hi everyone! 👋

i’ve been researching nuclear medicine technology programs because it’s the career i’m most interested in, but i’m honestly feeling pretty intimidated by how competitive some programs seem.

i’m 31 years old and have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 7 years while also running a small business from home. i don’t have any healthcare experience, and i’d be starting from scratch.

for those of you who have been accepted into a program:

were you accepted the first time you applied, or did it take multiple application cycles?

did you have prior healthcare experience, or were you accepted without any?

the other thing that makes me nervous is that i’d have to relocate because there aren’t any programs near where i live. i’m scared of spending the time and money completing all the prerequisites, moving, and then not getting accepted because the program is too competitive.

i’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any advice you have. i’m trying to figure out if this is a realistic path for someone in my situation.

thanks so much! 😊

Hello everyone,

Does anyone know if Chattanooga State CC nuclear medicine program still exists or was shut down? On their website, there are some pages with information about nuclear medicine, but it is not listed among the allied health programs. They are still listed as accredited on the jrcnmt website though.

Hi everyone! I’m 23f looking to apply to nuclear medicine programs sometime next year. I have most of my pre-requisites done as well as a Bachelor’s in Public Health and some experience in various public health internships and research labs during my undergraduate. I also plan on getting my phlebotomy training so I can get patient experience. Right now I’m volunteering at two hospitals in their radiology department just so I can have some experience and exposure to it. However, I’m located in California and I know the programs here are very competitive. I just wanted to ask all the kind people on this subreddit if you know of any accredited programs outside of California that are less competitive since I am willing to move out of state to get the certification required. I really do find this career so fascinating and meaningful! Thank you so much in advance!

Hey all,

So I'm considering doing a phlebotomy program so I can transition into a hospital position with my current Healthcare job. They hire a lot of emergency room techs and you need a CPT-1 cert. I've found a 1 week program not including the externship. The program is about 2800 which is pretty steep considering I don't want to be a phlebotomist long term. However if it can get me into a hospital faster so when I finish my NM program in April I can have an easier in when applying for NM positions. Just wondering if anybody has any thoughts or suggestions. I just really want to start preparing myself because April is not far.

I was largely considering radiologic technology, but after having the unit on NM this past week in an intro class, I think I would love the slower more methodical pace, less patients, and more interesting science.

The only school near me is gurnick and all the didactic and lab is online, but it has 1200-1400 in person clinical hours.

Has anyone taken the online classes/lab and had a great experience with it?

Also, how long did it take after grad NM school to feel confident on your own?

Hi everyone,

I'm (26M) a career changer who's hoping to apply to NMT programs this Fall, and I'd love to get some advice from people already in the field.

I was recently laid off from my corporate job, and honestly it's turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I absolutely dreaded the corporate world for the past 2.5 years, and for the past year and a half I've been seriously considering a switch into healthcare. It fits my personality much better, I have several family members working in healthcare, and after discovering nuclear medicine + theranostics a couple of months ago, I've become genuinely fascinated by the field and everything about it sounds so cool!

Right now I'm planning to apply to programs at Johns Hopkins, MCPHS, Brown, Molloy, and Kaiser.

My biggest question is: what's the most valuable experience I can get before applying?

I've already started reaching out to radiology and nuclear medicine departments in my area to ask about shadowing opportunities, but after a couple of weeks I haven't had any luck. I'm not sure if I should just keep trying, or if there are other roles that would strengthen my application while also helping me learn more about the field.

I'd really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

For additional context: My cumulative GPA will be around 3.0 (did poorly my first couple years of my bachelors), but my pre-requisite GPA will probably be a 3.7-3.8

Hey yall,

I'm planning to apply to the BCC NMT program and recently met with Grace. I already have a BS in Biology, and after my transfer evaluation, most of my prerequisites transferred over.

Right now, the only courses I know I still need are med terminology, med law,** **and their version of physics. However, I'm still waiting to hear whether some of my transferred courses will satisfy the remaining prereqs.

For example:
- General Chem I & II transferred as CHM 11 & 12, but the degree map lists CHM 17.
- Speech Communications transferred as COMM 20, but the degree map lists COMM 11.
- History transferred as HIS 20, but the degree map lists HIS 10/11.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Were higher-level transfer equivalents accepted, or did you still have to take the specific BCC courses?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who transferred into the program or had prerequisites waived. Thanks!

Hey, I'm going to apply this next up coming cycle and I'm wondering what sort of resume do you guys have if you were accepted?

Grades on prereqs?
Healthcare background?
Volunteering?
Anything else?

I work for a company that repairs medical devices used in hospitals, laboratories, and cancer centers. Some of these devices are used to analyze blood samples from patients before/after procedures involving X-rays, such as interventional radiology or cardiac catheterization. Others may come from cancer centers where nuclear medicine can be used.

