Promote from Radiographer to Nuclear Technologist

I am currently enrolled in a radiography program, but I would love to become a nuclear technologist. Can anyone tell me if there are continuing education prgrams available to radiographers, or on the job training that would allow me to advance with out going back to school for an additional 2 years?

Rebecca,
Yes, there are programs that allow you to work with OJT along with educational programs. The problem would be to find one in your area. In North Carolina, there is only one available in Winston-Salem. Check with the institutions in Georgia that offer a Nuclear Medicine Technologist program and see what you can work out with them.

Hope this helps.

Rick Sampson, BS, CNMT

Rebecca in Riceboro, Georgia said: I am currently enrolled in a radiography program, but I would love to become a nuclear technologist. Can anyone tell me if there are continuing education prgrams available to radiographers, or on the job training that would allow me to advance with out going back to school for an additional 2 years?

There is a NM program available to radiographers at UNC Chapel Hill.(also a rad therapy program) It is a 1 year program. No tuition, just cost of living, cost of books, and health insurance...difficult but good program. Some didactic, alot of clinical training..tough instructor, but you'll know your stuff. However, beware that the # of jobs for NM right now is very slim...I'm an experienced NM, PET/CT tech with multi modalities behind me and still cannot find a job after relocating. Good luck and best wishes.

If you are not willing to get your education in nuclear medicine I don't think it is a good job for your. Nuclear medicine requires a lot of attention to detail, it requires good computer skills and you work alone alot. Everybody is always looking for the quick and easy way to become a tech but, you need to remember that in a few years you will have to have a bachlors degree to work in our field. You will have to be a person who is multi modality registered to find a job. Don't forget about the health bill act which is in congress...that will open up a lot of doors. Plus their are people finially retiring from nuclear medicine make sure this is what you want to do before you commit

The Chapel Hill program is not a "quick, easy". It is for those who already have their RT or a Bachelors degree. It is a difficult program run by the University of North Carolina. BTW, even those registered "multi modality" techs such as myself are still finding it hard in the job market. Those of us who are certified will be grandfathered to continue working in our fields after CARE passes.

Nuclear medicine should be taught by a formal education routine besides it is said so by ARRT. However, I never agree that nuclear medicine should require a ba regardless I will also be grandfathered by the time I get it before 2015. There are a lot of things to learn that I admit but they should just add more months to the curriculum in order to teach entry level nm techs but then I don't blame them for it in order to have more openings in the future depending wherever you are. Hopefully the CARE bill gets pass or anytime whatever this year at least. In my opinion, OJT should be done only in BD, CT or MRI but even that I feel disturbed by it because hopefully everyone of us who do learn the modality are taught by really good techs.

Can anyone tell me anything about the Manhattan College nuclear medecine Program ?. Can anyone predict how the job market will be in three years?
thanks in advance for the infos... I am planning on going their in in the fall 2008.....

Hommy RT R in Olympia, Washington said: If you are not willing to get your education in nuclear medicine I don't think it is a good job for your. Nuclear medicine requires a lot of attention to detail, it requires good computer skills and you work alone alot. Everybody is always looking for the quick and easy way to become a tech but, you need to remember that in a few years you will have to have a bachlors degree to work in our field. You will have to be a person who is multi modality registered to find a job. Don't forget about the health bill act which is in congress...that will open up a lot of doors. Plus their are people finially retiring from nuclear medicine make sure this is what you want to do before you commit

Hello and thank you for your great information, I just need your input regarding Nuc Med program which I will start soon in a very good school in CA! I have BS in biology and live here in CA, do you think I should go on with the program becuase what Im seeing on this forum is really scaring me regarding the JOB Markket...please give me some advise if possible, Thanks

Hi azbah,

You have a BS in biology and so you're allowed to go straight to a Nuclear Medicine program without having to go to a Radiology Tech program first? You could do that? I'm from CA too and can I ask which school program is considered good here in CA?

