FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGY
Click on the question to see the answer, or just scroll down to read them in order.
1. Do I have to be a registered
radiographer to enter the program?
2. Am I required
to perform observation hours prior to entering the program?
3. Can I receive financial aid while attending the program?
4. Can I attend the program part-time, or must I attend on a full time
basis?
5. What is the schedule of courses?
6. Who teaches the courses?
7. How many courses must I take in order to progress in the program?
8. Do I have to make a minimum grade in order to receive credit for my
courses and progress in the program?
9. Can I work while attending the program?
10. What type of degree/certificate will I receive when I complete this
course/program of study?
11. How many clinic hours are required?
12. Where can I perform my clinical requirements?
13. Where will I stay while attending classes in Chattanooga?
14. When I finish this program, what registry/certification examination
will I be eligible to take?
15. How successful are your graduates on these certification examinations?
16. Will the courses in this program meet continuing education requirements
for national registries?
17. What are my chances for employment when I graduate?
18. Will I be prepared to perform my job duties when I graduate?
19. How would I qualify for "Non-Traditional" status in the
program?
20. What is the deadline for applications for the class beginning in
August?
1. Do I have to be a registered
radiographer to enter the program?
Not necessarily. Many applicants to the program are completing their second year of
radiography school in anticipation of beginning the program in the Fall. You may be
accepted into the program with the provision that you can provide proof of successful
completion of an Accredited Radiologic Technologist Program with the provision that you
successfully acquire certification by the
ARRT(R) prior
to the Spring semester. The NMT Program also offers an alternate
eligibility status for those individuals that have bachelor degrees and healthcare experience in
other fields. All students must have completed the pre-requisite courses
prior to enrollment into the Program.
2. Am I required to
perform observation hours prior to entering the program?
Yes, the
observation form
will be scored as part of your interview scoring. Before entering the program you
should be confident that the field of nuclear medicine is right for you. If you do not
have access to a nuclear medicine clinic for observation, please contact the
Program Director,
Leesa Ross to schedule observation at one of our approved
clinic sites.
3. Can I receive financial aid while
attending the program?
Yes, you may be eligible for financial aid. The Chattanooga State Technical Community
College Financial Aid Office can best assist you in you application for financial aid,
grants, and/or student loans. Your individual situation must be assessed to determine the type of aid which
you may qualify. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at (423)697-4402 to find out about current financial
aid opportunities.
4. Can I attend the program part-time, or must I attend on a
full time basis?
The Nuclear Medicine Technology Program is a full-time, 40 hour per week commitment
for the duration of the 12 month program.
5. What is the schedule of courses?
The Program begins each year in mid August and extends for 12 months. Classes
are held every other week on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 am until 5:00 pm. On
non-class days the student will participate in the clinical setting on an 8 hour
schedule.
6. Who teaches the courses?
Qualified instructors are employed to teach topics relevant to their experience and
expertise. Registered technologists, radiopharmacists, computer technicians, and physicists who have
demonstrated the ability to successfully teach topics in their area of expertise are employed to teach our
students.
7. How many courses must I take in order to progress in the
program?
Since, this is a 12 month full-time program, the student must complete all 40 credit
hours in sequence in order to progress. Consult the college catalog for a course schedule.
Note: while the credit hour requirements change each semester, the student work load
remains constant throughout the program. See more on the
online catalog.
8. Do I have to make a minimum grade in order to receive credit
for my courses and progress in the program?
Yes, all students are required to complete each course with a minimum grade of "C" in order to progress in the
program. Additionally, students are required to demonstrate mastery of certain clinical competencies as defined
by the
JRC,
ARRT, and
NMTCB during
each semester of the program in order to progress to the next semester or graduate.
9. Can I work while attending the program?
Yes, though traditional students may NOT be paid during clinical hours for college
credit. Most students continue some type of outside employment while attending the program. However,
the faculty have found that student success decreases proportionately to an increase in
student work hours outside of clinic. Therefore we suggest that you work as few hours as possible.
10. What type of degree/certificate will I receive when I
complete this course/program of study?
The graduate will receive an Advanced Specialty Technical Certificate in Nuclear
Medicine Technology. This certificate is recognized by the
ARRT
and
NMTCB and will allow the student to sit for either
exam.
11. How many clinic hours are required?
Although clinic hours vary slightly from year to year, the student will spend
approximately 1500 (no less than 1480) hours in the clinical environment, in addition to
laboratory and classroom hours.
