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Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Also called: Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Staff Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT), Supervisor Nuclear Medicine

What they do:
Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Prepare stock solutions of radioactive materials and calculate doses to be administered by radiologists. Subject patients to radiation. Execute blood volume, red cell survival, and fat absorption studies following standard laboratory techniques.
On the job, you would:
  • Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
  • Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.
  • Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.

Knowledge

Business
  • customer service
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • biology
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Health
  • medicine and dentistry

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
  • changing what is done based on other people's actions
  • understanding people's reactions

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
  • order or arrange things
  • notice when problems happen
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Attention to Detail
  • Independence
  • Integrity

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Medical software
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • Radiopharmacy inventory databases
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software
  • Microsoft Outlook

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
associate's degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Average Outlook
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
Salary
$69,450
per year, on average
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about nuclear medicine technologists.