Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences

Degree Offered M.S.
Program Director Amy Brady, M.A.Ed, CNMT
Phone (205) 934-3427
E-Mail amybrady@uab.edu
Website https://www.uab.edu/shp/cds/nmmis

Program Information

Program Mission

The mission of the Master of Science in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences (NMMIS) program in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is to provide comprehensive didactic and clinical educational experiences reflecting 21st century workforce demands that prepare graduates to be competent practitioners and innovative leaders within the nuclear medicine profession.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general Graduate School admission requirements, applicants to the M.S. program must:

  • Have any baccalaureate degree in biology, physics, chemistry, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, or a related degree from an accredited college or university, along with pre-requisite course requirements,
  • Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (A= 4.0), computed from all undergraduate credits or from the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course credit,
  • Apply for admission to the UAB NMMIS Program,
  • Complete a clinical observation and write a reflection on the observation,
  • International students from non-English speaking countries are required to submit English proficiency scores (TOEFL/IELTS/PTEA/Duolingo) that meet the Graduate School's minimum score requirements: TOEFL - 80; IELTS - 6.5; PTEA:- 53; IELA - 176 - Duolingo - 120.  See other international admission requirements at https://www.uab.edu/graduate/admissions/international-applicants.

The completed application and observation form must be on file with the program office by February 15th for a priority interview to be granted. All eligible applicants will be interviewed in March for admission decisions in early April. Eligible late applicants will be considered on a space-available basis up to August 1st.

If accepted, students must complete the UAB medical history questionnaire and physical, provide proof of required immunizations, and receive satisfactory screening by the UAB Medical Center Student Health Service before enrollment.  A background check and drug screen will be required at program admission and prior to clinical placement.  Persons with a baccalaureate degree may be eligible to register for courses as non-degree seeking graduate students before acceptance into the M.S. program. If a non-degree seeking graduate student meets the M.S. program admission requirements, up to 12 semester hours of approved non-degree graduate coursework may be accepted for the M.S. degree. Admission of a student to any course as a non-degree student does not constitute admission to the M.S. degree program.

Early Acceptance

Early Acceptance Programs are designed for academically superior high-school students. Early Acceptance Programs allow high achieving students to be admitted to the Master of Science in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences program at the same time they are admitted to an undergraduate program.

Eligible students are required to maintain a 3.5 undergraduate GPA and complete the following pre-requisite courses: MA 106, CH 105-CH 108 or CH 115-CH 118, BY 216 or NMT 320, BY 115, BY 116, MA 180, PH 201, PH 202, HCM 350, HCM 330, CDS 425

Essential Functions

Essential functions are physical abilities, mental abilities, skills, attitudes, and behaviors the students must show evidence of to be able perform at each stage of their didactic and clinical education. A list of essential functions is on file in the NMMIS Program Office and in the NMMIS Student Handbook.

If you have a disability, but have not contacted Disability Support Services (DSS), please call (205) 934-4205 (voice) or (205) 934-4248 (TDD), or visit the DSS offices at 1701 9th Avenue South. Additional information is available at http://www.uab.edu/students/disability/.

Accreditation and Certification

Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences academic programs are accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Nuclear Medicine Technology Programs (JRCNMT). Program graduates are eligible to apply for the certification examination offered by both the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiological Technologists (ARRT).

JRCNMT

2000 W. Danforth Road

Suite 130, #203

Edmond, OK 73003

Phone: 405.285.0546

Fax: 405.285.0579

jrcnmt@coxinet.net

http://www.jrcnmt.org/

NMTCB 3558 Habersham at Northlake Building I Tucker, GA 30084 Phone: 404.315.1739 Fax: 404.315.6502 board@nmtcb.org https://www.nmtcb.org/

ARRT 1255 Northland Drive St. Paul, MN 55120 Phone: 651.687.0048 Fax: 651.687.3299 https://www.arrt.org/

Additional Information

Entry Term Fall Semester
Deadline for All Application Materials to be in the Graduate School Office First Consideration: February 15th; Space available basis after first condideration, up to August 1st
Entrance Tests For international applicants from non-English speaking countries, minimum score requirements: TOEFL - 80; IELTS - 6.5; PTEA:- 53; IELA - 176 - Duolingo - 120.
Comments Scholarship money is available, but is very limited; transcript evaluation by WES is required for applicants with foreign university degrees

Contact Information

For detailed information, contact the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences Program, UAB School of Health Professions, SHPB 446, 1716 9th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1212.
Telephone 205-934-3209.
E-mail AskCDS@uab.edu

Master of Science in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences

The Master of Science in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences follows a Core/Track model which consists of a total of 64 semester hours.  39 semester hours are taken in the core Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences courses.  The remaining 25 semester hours are taken on one of three specialty tracks (Imagining Specialists, Radiation Safety, or Research).

