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Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Career Profile

ExploreHealthCareers.org/nuclearmedicinetechnologist

Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Overview Working Conditions Preparation Resources

Overview

In nuclear medicine, radionuclides—unstable atoms that emit radiation spontaneously—are used to diagnose and treat disease. Radionuclides are purified and compounded like other drugs to form radiopharmaceuticals. Nuclear medicine technologists administer these radiopharmaceuticals to patients, then monitor the characteristics and functions of tissues or organs in which they localize. Abnormal areas show higher or lower concentrations of radioactivity than normal.

For more information, see:

You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:

Nuclear Medicine Tech 16 May 2008 [pdf, 165 KB]

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