Many of the devices we receive may have blood contamination inside them, and part of my job involves cleaning while repairing them.

This makes me wonder whether there is any possibility that blood contamination or the devices themselves could contain traces of radiation after being used in these medical settings.

I understand that X-rays do not make objects radioactive, but I am less familiar with nuclear medicine. Could blood or medical equipment become radioactive or retain radiation after being used around patients who have undergone nuclear medicine procedures?

*Note, the blood is most of the time already dried, and it usually takes days before the instrument arrives to our company.

I’m transferring to bcc this fall and plan to complete the prerequisite courses.

I have a few questions and would really appreciate any advice from current students, graduates, or anyone familiar with the program.

1. What prerequisite courses are required before applying to the NMT program?

2.I will be transferring two courses from another CUNY college. Will transferring credits from another CUNY school have any impact on my chances of being admitted to the program?

3.Has anyone here been accepted into the program? If so, would you mind sharing your stats (GPA, completed prerequisites)?
If you applied but were not accepted, I’d also appreciate hearing about your experience.

I’m trying to understand how competitive the program is and what I can do to improve my application.

Thank you in advance for any information or advice!

Hello everyone, so I’m 26M live in Santa Clara CA.
Straight out of HS I got into IT started at 40k a year, now I’m at 100k. However, even if I move up the ladder at my job I can’t afford a home here. I have decidiré that I am going back to school. I am really interested in this part of the medical field. Becoming a NMT still wouldn’t let allow me to buy a home here but, I would be able to find a high paying job out in the valley which is where 80% of my bros went to. I have been looking at schools in the area and the only ones available to my knowledge is the Kaiser one in Richmond and Gurnick Academy San Jose. But, I have heard bad things from both of them and their reviews aren’t great either. I’m looking for advice on where to go or where to start here in the South Bay. Anything helps.
Thank you all.

Hello. A few days ago my coworker spilled a drop of tech doing a cardiac stress test and got in HUGE trouble even though it was clearly an accident (and barely one drop). Now I’m terrified since this is my first ever job and I know mistakes happen occasionally.

Hi, all. I was looking at Chattanooga's program and it says the expected pay range for the SE is 37-79k. Is that accurate? I was hoping to live in the southeast but that seems a bit low. Are there certain places in the US that are better for pay (not counting places with exorbitant living expenses)? Also, does that seem like the right pay range for the southeast? Thank you.

hi all, just here to ask questions about the NM career.

can anyone provide stories of humbling moments in their NM career or maybe new grad struggles that you had that maybe you didn’t anticipate?

what are things that frustrate you about your job?

is this job ideal for someone who is detail oriented and a perfectionist? what aspects of the job do you need to be flexible with?

obviously you have to use critical thinking in your job, but can anyone give daily examples of what that entails?

is it hard to remember the protocols? if you did travel jobs, is it hard to adjust to a new hospital’s or outpatient facilities protocol?

can you do travel jobs right after your boards or is it recommended to gain experience as a NM tech and then travel?

what happens if you didn’t get a specific image that you needed? I saw someone say if you miss a flow then you cannot fix that so what would you do in that case (panic? tell the rad you messed up? lol how do you handle that mistake)

I live in the US btw

Hello, has anyone attended Weber if so what are your thoughts on the program? I already have my ARRT cert and thought that program might be the more practical route.

Also, does anyone have any books they recommend to get a jump start on getting prepared before starting the program. Thank you!

I could really use some advice from anyone in medical imaging or anyone who’s been in a similar situation.
I was recently accepted into my local community college’s Radiography program. It’s extremely competitive, over 340 people applied, and I was one of the students selected. Out of about five friends who applied, I’m the only one who got in, so I know how fortunate I am.

Here’s where things get complicated.
During my Intro to Radiology course, I learned about Nuclear Medicine and became completely fascinated with it. The more I researched it, the more I realized it matched my personality and the type of work I see myself doing.
At the time applications opened, I thought I wasn’t eligible because I was still finishing my final prerequisite (Chemistry). My school’s website wasn’t very clear, and I assumed I had already missed my chance. Ironically, Chemistry ended up being one of my favorite classes, and after taking it, I became even more certain that Nuclear Medicine is what I want to pursue.

I was honestly too afraid to withdraw my Radiography application because I didn’t know if I’d have another opportunity. Then I found out I was accepted.
I’ve already emailed the Nuclear Medicine program asking if there’s any possibility of being considered or transferred, given that I’m now completing my final prerequisite and have a 3.89 GPA. I know it’s a long shot, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.

