Nuclear Medicine Technologist – Job Duties and Educational Requirements
The word radiation conjures up fear in a lot of people but it is actually a very important part of our health care system. When used by a skilled nuclear medicine technologist radioactive materials known as radiopharmaceuticals can be used to create images of internal organs that are used to help locate and diagnose various ailments.
To actually be able to see the organs inside someone’s body a patient must first take in these radiopharmaceuticals either orally, intravenously or by inhaling them. The radiopharmaceuticals will then concentrate on a specific organ in your body and then the nuclear medicine technologist will use his or her instruments to detect these radioactive particles and create an image of the organ to be examined. These procedures can help identify a number of disorders, they can also locate tumors or areas of the body that are suffering from an infection. The patient is exposed to only a small dose of radiation and will generally experience no discomfort during these procedures.
As a nuclear medicine technologist your duties will include the preparation of radioactive chemical compounds and administering these compounds to patients. Of course performing the actual imaging procedures will also be one of your responsibilities. You will also have to process images and conduct image enhancement work on the computer and you will need to provide the images and data analysis to physicians.
Nuclear medicine is a highly specialized field and anyone interested in this career path will need to have the proper training. To get the training you need you will have to complete a certificate program or earn a degree from a University, either a two year Associates degree or a four year Bachelors degree. Your training will include courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology and other physical sciences along with courses on the biological effects of radiation exposure, the use of radiopharmaceuticals and radiation protection procedures.
Licensing requirements for a nuclear medicine technologist will vary from state to state so you will need to check with your state to make sure you are in compliance with the laws of your area. Certification for these positions is voluntary but many employers will look for someone that is certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board.
The career opportunities for nuclear medicine technologists are quite good. It is a growing career field and it is one that pays very well. The median salary in this field is $67,767 and of course more money can be made when you have been working in the field for a while or if you advance to a supervisor or department head position.
Employment of nuclear medicine technologists is expected to grow for the next several years but that doesn’t necessarily mean that getting a job will be easy. There is a lot of competition for these positions and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the number of people being trained as nuclear medicine technologists is expected to exceed the number of job openings. You may wish to train in a number of diagnostic methods to give yourself the best possible chance of a successful career in this field.
