Nuclear Medicine Technology
Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
105 Parker Hall
South Campus
Buffalo, NY 14214-3007
Phone: 716.838.5889, ext. 115
Fax: 716.838.4918
Web: nucmed.buffalo.edu/nmt/
Paul Kostyniak
Chair
Elpida Crawford
Program Director
About the Department
The Nuclear Medicine Technology Program is offered by the Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences and is supported by the Department of Nuclear Medicine in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The department operates the Central Radiopharmaceutical Service, which provides radiopharmaceuticals to more than 25 nuclear medicine departments in the Greater Buffalo area. This facility, located off campus on Aero Drive, is where program students obtain practical experience in radiopharmacy.
The university’s Department of Nuclear Medicine also operates a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) center together with the VA Western New York Healthcare System. PET, a unique aspect of nuclear medicine, is used for both research and diagnostic clinical studies. The PET center includes a large cyclotron facility for the production of PET radiopharmaceuticals located in Parker Hall, and three PET scanners, one at the VA, one at Millard Fillmore Hospital, and one at a medical office in Amherst.
Certification
Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for two national certification exams in nuclear medicine technology offered by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
Accreditation
The NMT Program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in NMT.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.S.
About Our Degrees
Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) is one of the diagnostic imaging modalities. It is not x-ray, CT or CAT scanning, magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound. Nuclear medicine procedures use small amounts of radioactive materials to study the function of the internal organs. A smaller aspect of the work is radionuclide therapy. The nuclear medicine technologist is a highly skilled individual who, in conjunction with the physician, either directs or participates in the daily operation of the nuclear medicine department. The responsibilities are varied but include three major roles: technical skills, patient care, and administrative functions.
The SUNY/Buffalo Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) Program prepares entry-level technologists through an interdisciplinary curriculum of basic science study and clinical education. In the freshman and sophomore year, students take math and science prerequisite courses for NMT and general education courses. In the junior year, students take the basic science of nuclear medicine courses (nine courses totaling 26 credit hours). Students have clinical internships and nuclear medicine courses in the senior year.
Twelve to fifteen students are accepted into the program (as juniors) each year.
Acceptance Criteria
Applications to the program should be made before February 15 in the sophomore year. A minimum GPA of 2.0 overall and a minimum GPA of 2.5 in prerequisite science and mathematics courses is necessary for consideration for admission into the program. Every applicant who completes the prerequisite courses prior to admission and has the minimum GPA is invited for an interview. Selection is based on GPA and information gathered through the interview process. Decisions regarding acceptance are made prior to the end of the spring semester.
Acceptance Information
Number of applicants/year: 20-25
Number of accepted majors/year: 12-15
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 24
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Transfer students must be accepted by the university and meet the program admission criteria. Prerequisite courses taken at another school must be equivalent in content. Questions regarding prerequisite course equivalency should be directed to the program director.
Transfer applicants must complete their university application (which includes sending official transcripts of the fall semester work) prior to January 15.
About Our Courses
Most NMT courses are reserved for majors. Students interested in learning more about the field of nuclear medicine are encouraged to take NMD 210 Introduction to NMT, which is offered in the fall semester.
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
The faculty of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and NMT Program come from diverse backgrounds. It includes physicists, chemists, pharmacists, radiopharmacists, physicians, computer scientists and technologists.
Special Academic Opportunities
Internship
Students spend four days a week both semesters of the senior year in clinical rotations. Each student has two 10-week rotations in a hospital nuclear medicine department and a series of short rotations, which include but are not limited to, the University's Central Radiopharmacy Service, Children's Hospital, several sites with Positron Emission Tomography, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and a cardiology office that performs nuclear cardiology. All clinical sites used by the program are within a 25-mile radius of the campus at this time. All have state-of-the-art equipment.
Extracurricular Activities
See the UB Student Association.
Complimentary Programs and Courses
Students that have time in their schedules are encouraged to minor in computer science, chemistry, or management; however, having a minor is not a requirement for graduation, or for employment after graduation.
Advising Information
Students interested in NMT are encouraged to contact David Lang, Senior Undergraduate Academic Advisor for the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, for academic advisement. Mr. Lang can be reached at langdj@buffalo.edu or at (716) 829-3005. Also, interested students are encouraged to visit a hospital nuclear medicine department before applying to the program. For more information on a hospital department tour students should contact Elpida S. Crawford at esc@buffalo.edu or (716) 838-5889, ext. 115.
Career Information
There are numerous employment opportunities in New York State and across the U.S. Starting salaries are excellent and rising each year. The majority of positions are in hospital, physicians offices and outpatient imaging centers. Many of the UB Program graduates move into supervisory positions relatively quickly. Nuclear Medicine Technologists can branch into health physics, or work for commercial companies in sales, research, or education. Program graduates may also pursue graduate or professional degrees.