Nuclear medicine technologists administer radioactive pharmaceuticals to patients and use specialized equipment to obtain images of the distribution of the radioactive pharmaceutical in the body. This imaging technique provides information about both the structure and function of virtually every major organ system in the body. Donna Mars, Nuclear Medicine Chair, welcomes all students interested in gaining knowledge in general nuclear medicine and also have the opportunities to study specialty areas such as positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear pharmacy, nuclear cardiology, and computed tomography (CT).
Nuclear Medicine Technology
Hello, my name is Donna Mars, I'm the Program Chair for the Nuclear Medicine Technology program at Baptist Health Sciences University. I'm excited to have this opportunity to share information about Nuclear Medicine Technology. The role of the Nuclear Medicine Technologists in the program here at Baptist University. So first, what is Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear Medicine Technology combines chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer technology and medicine to provide information about both the structure and function of virtually every major organ system in the body, including the heart, brain, skeleton, lungs, thyroid and kidneys. Nuclear Medicine is unique. Where other diagnostic imaging procedures provide pictures of anatomical structures in the body, Nuclear Medicine focuses on physiology. Allowing physicians to actually view how the body is functioning down to the cellular level.
As a result, nuclear medicine is able to often identify disease very early in the disease process. Often before symptoms or anatomical abnormalities can be detected with other diagnostic tests such as x-ray or computed tomography. Don't let the name scare you. Nuclear Medicine procedures are very safe. They're non invasive, and usually painless. Nuclear Medicine procedures are performed on patients of all ages. From infants to adults, nearly 20 million procedures are performed each year. Nuclear Medicine includes general Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Cardiology, Positron Emission Tomography or PET, Nuclear Pharmacy, and Therapy. So, what is the role of a Nuclear Medicine Technologist? Well, Nuclear Medicine Technologists are specialized health care professionals, who prepare and administer very small amounts of radioactive material called Radiopharmaceuticals. Along with other medications, the Radiopharmaceutical is either inhaled or swallowed or injected. Tech-- Nuclear Medicine Technologists use a special type of camera known as a gamma camera to detect radiopharmaceuticals and provide very precise images of the body. Physicians use these images to diagnose physiologic and pathologic conditions, and treat disease.
The Nuclear Medicine Technologist works directly with patients obtaining the patient's medical history, answering questions and monitoring the patients prior to and during a procedure. The technologist uses a computer to process the images and make decisions about the need for additional images. All of this so that the radiologist will have the highest quality images available to diagnose and treat disease, you may be surprised that nuclear medicine technologists are also involved in therapy. Nuclear Medicine uses targeted radionuclide therapy to seek and destroy cancer cells. Once injected, the targeted therapy travels through the bloodstream to deliver radiation directly to the cancerous cells, while limiting radiation to healthy cells. Nuclear Medicine technologists work in a variety of clinical settings. You may work in a hospital's Nuclear Medicine Department, performing a wide variety of nuclear medicine procedures. Or you may decide to work in an outpatient clinic, or a mobile unit, or in a physician office, specializing in particular nuclear medicine procedures.
For example, you may work with a cardiologist, performing nuclear cardiology procedures to help diagnose heart disease. Or you may decide to work in an oncology clinic, performing PET CT oncology procedures to help diagnose and stage cancers. Nuclear Medicine Technologists also have a wide variety of alternative career paths available to them through including program educators, research technologists, hospital administrators, industry sales representatives, or technical specialists. Some technologists continue their education and pursue graduate programs in related fields, such as physician assistants, nuclear pharmacist or medicine. Let me tell you a little bit about the nuclear medicine program at Baptist Health Sciences University. The Nuclear Medicine Program spans five trimesters, and during those five trimesters, we cover subjects such as Nuclear Cardiology, Positron Emission Tomography, Radiation Safety Instrumentation, and just about every procedure of this performed in a Nuclear Medicine Department. Due to advances in hybrid technology such as PET CT and SPECT CT, the nuclear medicine program also has embedded in the curriculum Computed Tomography courses. Students who show initiative and complete the required clinical requirements will be able to sit for their credential in Computer Tomography
Hi, my name is Nikki Robinson and I'm the clinical coordinator for the Nuclear Medicine Technology program at Baptist University. In this program, our students gain clinical experience by participating in hands on training at multiple clinical sites. These sites include multiple hospital systems, outpatient clinics, cardiac clinics, oncology clinics, and even nuclear pharmacy sites. The clinical experiences offered through our program ensure our students graduate as well-rounded marketable Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
The future of Nuclear Medicine Technology continues to be exciting due to these new hybrid imaging technologies, and the development of new radio pharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. So if you'd like more information about the Nuclear Medicine program, please contact our admissions department and go Blue Healers.
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