12. Where can I perform my clinical requirements?
The program has clinical affiliates in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama. To
be an approved clinic site, the clinic must possess and document certain requirements as
defined by the Joint Review Committee for Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine
Technology and be inspected by a representative of the JRC. Please contact the Program
Director to identify approved clinical affiliates in your area.
Click here for a listing of clinic sites.
In the event that there is a potential clinical affiliate in your
area that meets the standards for affiliation with the program, our faculty will work with
you to establish a site where you live. Of course, this requires interest and commitment
from the clinic site.
If you are accepted into the program, but an affiliate cannot be
established in your area, we will provide you with potential sites in other areas if
relocation is a possibility.
13. Where will I stay while attending classes in Chattanooga?
The program's classrooms are located at the 4501 Amnicola Highway campus. There are a few hotels within
2 miles in Hixson, TN.
Chattanooga State has no guaranteed discount rates for our students. However, students often receive
discounted rates by explaining their travel status throughout the year and reserving rooms in advance.
14. When I finish this program, what registry/certification
examination will I be eligible to take?
When you graduate, you will be eligible to take both the
ARRT(N) and
the
NMTCB, as well as any state certification exam.
After working two years in the field, you will be eligible to sit for the
NMTCB Cardiology Exam as well.
15. How successful are your graduates on these certification
examinations?
The program's success rate on the national exams has always exceeded the national
average. Recent examination result demonstrate success rates of 100% on the
ARRT(N) and 98% on the NMTCB.
Although program faculty strive to provide you with the appropriate
study materials and preparation, you can only expect to be as successful as the time which
you are willing to invest in yourself. These are very extensive examinations which require much commitment
to preparation on the part of the student. Obviously, we cannot do your studying for you!
16. Will the courses in this program meet continuing education
requirements for national registries?
Yes. The
ARRT presently requires 24 hours of continuing education during a
24-month period. The program's credit hours are well in excess of this requirement, provided that a grade of
"C" or greater is achieved.
If you are a recent radiography graduate and
ARRT registrant, however, you
will not be required to begin meeting those standards until your next birth date. Passing
an additional registry examination also meets the qualifications of the
ARRT, CME requirements, so your
ARRT(N) registry results may also assist you in meeting
your continuing education needs.
17. What are my chances for employment when I graduate?
Very high. The demand for registered/certified nuclear medicine technologist continues
to exceed the supply in most areas of the country, and this trend is expected to continue.
Additionally, as health providers seek to achieve accreditation for their nuclear
departments and payers begin to demand practice standards associated with procedure
reimbursement, the demand for certified technologist should continue to rise.
The Nuclear Medicine Technology Program at Chattanooga State boasts a graduate job placement rate of 100%.
Most students are contacted by potential employers many months prior to graduation. And, as previously
mentioned, some students even have their education provided through an employer, in exchange for a commitment
to employment following graduation.
18. Will I be prepared to perform my job duties when I graduate?
You are being prepared for an "entry-level" technologist position. This means that you should be able to perform all
routine elements expected of a nuclear medicine technologist when you graduate. Before
graduation you will demonstrate through completion of clinical competencies that you
are able to perform these task.
Additionally, the field of nuclear medicine is continuing to expand
as a viable diagnostic tool through the development of new radiopharmaceuticals as well as
advanced uses of computer technology. The faculty is committed to providing you with the
fundamental tools necessary to adapt to changes in the field.
19. How would I qualify for "Non-Traditional" status
in the program?
If you are currently a non-registered nuclear medicine technologist who can document
full-time employment in the field of nuclear medicine for a minimum of 2 years
(full-time) but you have not yet become certified, you may qualify as a non-traditional
student.
Although you will be required to complete all of the clinical requirements, you will be "challenging" your
clinical courses. Therefore, as a non-traditional student, you will be allowed to work and receive
compensation for clinical hours. The faculty will review the variety
and number of procedures to which you are exposed so that we can determine
whether rotations to additional clinic sites will be necessary to demonstrate
competency in all mandatory clinical procedures. If your employer's number or
variety of examinations is insufficient to meet clinical requirements, you will need to make arrangements with your employer for rotations to
other facilities.
20. What is the deadline for applications for the class
beginning in August?
The deadline stated in the information guide is April 15
th. However, we
will accept your application up to the beginning of classes in August. The April deadline
gives you priority consideration for clinical assignments. Clinical assignments after the
deadline will be made on an "as available" basis. Also, by applying early the
student can be made aware of any prerequisites that may need to be addressed.