Nuclear Medicine Technology

Saint Louis University's Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) prepares graduates for entry-level positions as nuclear medicine technologists.

Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses safe, painless and cost-effective techniques to image the body and treat disease. Nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive materials to diagnose and treat diseases using gamma or PET/CT scanners. Nuclear medicine imaging is unique in that it documents organ function and structure. It is a method of gathering information that may otherwise be unavailable, require surgery or necessitate more expensive diagnostic tests.

Today, nuclear medicine offers procedures that are helpful for a broad span of medical specialties, from pediatrics to cardiology and oncology. There are almost 100 different nuclear medicine imaging procedures available that include every major organ of the human body.

Advantages to earning your B.S. in Nuclear Medicine Technology at Saint Louis University include:

• Opportunities to participate in professional conferences with faculty and fellow students
• Medically relevant coursework ideal for pre-professional studies
• Pre-medicine and pre-physician assistant curriculum options
• Student-tailored educational curriculum and individual mentorship by faculty in the NMT profession
• Strong science curriculum which aids in preparation for immediate job placement as well as a future graduate-level education
• Exceptional clinical preceptors and training sites located conveniently within the St. Louis metropolitan area

1. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the Jesuit value of Cura Personalis as they perform diagnostic imaging procedures.
2. Graduates will be able to demonstrate effective communication when speaking with both patients and other healthcare professionals in the nuclear medicine department.
3. Graduates will be able to use knowledge, facts and data to assess problems and find solutions as they relate to nuclear medicine imaging procedures.
4. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the ability to translate didactic knowledge into clinical practice as a nuclear medicine technologist.
5. Graduates will be able to exhibit professional characteristics expected of nuclear medicine technologists.

Send transcripts of all secondary work.

Find out from your admission counselor what secondary credentials are required. We’ll evaluate how you’ve done in school up to this point, so please send all transcripts for secondary work, along with their English language translations.

Submit proof of your English language proficiency.

These are scores from any standardized test you may have taken to prepare for college — TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, SAT, ACT or Duolingo score. All of our international applicants are required to demonstrate their English proficiency, and these tests can help us make that determination.

If you do not meet SLU’s direct entry requirements, we encourage you to apply to the Pathway or English Language programs offered by INTO Saint Louis University.

Recommended items.

Though not required for admission, submission of a resume of activities and letters of recommendation is encouraged. All undergraduate applicants are also encouraged to complete an admission interview.

The benefits of SLU's nuclear medicine technology program also include several career opportunities. Graduates can work as technologists in hospitals and clinics. Students may seek positions in information technology, health care administration, sales and training, radiopharmacy labs, teaching and other related fields.

Nuclear medicine provides an excellent pre-med curriculum. About 20% of graduates proceed to graduate school, with about 50% of the remaining class enrolling in graduate school within five years of employment. Many students attend graduate school part-time, with assistance from their place of work.

Career advancement opportunities from the position of staff technologist may lead to areas of administration, education, sales or research.

A nuclear medicine technologist has many responsibilities that encompass a wide range of skills. Some responsibilities include:

• Preparing, calibrating and administering radioactive chemical compounds, known as radiopharmaceuticals.
• Performing diagnostic imaging procedures using radiation-detection technology.
• Administering radioactive tracers used to image the organs of the human body.
• Operating imaging technology, laboratory and computer instrumentation.
• Providing images, data analysis and patient information to the physician for diagnostic interpretation.
• Assisting the physician in theranostic procedures.

The median annual wage for nuclear medicine technologists was $82,080 in 2020 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.