Nuclear medicine is a branch of medicine that involves administering radioactive drugs to patients in order to use imaging devices to see problem areas of their bodies. A high school diploma or equivalent certification is required for admission to a nuclear medicine training program, as well as the completion of an admissions form. Before a student can enroll in industry-specific courses, pre-requisite courses such as math and chemistry, as well as physics and biology, are required. In addition to providing students with hands-on field experience, nuclear medicine courses cover radiopharmaceuticals and computer imaging.
A radiation course is one of the many types of nuclear medicine courses available. A student learns how to properly dispose of, pack away, and work with radioactive materials in this class. Furthermore, students learn how to use tools to monitor radiation levels and how to calculate radiation doses in patients. Students are taught regional and national radiation standards, as well as how to deal with disasters related to radiation. The importance of understanding how radiation can harm the body is emphasized in this course.
Radionuclides, which are radioactive substances injected into the body to make a body scan work effectively, are also covered in nuclear medicine courses. When dealing with various disease conditions, students in a radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals course study methods to make organs more visible in scans. The goal of this class is to assist an aspiring nuclear medicine technologist in assisting doctors in gathering the information they need to make accurate medical diagnoses.
Another aspect of nuclear medicine that is studied is the development of computer and imaging skills. Students can learn how to use imaging technologies, as well as how to process radiographic film and take radiographs, in nuclear medicine imaging courses. Students learn everything there is to know about what happens when matter and X-rays collide. This course will teach you how to use positron emitting tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) imaging to pinpoint problems like tumors and to determine cancer stages.
Several nuclear medicine courses require students to participate in practicums. Students assist with various diagnostic tasks and use computers for imaging purposes in these classes. They are trained to perform complex nuclear medicine procedures independently under the supervision of an experienced nuclear medicine technologist the end of the program. In addition, students practice completing industry-specific quality assurance program requirements.