Cindy in Los Angeles, California said: Hi azbah,

You have a BS in biology and so you're allowed to go straight to a Nuclear Medicine program without having to go to a Radiology Tech program first? You could do that? I'm from CA too and can I ask which school program is considered good here in CA?

My understanding is if you have a B.S. you can take the certificate program. If not there are 2 year and 4 year programs. Obviously the 4 year would be the best, since NMT will be a B.S in 2015. Those grandfathered in may have a difficult time changing jobs at that point, most good jobs will prefer the 4 year degree. The thing to do is ask the hospitals what they will accept, before you waste alot of time.JMO

Cindy in Los Angeles, California said: Hi azbah,

You have a BS in biology and so you're allowed to go straight to a Nuclear Medicine program without having to go to a Radiology Tech program first? You could do that? I'm from CA too and can I ask which school program is considered good here in CA?

Yea with your BS you can go and get your certificate if you go to this website yoy can find the schools.. www.nmtcb.org/schools.shtml

Hey Azbah,

Well, it looks like you have done your research. I respect that. Well, if your seriously looking to become a nuclear tech don't worry about the job market. There will always be a job for a tech o.k. Just make sure it's something you are passionate about. I would reccommend to job shadow at a hospital for a while. I would also tell you to get some experience in patient care. Ask yourself if you can handle people that are terminally ill, depressed, scared, old and crazy. Cause working in patient care you get to deal with all of that. You also work directly with doctors so you have know your stuff. The certificate and two year programs are for people who have a medical background. The four year programs are really for people who don't have any experience in the medical field. That is my opinion. Having a BS does not automatically allow you to get in a program. I interivewed at Bellevue Community College, Univeristy of Utah and for the VA in California. There were two interviews for each site and each place only accepted between 6-8 students per year. I have an AAS and I'm a registered tech. I went against people who had their BA degree, however, I was accepted to all of the programs so I got to choose which NM program I wanted to be in. What impressed the interviewers the most was my experience. I had 200 hours of volunteer time through the red cross plus I was an RT already. They told me I'm way easier to train. Do not let me discourage you, I just want you to know if your serious about the field you need to show that you are and be ready to answer questions like; why did you choose this field; what makes a good NM tech; what have you done to prepair yourself to take on this challenge. So if this is what you want go get it. Find someone who is willing to show you what a NM tech does. California is a great place to start your career. If you have anymore questions just email me. Good luck and keep us updated on your status...!!

Hommy RT R in Lacey, Washington, when was the last time you looked for a job. I mean really tried to get a job, cause just looking at the adds means nothing... I find it quite irresponsible to say that there will always be a job for a tech. I personally spoke with temp agencies, that are some of the best, have the most clients-hospitals and physicians' offices, as well as outpatient offices, THEY HAVE A JOB FREEZ FOR NMT's. What that means that they do not need any NMT's. That alone has to tell you something. If you do not believe me, you pick up the phone and start calling around and you will find for yourself. THERE ARE NO JOBS FOR NMT's. Especially if you want to relocate... No one wants to even interview a tech from another state... When you give advises speak from your own experience, and if you have experience that there are still tons of jobs for NMT's please be kind enough and share the location and contact information for those jobs with the rest of us here that visit this blog. We would greatly appreciate that.

WAY TO GO SALY! JOBS IN NUC ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

SCHOOLS ARE PUMPING OUT TECHS FOR THEIR TUITION, NOT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE STUDENT.

I ADVISE ANY ONE INTERESTED IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE TO CHECK OUT OTHER MEDICAL SPECIALITIES.

