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The program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology.

Nuclear Medicine/PET uses small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease. Radiopharmaceuticals are substances that are attracted to specific organs, bones or tissues. The radiopharmaceuticals used in Nuclear Medicine/PET emit gamma and beta rays that can be detected externally by special types of cameras: gamma or PET/CT cameras. 

The cameras work with computers to form images that provide data and information about the body area being imaged. Most Nuclear Medicine/PET exams will give approximately the same radiation dose as 1 – 2 times the annual background radiation dose.

Nuclear Medicine/PET Technology as a Career

If you have an interest in the health sciences and computer technology and are looking for a people-oriented career, consider Nuclear Medicine/PET technology. Nuclear Medicine/PET combines chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer technology and medicine, using radioactivity to diagnose and treat disease.

Though many diagnostic techniques are available today, Nuclear Medicine/PET is unique in that it provides information about the structure and function of virtually every major organ system within the body. It is this ability to characterize and quantify physiologic function that separates Nuclear Medicine/PET from other types of imaging, such as X-ray. Nuclear Medicine/PET procedures are safe, involve little or no patient discomfort, and seldom require the use of anesthesia.

The Technologist’s Role

The Nuclear Medicine/PET technologist is a highly specialized health care professional. Some of the technologist’s primary responsibilities include:

  • Preparing and administering radioactive chemical compounds, known as radiopharmaceuticals
  • Performing patient-imaging procedures using sophisticated radiation-detecting instrumentation
  • Performing computer processing and image enhancement
  • Analyzing biologic specimens in the laboratory
  • Providing images, data analysis and patient information to the physician for diagnostic interpretation

Your Future as a Nuclear Medicine/PET Technologist

Nuclear Medicine/PET will continue to be a field at the forefront of modern clinical medicine and technological development. The future has never been brighter, thanks to:

  • The development of new radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes
  • Promising research and development of cancer-detecting and cancer-killing agents, such as genetically engineered antibodies
  • The expanding clinical use of exciting new technology known as positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and SPECT/CT, which provide new and unique means of studying biochemistry and metabolism within living tissues

About the Nuclear Medicine/PET Program

The Nuclear Medicine/PET Technology Program began in 1970 in the Nuclear Medicine Laboratory at the Milwaukee County Medical Complex. Today, Nuclear Medicine/PET is a division of the Department of Radiology of Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. It is staffed by the program director, associate physicians, a doctoral physicist and certified Nuclear Medicine/PET technologists. It is equipped with state-of-the-science imaging and counting equipment.

Applicants are interviewed during the months of January and February, and notified in March. The academic year begins in July and ends June 30.

Mission

The mission of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Nuclear Medicine/PET Technology Program is to provide high quality academic and clinical education that equips interns with the technical knowledge, procedural skills and professional foundations to provide high quality, compassionate medical imaging.

Graduates will be able to adapt to varied health care settings requiring critical thinking with diverse patient populations. Furthermore, each will possess the ability to effectively interact with care teams in providing the best possible patient-centered care.

Objectives

The objectives of the Nuclear Medicine/PET Technology Program are: 

  • To orient and train technologists in the use of radioactive materials for therapeutic and diagnostic Nuclear Medicine/PET procedures.
  • To establish for the community a reliable source of Nuclear Medicine/PET technologists whose skillful and compassionate work with patients will be satisfying to themselves and a credit to the profession.

Graduate Achievement Data

Graduate achievement data is an indicator of program effectiveness, demonstrating the extent to which a program achieves its goals. The current report on graduate achievement data, identified by program, is available on the JRCNMT website via the link below.

Graduate Achievement Report

The table below indicates the program outcomes of the Froedtert & MCW Technology Program.

Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) Exam Results

Year Nuclear Medicine Interns Number of Examinees Nuclear Medicine Interns
% Passing
National
% Passing
2021 4 100 76
2020 4 100 78
2019 6 83 79
2018 5 100 82
2017 6 100 80
2016 6 100 89
2015 4 100 87
2014 5 100 90
2013 6 100 88
2012 4 100 88
2011 5 100 91

Graduation Rate

Year Enrolled Graduated Percent
2021 4 4 100
2020 4 4 100
2019 6 6 100
2018 5 5 100
2017 6 6 100
2016 6 6 100
2015 4 4 100
2014 5 5 100
2013 6 6 100
2012 6 6 100
2011 6 6 100

Faculty

If you desire further information, please contact:

Nuclear Medicine/PET Technology Program
Ann M. Voslar, MHA/Ed, BS-Nuclear Medicine, CNMT, RT (N)
Program Director
414-805-0057
[email protected]