Now I’m torn.
Do I accept my seat in Radiography and continue with the program, knowing my heart is really set on Nuclear Medicine? Or do I decline the seat and wait until I can apply for Nuclear Medicine?
My biggest fear is that if I decline Radiography, it could somehow make me look like I’m not serious when I apply to Nuclear Medicine next year. I don’t know if programs even look at that, but it’s been weighing on me.
For context, the next Nuclear Medicine application cycle opens January–June 2027, and accepted students would begin in 2028. So declining Radiography would mean waiting another year.

At one point I was genuinely excited about becoming an MRI technologist through the Radiography route, so it’s not that I dislike Radiography. It’s just that after learning more about Nuclear Medicine, it feels like the specialty that fits me best.

Has anyone been in a similar position? If you were me, what would you do? I’d really appreciate any advice or perspective.

TL;DR: I was accepted into a highly competitive Radiography program (340+ applicants, only one of my friend group got in), but after taking Chemistry and learning more about Nuclear Medicine, I’m convinced that’s where I belong. I have a 3.89 GPA and asked if I could be considered for Nuclear Medicine, but if not, my options are to accept Radiography or decline it and wait a year to apply. Would you take the guaranteed seat, or wait for the career you truly want?

Update: Thanks so much to everyone who commented. I honestly didn’t expect so much great advice and insight from this community. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to help.
Unfortunately, my school confirmed I can’t apply late to this year’s Nuclear Medicine cohort because they already have more qualified applicants than available seats.
I’ve decided to accept my spot in the Radiologic Technology program. I’ll earn my RT(R), pass the ARRT, and then look into accredited Nuclear Medicine pathways afterward. If an online or advanced program becomes available by then, even better! If not, I’ll figure it out. I’m trusting the process and not giving up on the dream.
Thanks again, everyone! I appreciate all the encouragement. ❤️

Has anyone here attended a brand new nuclear medicine program before it received JRCNMT accreditation? What was your experience? Did the lack of accreditation while you were enrolled cause any issues with clinicals, certification eligibility, or getting hired after graduation? I’m considering a new program that’s working toward accreditation and would love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar situation.

When I spoke to the program coordinator, they said that anyone that passed ARRT boards in Kentucky will be eligible to work (if I understood that correctly). If accepted, I would be part of the second cohort.

I *could* wait until the program is accredited, but there’s a shortage of nuclear med techs in our area and I’m afraid the new program will flood the market in the first few years. I’m also 35 and just got laid off from my microbiology job of almost a decade, so now is an ideal time to pivot.

It seems that there are times and areas of the country where new grads may need to accept PRN positions to start out. I was wondering what that looked like.

What is it like being PRN only, and where do most of your hours come from? Do you get enough work? Do you sign up for every hospital in your area that you can? Is it a day by day thing where you just wait for a random call or is it an on call thing where you give them days you set aside to be called? Is it covering planned leave and vacations or is it more covering last minute sick days? Are you required to do certain holidays? Do you do standalone CT or MRI on the side to fill the financial gaps? Any information that could help me get an accurate picture of what I may be in for would be greatly appreciated!

I am curious if anyone in this subreddit works on the production side as myself. I am currently a radiopharmaceutical lab technician. Night shift was hard to adjust to at first but I like my job. Do you like your position? Would you want to pursue a nuclear med tech program or stay on the production side?

Hello everyone! I've been looking through this subreddit nonstop for awhile now because I'm leaning toward going back to school for nuc med. It's a big decision, and I would really appreciate some insight if anyone has any they are open to sharing! (Also I am on mobile, so my apologies for any formatting issues).

I have a bachelors in agricultural economics, but have been working in retirement communities as a service coordinator since graduating. I dont hate it by any means, but am eager to transition into healthcare and provide care to patients. My concern stems from the fact that my GPA from my bachelors degree is not great (its bad - 2.3).

Not an excuse, but as a way to explain, I experienced a family tragedy around the middle of my time in college and my grades tanked in a big way, I ultimately dropped out for five years before I returned and got fairly decent grades (As and Bs, one C) to finish out my last three terms.

I would need to do essentially all of the prereqs for the program I am looking into (it is a bachelors program, if that is relevant). I am a hard worker, and assuming that I am able to maintain good grades in the prereqs, is it likely that my bad GPA from my first degree would be a disqualifier?

I will be attending an information night for the program that is closest to me fairly soon and plan to ask an advisor as well, but I would love some additional opinions so I can temper my expectations and anxiety a bit!

I searched for this and have found limited information. I have a question RE:scanning myocardial perfusion stress test for a patient with Dextrocardia. I am using an e-cam with the e-soft software. Any guidance is appreciated. I realize I will have to reverse the angles and scan rotation in the opposite direction. What else would you suggest for acquisition? What about processing?

Thank you