Rebecca in Riceboro, Georgia said: I am currently enrolled in a radiography program, but I would love to become a nuclear technologist. Can anyone tell me if there are continuing education prgrams available to radiographers, or on the job training that would allow me to advance with out going back to school for an additional 2 years?

i have a BS in Nuc med and have been working for ten years. i just graduated Radiography school. There are no short cuts. Nuclear is a lot more involved than radiography and i believe having credentials after your name which prove that you went to an accredited school21

Gene in New York in Tempe, Arizona said: Can anyone tell me anything about the Manhattan College nuclear medecine Program ?. Can anyone predict how the job market will be in three years?
thanks in advance for the infos... I am planning on going their in in the fall 2008.....

very good school but job market is terrible for nuc med techs in the new york city area. if you want to train there, thats fine but if you want to work in nyc, forget about it. there are too many new techs and not enough jobs. gone are the days of making the 90k salary as a new nuc med tech

Alex in New York, New York said: very good school but job market is terrible for nuc med techs in the new york city area. if you want to train there, thats fine but if you want to work in nyc, forget about it. there are too many new techs and not enough jobs. gone are the days of making the 90k salary as a new nuc med tech

The job market is terrible for NMT's everywhere, NOT just New York...

Let me tell you what I tell every freaking tech who is complaining that there are no jobs. First the people who complain about jobs are the same people who are not willing to go and learn other modalities. The people who can't find jobs are the same people who do not get involved with the SNMT or the NMBCT. The people who complain just do scan's or procedures like a robot. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with mastering your job which you probably have already done. However, there are other jobs like an educator, management, sales representive for a company like G.E or Phillips. So, for the people that have enough time to come on this website and moan and batch about things think about that. You could spend your energy networking or looking for a job but instead you just want to complain. So look in the freaking mirror. I'm and X-ray tech and a nuc med student, I'm not going to change my job from nuc med cause I don't there will be a job, I'm staying cause I want to contribe and help advance technology and medicine. By the way as a tech I had three jobs...I've never had a problem finding a job! Even if the market is pumping out 10 as many x-ray techs as nuc med techs. So look in the mirror and ask yourself what have you done for you lately. The techs of the future will have to be muli-modality registered and if you don't want to put the effort in to educate yourself, someone like me will come and take your job. Cause after nuc's school I'm getting my MRI. I have a family and a kid....so what's your excuse????!!!!!

Thank you,Thank you, Thank you. you are 100% correct. Im a nuc med student NOw and Im sure I will not have problem finding a job when I graduate, because I will not be a robat and I have the personality to be a great Tech. So yes I agree lets not waste time disapointing people and instead look for oportunities..

Wow… Hommy… You are just a NMT student, but yet you feel that you are speaking from experience and advising others about the NMT job market… Good luck finding that dreamed job of yours when you graduate… I am already a multi modality tech… As a matter of fact I do have management background as well… and IT background, but I love nuc med and want to stay in that profession. I do have a great job, but never hurts to look around, just like many other NMT’s are these days. Your offensiveness is quite rude and inappropriate, your tone is unreasonable, unprofessional, and it tells me that you yourself are the complainer(s) you are talking about… cause if you wanted to contribute to the development of medicine you could have very well done that as an x-ray tech, but something is telling me you were not happy as such, so you went to nm. From what it sounds like, you already do not like nuc med and are going to the next modality – MRI… Technicians like you… are those that do things like robots, cause if you love what you do, you would not want to change it, then before you even start your next profession and master it, here you are already going to the 3rd one… The truth hurts, but I would love to be there and remind you of this such a foul and disrespectful post you splashed on this forum, when you graduate and look for that dream job of yours. If I were you I would watch what I say and write anywhere on the internet. You never know, your next hiring manager might just as well be reading those posts, and your tone is not of a tech I would ever consider hiring…

Oh by the way it is the NMTCB. Our, I speak for many of us that love nuclear medicine, excuse is we Love Nuclear Medicine... and we loved the fact that we could hop from one employer to another, just cause we could, but thanks to all those robots that the schools are pumping out these days, for a while we would not be able to... but given time the robots are going to be pushed a side by us the great techs that started as NMT's cause we like the profession, not cause of the lucrativeness that the robots are going after.

it comes down to supply and demand! I love the optimism and yes california seems to be a better market for jobs. i cant speak for the rest of the country but can ABSOLUTELY speak for NYC!!!! So stop trying to twist my words. And don't tell me that i am a complainer about saying that there are no jobs. I have seen schools triple NMT student enrollment and they have not been able to find jobs in NYC.

