear Medicine Research Methods | 1 |
| NMED-2940 | Nuclear Medicine Field Experience I | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Bioethics | ||
| Honors Bioethics | ||
| Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| NMED-2950 | Nuclear Medicine Field Experience II | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Composition II | ||
| Honors College Composition II | ||
| Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| NMED-2960 | Nuclear Medicine Field Experience III 4 | 4 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| General Psychology | ||
| Honors General Psychology | ||
| Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 72 | |
- 1
MATH-1800 Special Topics in Mathematics-MATH-1820 Independent Study/Research in Mathematics may not be used to meet this requirement.
- 2
PHYS-1210 College Physics I will be accepted in place of PHYS-1050 Everyday Physics.
- 3
MA-1020 Medical Terminology I will be accepted in place of MA-1010 Introduction to Medical Terminology.
- 4
Students must earn a "C" or higher in all Nuclear Medicine courses to be awarded the AAS degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
MATH-1140, MATH-1141, MATH-1200, MATH-1270, and MATH-1280 can no longer count towards fulfilling the college-level mathematics requirement. These courses were re-classified as developmental mathematics by the state of Ohio in 2016. Tri-C established a 5-year transitioning window for students who had completed these courses prior to 2016 to apply them towards meeting graduation requirements, which expired in Summer 2021. It is highly recommended to see a counselor to determine the appropriate math required for your current major.