Allegheny
Certificate

Nuclear medicine is an imaging health science that is used to diagnose and treat disease states. Nuclear medicine technologists administer radioactive isotopes attached to radiopharmaceuticals to patients and then image the characteristics and functions of tissues or organs in which the drugs localize. Nuclear medicine differs from other diagnostic imaging technologies because it determines the presence of disease on the basis of metabolic changes rather than changes in organ structure.

Applicants are required to have a C or better grade in college chemistry, anatomy and physiology 1 and 2, physics and algebra and a basic computer course.

The 12-month program is designed for students wanting to expand their background by qualifying for the field of nuclear medicine technology. Enrollment is limited by available clinical sites and other factors. Students must make separate applications to this program.

This program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), 2000 W. Danforth Road, Suite 130 #203, Edmond, OK 73003; 405.285.0546, www.jrcnmt.org.

Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate will:

1. Make use of the knowledge associated with the general practice of nuclear medicine technology in hospitals and clinics.
2. Differentiate between imaging isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in performing various imaging procedures.
3. Recognize the importance of ethics, self-evaluation and cooperation in the health field.
4. Qualify to sit for the national examinations leading to certification to be a nuclear medicine technologist.