Again prove me WRONG and post the job listing site on the next blog and i will personally extend my fullest apology! but until then go live in fairytale land! i am always up for the challenge.

and by the way calling any technologist of any kind a "robot" is completely unprofessional and IDIOTIC! We are taking care of patients and peoples' lives, not the production of a some kind of car assembly! Please let me know where you work so that i can make sure that me or my love ones NEVER GO THERE! i think its disgusting that you can even reference a fellow technologist as such!

Sounds like your one of those people who needs to complain their way to the top! Great job, i'm pretty sure that i have met your type already.

please keep sharing the ignorance! keep telling me how much better you are than the next guy. Last i checked we all learned how to scan from another technologist. i love how quickly we forget that once we were new grads who needed help!

i'm speaking for any new grad reading this, please don't listen to the ignorance! unfortunately there are technologist out there who like to pigeon hole you as "robots" to make themselves feel better about themselves!

I live in the real world and if anyone thinks that the job market is so great, prove me wrong! i would LOVE for you to post the site where there is so much opportunity in the NYC AREA!!!! i prefer to hear the truth rather than some some sugar coated version of what the real world is all about. And i LOVE how people can tell me how the job market is in NYC when they live in other parts of the country!

And i have the utmost respect for any technologist who bears ARRT and/or CNMT after their name b/c i know exactly what you had to do to get there! whether it be two months out of school or thirty years in the business! we all started somewhere or at least i did!

if you think i'm wrong i WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN YOUR CONVERSATION! but i love facts! don't B/S me about how your juggling 3 jobs, a wife, three kids, 2 dogs and a bird! talk is cheap where i come from...i'm anxiously waiting for your argument and/or your job postings in NYC!

And if I don't get a reply, i'll know exactly why!!!!!

Alex, the person you are responding back to is just a NMT student beginner, that feels she/he knows it all, and by learning all radiology modalities will be able to get a job right upon graduation, and on top of that feels knowledgeable to give advice to others about the current status of the job market. It is quite entertaining to find out that some live today with hopes for the far future, when the present does not exist. Apparently this is not a technologist that has experienced the vast changes in our profession, but rather someone that lives in a fantasy world. We all are living today, and yes, we all NMT's that are looking for better jobs or better location had a lot more opportunities in the past. Now those opportunities are gone. I know that, we the NMT's in job search know that, but the new students do not know that... I have given up talking to them about the job market and the future of nuc med. Let them realize after two years of school that they will have to go at least another one or two and then will end up at the same place-on the pile of resumes in the HR office, and most of their resumes will be tossed in the trash can, cause they are new grads, and have no experience, and are jack of all trades, maters of non...

Saly, just so you know it is the teachers/techs out there telling the students that jobs are available. Once they graduate and are out in the real world then they find out they have been lied to and jobs are small and few. The schools don't care they just want the extra money. However these new students that have a bachelor's really understand nuc med. They know the science and reasoning behind each scan. The majority of the techs out there now can be deemed "robots" not really understanding each study and without thinking be able to scan a patient. This is very disappointing though I am pleased future techs will require a bachelor's in nuc med.

nucmed5 in Selden, New York said: Saly, just so you know it is the teachers/techs out there telling the students that jobs are available. Once they graduate and are out in the real world then they find out they have been lied to and jobs are small and few. The schools don't care they just want the extra money. However these new students that have a bachelor's really understand nuc med. They know the science and reasoning behind each scan. The majority of the techs out there now can be deemed "robots" not really understanding each study and without thinking be able to scan a patient. This is very disappointing though I am pleased future techs will require a bachelor's in nuc med.

