Program Director: Bolus
Medical Director: Bender
Faculty: Bolus, George, Navarrete
The nuclear medicine technologist (NMT) assumes major responsibility for using radiopharmaceuticals to obtain information that will aid the physician in diagnosing disease and monitoring therapy. The NMT has direct patient contact in performing the nuclear medicine procedures and uses a variety of radiation detection equipment and computers to acquire data. The NMT also participates in quality control, preparation of radioactive drugs, and compliance with radioactive materials licensing requirements.
Employment opportunities exist in medical centers; veterans and armed forces medical centers or hospitals; public health institutions; industrial, chemical, and biochemical research laboratories; and atomic power or nuclear instrumentation manufacturing companies. With experience, opportunities are also available in education, commercial sales, and radiation health physics.
Accreditation: The program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
Credentials Conferred: Diploma—The Bachelor of Science degree and a baccalaureate certificate of completion are awarded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Professional Certification: Graduates are eligible to apply for the certification examination of the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB).
Length of Study: Pre-professional Phase—Six semesters;
Professional Phase in SHP—Five or six semesters.
Term of Enrollment for Professional Phase of Program: Fall semester.
Professional Phase Application Deadline: Applications received in the NMT Program office by February 15 preceding the expected term of enrollment for the professional phase are given first priority. Materials should be submitted to the UAB Undergraduate Admissions Office by February 1 to ensure receipt in the program office by the February 15 deadline. Applications received in the program office after February 15 are considered on a space-available basis.
Application Procedure: The following materials must be submitted.
To the UAB Undergraduate Admissions Office:
- completed UAB undergraduate application form, indicating pre-nuclear medicine technology as the major, and application fee, if applicable (if enrolled at UAB in another major, complete a Change of School/Major Request indicating pre-nuclear medicine technology as the major; form available from the Office of Registration and Academic Records), and
- official transcripts from each college or university attended.
To the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program Office, School of Health Professions:
- completed application to the professional phase of the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program (form available on the program website: www.uab.edu/NMTProgram),
- current transcript, and
- completed clinical tour form (form available from the program office).
Requirements for Admission: The student usually will have completed approximately 70 semester hours before transferring to SHP for five or six semesters of professional courses. Acceptance will be based upon the student’s academic ability and aptitude for a career in nuclear medicine technology. The candidate is expected to satisfy the following requirements:
- be accepted by UAB,
- have a minimum cumulative overall grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0),
- have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0) in Natural Sciences and Mathematics prerequisite courses in Area III and Area V (under special circumstances and with permission of the faculty, this requirement may be waived),
- have a minimum grade of C in each prerequisite course,
- complete a personal interview with the selection committee, and
- if accepted, complete the UAB medical history questionnaire and physical, provide proof of required immunizations, and receive satisfactory screening by the UAB Medical Center Student Health Service.
Essential Requirements: Fundamental tasks, behaviors, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the academic and clinical requirements of the program and to satisfy licensure/certification requirements, if any, have been outlined and are available upon request from the academic program office. Students requesting disability accommodations must do so by filing a disability accommodation request in writing with the Disability Support Services Office.
UAB/Program Core Curriculum - UAB Equivalents
(Course requirements are listed in semester credit hours)
The following courses must be completed prior to the beginning of the professional phase of the program. Contact program advisor for details regarding the core curriculum.
Area I. Written Composition (6 hours)
English Composition - EH 101, 102 (6)
Area II. Humanities and Fine Arts (12 hours)
Literature1 (3)
Fine Arts elective (3)
Electives1 (6)
Area III. Natural Sciences and Mathematics (11 hours)
Precalculus Trigonometry - MA 106 (3)
Intro Chemistry Sequence - CH 105/106 lab, 107/108 lab (8)
Area IV. History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences (12 hours)
History1 (3)
Electives1 (9)
Area V. Preprofessional, Major, and Elective Courses
Pathophysiology- BY 216 (3)
Medical Terminology for Health Professionals (AHS 350) (3)
Human Anatomy and Human Physiology - BY 115, 1162 (8)
Statistics - MA 180 (3)
College Physics - PH 201, 2023 (8)
1A 6-semester hour sequence either in literature or in history is required. If a second literature is chosen, it will apply as 3 of the elective hours in Area II Humanities and Fine Arts; if a second history is chosen, it will apply as 3 of the elective hours in Area IV History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences.
2Acceptable substitutes for human physiology: Comparative Animal Physiology, Mammalian Physiology.
3Physics for Technologists (NMT 304) offered by UAB/SHRP for 8 semester hours may be substituted for the Physics sequence.
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree and wishes to become a nuclear medicine technologist will be considered for the 16-month period of professional study. Prerequisites for such persons include the equivalent of the courses in Natural Sciences and Mathematics under Area III and Area V of the UAB/Program Core Curriculum and the other admission requirements. The bachelor of science degree and a baccalaureate certificate of completion are awarded upon completion of the NMT curriculum.
Typical Program
Professional Phase
(Course requirements are listed in semester credit hours)
Fall
AHS 330 Health Care Systems (3)
NMT 400 Introduction to Clinical Nuclear Medicine Technology (2)
NMT 404 Patient Care (2)
NMT 410 Medical Radiation Physics (4)
NMT 431 Nuclear Medicine Procedures I (4)
Spring
AHS 460 Research Methods (3)
NMT 421 Instrumentation II (3)
NMT 421L Instrumentation Lab (1),br>
NMT 441 Radiation Protection & Biology (3)
NMT 442 Appl of Radiation Protection & Biology (1)
NMT 443 Regulatory Issues (2)
NMT 451 Communications Skills (1)
Summer
NMT 405 Cross-sectional Anatomy (3)
NMT 432 Nuclear Medicine Procedures II (4)
NMT 452 Health Law for Nuclear Medicine Technology (1)
NMT 491 Clinical Practice I (5)
Fall
NMT 422 Computer Applications & Advanced Instrumentation (3)
NMT 423 Computed Tomography (3)
NMT 460 Radiopharmacy and Pharmacology (2)
NMT 461 Radiopharmacy and Pharmacology Labortatory (1)
NMT 492 Clinical Practice II (7)
Spring
NMT 493 Clinical Practice III (10)
NMT 499 Correlative Imaging (3)
For further information, contact:
Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences
Admissions Office
School of Health Professions Building Room 430
1705 University Boulevard
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1212
Telephone: (205) 934-3209
E-mail: askCDS@uab.edu
Web address: www.uab.edu/NMTProgram