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What do you do as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist?
Hello! My name is Vy, and I am a highschool students.
I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in the radiological technologist field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers!
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3 answers
Updated
Heather’s Answer
Nuclear medicine is a modality of radiology that is unlike no other. We use radioactive isotopes to see how things in the body function, but we are also used for looking for cancers. It is more than just your anatomy, you’re seeing what no other modality can see!
Updated
David’s Answer
A nuclear medicine technologist performs examination and procedures on patients who are sick, like cancer. Nuclear medicine technologist inject radioactive isotopes in to the patient. The isotopes will emit radiation, after which pictures are taken with a nuclear medicine scan her. These jobs are typically daytime work such as 9-.5. You can become a nuclear medicine technologist I going to an approved nuclear medicine technologist program these programs usually last approximately two years. You will need heavy knowledge on anatomy and physiology. Some nuclear medicine technologist grow into a radiation safety officer. Radiation safety officer someone that works in a hospital or a large radiation oncology clinic and they help with ensuring that the radiation ionizing machines that is produced on site are operating in a safe manner.
Your advice was so helpful! Thank you so much for your time. Would you also answer these 13 pre set questions to complete the interview?
Vy
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional
job?
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
5. Were you in a college program?
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date
7. Did you shadow another
professional in the field?
8. Did you join any school clubs
related to your current profession?
9. Was there a particular subject you
struggled with during your school
years?
10. What skill sets did you learn or
gain while pursuing your career?
11. What is the salary or pay like?
12. What is the work environment like?
13. What day to day tasks do you do as a nuclear med tech?
Vy
Updated
Mary Beth’s Answer
Hi Vy,
I've been a nuclear medicine technologist for almost 40 years, and there are so many opportunities in the field. Typical nuclear medicine tasks, as David mentioned, are we inject radioactive isotopes called radiopharmaceuticals into patients to diagnose cancer, heart disease, and many, many more diseases. There are over 100 different tests on every body system (brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, endocrine, musculoskeletal, etc.). There are several areas of nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine is different from X-ray, where an x-ray evaluates what something looks like, and Nuc Med looks at physiology or how things are working. Think of it like this: you can have a beautiful car in your driveway, but if it doesn't start or won't go fast, it doesn't work. Thats us.
There are several areas of nuclear medicine (also called molecular imaging). There is PET, where a different kind of radioactive is used that can look at biological processes on the cellular or metabolic level. There is nuclear cardiology that actively looks at the heart for function (how well it squeezes), blockage, infection, and immune disorders. There is a new and extremely exciting area called theranostics, where radioactive molecules that target and treat a specific type of cancer are injected into the body to treat on the molecular level. If you've heard about personalized medicine, this is it. Theranostics is going to expand the field and care of patients dramatically. It's a good time to get into the field.
If you have specific questions or want more information, contact me.
Call your local hospital and ask to spend a day with a nuclear medicine technologist.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging just hosted a meeting in Chicago where there was a Career Ladder Program. The session was recorded and if you are interested I"m sure you could watch it. Here is the flyer https://s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-snmmi/files/production/public/FinalNMCareersInterest.pdf
Play around on the www.SNMMI.org website
Join the SNMMI with a student membership.
I've been a nuclear medicine technologist for almost 40 years, and there are so many opportunities in the field. Typical nuclear medicine tasks, as David mentioned, are we inject radioactive isotopes called radiopharmaceuticals into patients to diagnose cancer, heart disease, and many, many more diseases. There are over 100 different tests on every body system (brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, endocrine, musculoskeletal, etc.). There are several areas of nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine is different from X-ray, where an x-ray evaluates what something looks like, and Nuc Med looks at physiology or how things are working. Think of it like this: you can have a beautiful car in your driveway, but if it doesn't start or won't go fast, it doesn't work. Thats us.
There are several areas of nuclear medicine (also called molecular imaging). There is PET, where a different kind of radioactive is used that can look at biological processes on the cellular or metabolic level. There is nuclear cardiology that actively looks at the heart for function (how well it squeezes), blockage, infection, and immune disorders. There is a new and extremely exciting area called theranostics, where radioactive molecules that target and treat a specific type of cancer are injected into the body to treat on the molecular level. If you've heard about personalized medicine, this is it. Theranostics is going to expand the field and care of patients dramatically. It's a good time to get into the field.
Mary Beth recommends the following next steps: