The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers a full four-year Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear medical technology, the only one of its kind in the state. Students are expected to complete their first six semesters in a general science program before applying to the school of health care professionals. Once accepted into the nuclear medicine program, they will divide their next two years between supervised clinical experience and coursework, the latter including subjects such as medical radiation physics, anatomy, regulatory issues and instrumentation.
The Johns Hopkins educational and medical complex includes the Johns Hopkins School of Medical Imaging. Applicants are expected to already have a two-year associate degree in science, or to be graduates of an accredited program in a related clinical field, and to be currently licensed practitioners. Prerequisites also include basic computer competency, shadow experience in a clinical nuclear medicine setting and letters of reference from both a past educator and the applicant's present employer. Students of the program earn their clinical experience in several of the institution's affiliated healthcare centers, including the Johns Hopkins Hospital, St. Agnes Hospital and the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Gateway Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, grants an Associate of Science degree in nuclear medicine technology. Like other schools in the Maricopa Community College system, Gateway's credits may be transferred to numerous universities and count toward a bachelor's degree. The program at Gateway is five semesters in length, and upon graduation students are eligible to test for certification. All applicants are required to hold a valid health care provider's CPR card and to hold at least an associate degree in the arts or sciences. Applicants who are currently credentialed as registered nurses, radiologic technologists, respiratory therapists or ultrasound technologists are also eligible.
The Central Maine Medical Center College of Nursing and Health Professions in Lewiston, Maine, added nuclear medicine to its existing nursing and radiology programs in 1996. The 18-month program trains students in both nuclear medicine technology and the closely-related field of computed tomography, or CT scanning. Graduates of the program are eligible to test for certification in both specialties, increasing their employability. In the school's history, 100 percent of its graduates have passed their certification exams, and 100 percent have found employment. Applicants must already be radiologic technicians or hold an associate degree in a related allied health specialization.