A nuclear medicine technologist is a healthcare professional who prepares and administers radiopharmaceuticals to patients for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Their role includes patient care, safe handling of radiation, operating imaging equipment (like PET and SPECT scanners), performing quality control, and maintaining detailed records. The NMT works closely with radiologists, and referring patient physicians in order to ensure that each patient receives the highest quality study possible.
The Department of Health Sciences in cooperation with Baptist Health College Little Rock (BHCLR) offers a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nuclear medicine technology. The degree requirements generally consist of 3 years and 73 hours of course work at UCA and 47 hours taken over 12 months at BHCLR. In order to receive credit toward a degree from UCA, the student must apply, be admitted to UCA, and complete the prerequisite course work prior to selective admission into BHCLR. Students may transfer into the nuclear medicine program, but they must complete a minimum of 30 hours of course work at the University of Central Arkansas prior to selective admission into the clinical curriculum at BHCLR.
The BHCLR Nuclear Medicine Technology program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT).
Admission and acceptance into the BHCLR Nuclear Medicine Technology program is on a competitive basis. Applicants are required to have the results of the American College Test (ACT). Additionally, students applying to the BHCLR Nuclear Medicine Technology program must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in all undergraduate course work to be considered eligible for the Nuclear Medicine Technology program at BHCLR, with a final grade of “C” or higher on certain prerequisite courses (see the list below). The application deadline for the clinical phase of the nuclear medicine program is March 1, and classes begin in August at BHCLR.
Information concerning the BHCLR Nuclear Medicine Technology program and requests for applications should be directed to BHCLR. All questions regarding prerequisite course work should be directed to the UCA nuclear medicine technology advisor.
Prerequisite Curriculum at UCA (65 hours)
The UCA Core: Complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements (see the UCA Core requirements). This degree is exempt from upper-division (UD) Core requirements. Consult the program advisors for specific details of the UCA Core as it applies to the BS in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
Other required courses (some of these courses are part of the 38-hour lower-division UCA Core): CHEM 1450; MATH 1390; BIOL 1440, 3406 and 3407 or 1410 and 2410; and PHYS 1410.
Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Nuclear Medicine Technology enter the College Algebra Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1390 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit for MATH 1390.
Baptist Health College Little Rock requires that an applicant have earned a final grade of “C” or better in the following prerequisite courses:
General Chemistry with Laboratory
General Physics
Human Anatomy and Physiology (two courses, each with a laboratory)
Written Communications course
Professional Curriculum at BHCLR (55 hours)
NMT 4101 Medical Terminology
NMT 4315 Instrumentation/Statistics I
NMT 4525 Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine I
NMT 4250 Nuclear Physics/Radiochemistry
NMT 4340 Introduction to Nuclear Medicine
NMT 4430 Radiopharmacy/Radionuclide Therapy
NMT 4520 Clinical Practicum I
NMT 4625 Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine II
NMT 4230 Instrumentation/Statistics II
NMT 4445 Radiation Health Physics
NMT 4260 Tomography/Computer Applications
NMT 4825 Clinical Practicum II
NMT 4200 Senior Seminars
NMT 4270 CT Procedures and Anatomy
NMT 4335 Clinical Practicum III
NMT 4240 Clinical Practicum IV
Note: Baptist Health Schools Little Rock requires all prerequisites to be complete prior to the program start date. All but one course must be in progress at the time of application to BHCLR.