Major
	Nuclear Medicine Technology (BS) and Certificate of Training from the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Four-year Graduation Plan
	No
Competitive Admission
	10 students per year
Links
	Web Site General Catalog

Nuclear medicine technologists work hand in hand with nuclear medicine physicians, health physicists, radiopharmacists, and radiochemists as members of highly trained specialty teams. They usually work in hospitals, where they use sophisticated detectors and computers to follow the movement and localization of radioactive tracers in the human body. Their responsibilities also may include radiation safety, quality control, radiopharmaceutical preparation and administration, and collection and preparation of biological specimens to measure levels of hormones, drugs, or other components.

• Why Study Nuclear Medicine Technology at Iowa?
• Admission
• Course Work
• Careers
• Scholarships

Why Study Nuclear Medicine Technology at Iowa?
Iowa’s renowned health sciences campus offers invaluable learning opportunities for students in the Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) Program. You'll have access to the world-class teachers, researchers, and facilities of the University's Carver College of Medicine and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), one of the nation’s largest public university teaching hospitals.

Iowa’s program is fully accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology.

Admission
Admission to the NMT Program is highly competitive. In order to apply, you should be working toward a Bachelor of Science degree and must complete the following:

• At least 94 semester hours (s.h.) of course work with a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50.
• Introductory science courses including laboratories in chemistry, physics, and biology.
• Intermediate-level algebra (minimum of 3 s.h.).
• The General Education Program, including courses in rhetoric; interpretation of literature; quantitative and formal reasoning; social sciences (sociology and psychology recommended); and culture, society, and the arts.

The program highly recommends that you also complete courses in anatomy, physiology, statistics, and computer science.

Only 10 students are admitted to the program each year, so completing the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee that you’ll be accepted.

The University also offers an NMT certificate-only program for individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree or who are registered or eligible for registry in a related health care field such as medical technology, radiologic technology, or nursing. Certificate-only program applicants with a bachelor’s degree must have completed introductory courses in chemistry, physics, biology, and at least intermediate algebra. Radiologic technologists must have completed the college-level course work in rhetoric and general chemistry.

The admission committee considers all aspects of each applicant’s record and offers admission to the best-qualified individuals. Positive attributes include maturity, knowledge of and motivation to pursue a career in nuclear medicine, previous patient-related experience, and an aptitude for academic achievement, particularly in science.

A new class begins in early August every year. Application materials must be received by Feburary 1. They must include an application; college, technical school, and high school transcripts; ACT scores; and three letters of reference. Personal interviews with the top 16–20 applicants are scheduled in February, and the class is selected by March 15.

If you intend to apply for admission, consult with the program’s office to plan your preprofessional study.

Course Work
Students majoring in nuclear medicine technology earn a Bachelor of Science degree. The BS requires a minimum of 124 semester hours (s.h.), including 30 s.h. of radiology course work. You'll complete three years of preclinical work in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Carver College of Medicine and a minimum 12 months of professional clinical experience, available at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

As you begin working toward a BS degree, it’s best to follow a course of study that will lead to a bachelor's degree with another major, most commonly biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or microbiology. If you are not one of the 10 applicants admitted to the NMT program, you’ll be able to complete a degree in your secondary area and look for a job in that field or go on to graduate school.

When you complete the four-year NMT program, you’ll receive a BS degree from the UI Carver College of Medicine and a certificate of training. You then will be eligible for national examinations to be certified as a nuclear medicine technologist.

See Nuclear Medicine Technology in the UI General Catalog to learn more about the major.

Careers
Iowa’s NMT program has an outstanding record of job placement. Graduates typically work as nuclear medicine technologists, beginning as entry-level staff at hospitals or clinics. With experience, many earn advanced degrees in areas such as radiation biology, health physics, or medicine. Some work in the private sector as sales or marketing specialists in nuclear medicine.

NMT graduates also find career opportunities in education as instructors, coordinators, or program directors; and in administration, industry, or research and development. Those pursuing government-related jobs might find positions as regulatory agency inspectors or radiation safety officers.

Scholarships
Consult multiple sources for scholarship information, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and departmental web sites.