Nucmed5 in Selden... there are robots in every profession, but I would not go so far to say that all the existing techs are "deemed robots." Those are the once teaching the new students. Their teachers are the same teachers that thought before. We all know that nuc med has evolved and not all technologists kept up with it, but they surely know their profession much better than the new grads, they know how to troubleshoot and can instantly recognize what is wrong in an image. Just because someone is fresh out of school that does not mean that they know and understand better the profession. All of us that have been in the field for while have forgotten some of the book material, but we know what we are doing to perfection! You can take us and drop us in any nm department, and we will be able to get it going. Would you say it is the same with any new grad? They lack in experience. Surely their mind is fresh with the book material, but that is not what takes care of the patients and makes the docs happy! It is unfortunate that they are lied to. But if you go through this whole forum you will be surprised to find how many new candidate students are reading that jobs are few and far between, yet still they jump into the field. They do not want to listen; they do not want to look

They do not want to listen; they do not want to look at the reality… I do not feel sorry for any of them… I feel sorry only for the technologist that have been in the field for a while and now are having hard time lading employment. The new grads that graduated this and last year should have done their own research. And if they did, they would have found that there is an extreme job shortage, too many new techs out flooded the employment market, nuc med loosing procedures, PET not growing fast enough, all of the above was evident 2-3 years ago. They did not want to listen then, and they are not listening now.

Hey all nuc techs. I have had a terrible time finding a job and I even have PET/CT experience. I worked in Arizona for two years, moved there after school because I couldn't find a job in the Eastern United States. Moved away from family, and I missed them. I thought, just like some of you, I would just be positive and move back and try to find a job. I have over 5 years experience and extremely good references and I CANNOT, I said, CANNOT FIND A JOB.
To all of you students out there, do something else like nursing.

DOES ANYONE THINK MAYBE WE COULD WRITE TO THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE USA ABOUNT THE NUCLEAR MED JOB MARKET, ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS PIMPIMING OUT NUC TECHS LIKE THEY ARE ROBOTS, STATS ARE THERE ARE 182% MORE NUC TECHS THAN THERE ARE JOBS...... MAYBE A PETITION PROTESTING THESE SCHOOLS GIVING OUT THE WRONG INFORMATION JUST TO MAKE MONEY ON THESE STUDENTS.......ANY IDEAS???

lynnygrl!yahoo.com in Edgewater, Florida said: DOES ANYONE THINK MAYBE WE COULD WRITE TO THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE USA ABOUNT THE NUCLEAR MED JOB MARKET, ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS PIMPIMING OUT NUC TECHS LIKE THEY ARE ROBOTS, STATS ARE THERE ARE 182% MORE NUC TECHS THAN THERE ARE JOBS...... MAYBE A PETITION PROTESTING THESE SCHOOLS GIVING OUT THE WRONG INFORMATION JUST TO MAKE MONEY ON THESE STUDENTS.......ANY IDEAS???

The schools can only pump out willing students. When I went to school over 10 years ago there were plenty of jobs. Perhaps a student who was lied to could hire a lawyer and sue...

First @ Saly:
I am a recent graduate and would like to echo your sentiment in a way. I love NMT and I'm having an extremely difficult time finding my first job. There are jobs if I can relocate, but the reality of the matter is that I just finished college, I have no income, so therefore can't afford to pick up multiple state licenses until I find a job. Not to mention that moving costs are out of the question. The thing is, there were an alarming number of students just in my graduating class (maybe 2/3 if I had to put a number on it) who were just using NMT to get somewhere else. Most are PA wannabees who just didn't have the grades to cut it in a PA program. What a shame for us that truly enjoy what a NMT is.

Now @ Marie:
The school's are full of malarcky. They filled all of our heads with the idea that we could all find jobs if we were willing to move. What a crock. They need to start being more exclusive on who they allow in the program and stop feeding the students lies about job availability. I finished my program in August and have been applying for jobs since July. Tomorrow is the first of December and the best I've gotten so far is one interview.

