Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine technology uses radioactive material for both diagnosis and
therapy. Procedures consist of imaging studies, analysis of biologic specimens, and therapy. In imaging
studies, patients are administered a radioactive material which localizes in a specific organ or system of the
body. When biologic specimens are analyzed, fluid samples from patients are combined with radioactive materials
to measure various components of the fluid. Therapy consists of administration of therapeutic amounts of
radioactive materials to patients to treat a specific disease.
| Course work in the nuclear medicine concentration includes: |
| - |
Chemistry |
| - |
Instrumentation and computer techniques |
| - |
Nuclear medicine physics |
| - |
Imaging and non-imaging techniques |
| - |
Pathophysiology |
| - |
Ethics and health care |
| - |
Radiopharmacy |
| - |
General electives |
Responsibilities of the nuclear medicine technologist include preparation and administration of radioactive materials, manipulation of highly sophisticated equipment used to detect the radiation emitted from the patient or sample, work with computers which are used to process images, and care for patients while in the nuclear medicine department.
| To be eligible for admission into any of the entry level concentrations, students must have completed the following: |
| Semester Credits |
VCU Equivalent |
| 6 of Composition and Rhetoric |
UNIV 111-112* |
| 3 of College Algebra |
MATH 141 |
| 8 of Human Anatomy & Physiology |
BIOL 205, PHIS 206 |
| 4 of Physics |
PHYS 101 & PHYZ 101*** |
| 3 of General Psychology |
PSYC 101* |
| 3 of Humanities Elective |
| |
| * Students outside of VCU must complete 2
semesters (6 credits) of freshman composition. |
| *** Outside of VCU, complete Physics sequences
(f multi-semester) must be completed. |
Students may focus elective coursework on business, education, basic sciences, or other areas of interest.
Students will spend 3 years in the professional program upon entering in the
fall semester. The program at VCU leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Radiation Sciences
(Radiography track).
If you are an ARRT certified radiographer and desire to enter the nuclear
medicine technology profession, please click on the following link to visit our second modality program page.
Top of Page
|
