All hopeful Army, Air Force and Navy nuclear medicine technologists attend the same training school.
Nuclear medicine technologists from the Army, Air Force and Navy all attend the same training school. It's officially known as the Nuclear Medicine Technologist School. Enlisted personnel attending the naval school for nuclear medicine technology, as it's often called, undergo a great deal of training. In general, personnel hold ranks from E4 to E6, depending on the specific military service. High aptitude scores and completion of college or high school algebra courses are also required.
Considerations
Nuclear medicine technologist training is mostly closed off to new enlistees.
All military technologist trainees are sent to the Naval School of Health Sciences (NSHS) detachment at San Diego, California. The course isn't normally open to new enlistees directly from their basic medical training. However, each service may send new enlistees who attain the E4 rank because of prior education and experience. Also, the school conducts the training course in two phases. The first is academic, while the second involves clinical practical training.
Course Length
The school divides the course into separate academic and clinical training phases.
Training time at the school takes up 52 academic weeks. This means the course is greater than one year long. That's because students are started at square one, first learning basic concepts involving the use of radiological materials. The handling of such materials is potentially very hazardous. Without a solid grounding in their nature, harm to both patients and technicians is possible. After academic training is completed, students move on to their clinical practical training.
Clinical Practicum
Students at the school learn to safely prepare and handle radioactive isotopes.
The school is the administrative controller of the clinical practical training portion. However, the phase itself is operated and supervised by the staff at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California. The school and the medical center share the same compound. During the training, the center ensures students learn a variety of skills specific to nuclear medicine technology. This includes learning operate radioactive isotope therapy devices. Additionally, students also learn to prepare radioactive isotopes.
Prerequisites
The school requires that students be familiar with algebra, physics and chemistry before attending.
The school requires that all its students be comfortable with algebra, physics and chemistry. Navy hopefuls must take college algebra and a physical science course within 36 months prior to the start of training. The Air Force recommends trainees have "very strong backgrounds in algebra, physics and chemistry." Potential Army trainees must have the 91P military occupational specialty (radiology specialist) and a year's experience before attending. All trainees must also serve for three years, post-training.
Warning
Competition to get into nuclear medicine technologist training can be keen.
Competition for seats at the school is very keen. That's because there are a relatively few number of nuclear medicine technologists in each service. Also, completion of the school and subsequent experience gained can be very lucrative in terms of a post-enlistment civilian career. Within the military, most technologists work at large military treatment facilities. This guarantees they'll spend most of their careers in a clinical setting. That's an aspect that appeals to many service members.
Tags: algebra physics, algebra physics chemistry, clinical practical, clinical practical training, medicine technologists