I'm sorry for the complaining here. I'm just looking for someone to understand, because to be quite honest, the people in my life don't. They don't understand why I just can't bring myself to look for a non-Nuc job, and they all seem to be getting tired of me being upset by the crappy job market. Thanks for reading/listening though. Peace.

Tim, I hear you. No one in my family or friends believe me when I tell them there are no jobs out there. My mother says I am not really trying to find a job. I work per diem at a local hospital but am looking for more normal hours. Because I have three children at home and my husband works late, I cannot commute more than an hour away. All I hear is that I should send my resume to more hospitals and doctors offices. The reality is that it would not make a bit of a difference- the market is way oversaturated and the workload is decreasing so that many hospitals and offices are letting existing workers go.

Tim in Peotone, Illinois said: First @ Saly:
I am a recent graduate and would like to echo your sentiment in a way. I love NMT and I'm having an extremely difficult time finding my first job. There are jobs if I can relocate, but the reality of the matter is that I just finished college, I have no income, so therefore can't afford to pick up multiple state licenses until I find a job. Not to mention that moving costs are out of the question. The thing is, there were an alarming number of students just in my graduating class (maybe 2/3 if I had to put a number on it) who were just using NMT to get somewhere else. Most are PA wannabees who just didn't have the grades to cut it in a PA program. What a shame for us that truly enjoy what a NMT is.

Now @ Marie:
The school's are full of malarcky. They filled all of our heads with the idea that we could all find jobs if we were willing to move. What a crock. They need to start being more exclusive on who they allow in the program and stop feeding the students lies about job availability. I finished my program in August and have been applying for jobs since July. Tomorrow is the first of December and the best I've gotten so far is one interview.

I'm sorry for the complaining here. I'm just looking for someone to understand, because to be quite honest, the people in my life don't. They don't understand why I just can't bring myself to look for a non-Nuc job, and they all seem to be getting tired of me being upset by the crappy job market. Thanks for reading/listening though. Peace.

Tim
I don't blame you one bit for complaining. If it were me I'd be down at that school on a regular basis asking where my promised job is. Now I'm going to ask you to think logically for a moment. Why would a hospital relocate a recent graduate when there are tons of recent graduates and out of work Techs in their own state. This is not just your area there are NO jobs in Texas yet the school is still open.

?im and Monica, I am sorry that you are in this position, and can sympathize with you. It is unfortunate that this is happening with the NMT profession. There is no other choice, but to maybe really look for something else, while (if you are lucky) you have a PRN job. I have been in this field for over 5 years, and things have gotten much worse for the last 3. I do not see things turning around any time soon... at least 5-6 years from now, but considering that schools are not closing and cutting down on new grads, we might be in for the bottom end for more than a decade. They say the baby boomers are aging and would need more scans, I tell you this is just nothing but an empty theory. The patients are not going to the doc and hospitals any more unless they are about to die. The hospital admissions and doctors visits are down nationwide, and this trend will continue to worsen. If anyone can prove me wrong good luck. I am reading statistics and talking to administrators and physicians on daily basis, that is what is happening now... NMT is loosing procedures, and no new once at this time for our field to pick up. M&M is cutting down reimbursement and that just makes things worse…

Hi. I have been a full time R.T.(R) for 20 years at a small (110 bed) hopsital. I have been doing nuc med/x-ray for 15 of those 20 years and nuc med/MRI for the last 5. I love both MRI and nuc med and now I have to make the choice to get registered and work in MRI or nuc med. I've checked into NMTCB and know my oportunity ends in 2015. I'm having trouble finding the 45 continuing educ. hrs for instrumentation, radipharmacy, and radiation safety online that will offer me a grade, so my employer will help with the class cost. Does any one know of any place that I can get this? I have to work full time, so I will have to buy books and study on my own. I hope I can then pass the NMTCB exam. If anyone knows of someone wanting to sell mock tests, wanting to get rid of old books, or have any thoughts please let me know. I have to let them know in a few days what I plan to do. I wish I had more time. Thanks for your help! Jodi