RequirementsHours
CDS 505Professional Skills Development1
NMT 604Introduction to Nuclear Medicine, Management, Patient Care & Lab2
NMT 605Cross-Sectional Anatomy2
NMT 620Nuclear Medicine Physics, Instrumentation, and Lab4
NMT 625CT Physics and Instrumentation2
NMT 631Nuclear Medicine Anatomy & Physiology - Procedures I4
NMT 632Nuclear Medicine Anatomy & Physiology - Procedures II2
NMT 641Regulations, Radiation Protection/Biology and Lab4
NMT 653Research Methodology and Publication Analysis2
NMT 660Radiopharmacy, Pharmacology & Lab4
NMT 691NMT Clinical Practice5
NMT 692NMT and CT Clinical Practice7
NMT 696Seminar and Registry Review2
Total Hours41

Imaging Specialist Track

RequirementsHours
NMT 624Physics/Instrumentation of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance2
NMT 633Computed Tomography Procedures2
NMT 634MRI Scanning and Sequence2
NMT 692NMT and CT Clinical Practice7
NMT 694Computed Tomography Clinical Practice7
NMT 698Non-Thesis Research4
Total Hours24

Radiation Safety Track

RequirementsHours
MHP 651Advanced Radiation Biology3
MHP 691Supervised Practice8
MHP 611Physics of Diagnostic Imaging3
NMT 691NMT Clinical Practice6
NMT 698Non-Thesis Research4
Total Hours24

Research Track

RequirementsHours
NMT 697 Journal Club in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences will be taken two semesters 2
Journal Club in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences
MHP 651Advanced Radiation Biology3
NMT 698Non-Thesis Research6
NMT 699Thesis Research10
BST 603Introductory Biostatistics for Graduate Biomedical Sciences3
Total Hours24

Courses

NMT 525. First Aid and Healthcare Provider CPR and AED. 1 Hour.

Knowledge and skills needed to perform basic first aid and CPR procedures for adult, child and infant victims according to the American Heart Association (AHA) Standards.

NMT 540. Physics in Biomedical Sciences. 3 Hours.

Physical concepts used in biology, human anatomy, physiology, as well as in medical diagnosis and treatment. Topics include mechanics, fluids, waves, heat, sound, optics, electricity & magnetism. Advanced topics include radiation, X-rays, MRI, and nuclear medicine.

NMT 601. Introduction to MRI Clinic. 2 Hours.

Overview of patient management, MRI screening and safety procedures, quality assurance procedures and FDA guidelines.

NMT 602. Introduction to Nuclear Medicine, Patient Care & Communication Skills. 3 Hours.

Overview of professional organizations and nuclear medicine; hospital organization; medical terminology; medical records; communication skills, health law and medical ethics; basic patient care theory.

NMT 604. Introduction to Nuclear Medicine, Management, Patient Care & Lab. 2 Hours.

Overview of professional organizations and nuclear medicine; hospital organization; medical terminology; medical records; introduction to other aspects of nuclear medicine technology including management, communication skills, health law and medical ethics; basic patient care theory and techniques including standard precautions, infection control, vital signs, venipuncture, patient transfer techniques, immobilization techniques, aseptic and non-aseptic techniques, oxygen administration, and medical emergencies which are required for nuclear medicine students prior to entering clinical training.

NMT 605. Cross-Sectional Anatomy. 2 Hours.

Integration of the knowledge of gross anatomy with the identification and location of structures in cross-sectional images. Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR).

NMT 610. Medical Radiation Physics. 4 Hours.

Overview of basic medical radiation physics concepts and experiments.

NMT 620. Nuclear Medicine Physics, Instrumentation, and Lab. 4 Hours.

Principles and applications of nuclear medicine physics and instrumentation.
Prerequisites: MA 180 [Min Grade: C] and PH 201 [Min Grade: C] and PH 202 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 621. Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation I. 4 Hours.

Theory and experiments on radiation detection instrumentation; calibration; maintenance standards; practical uses of gaseous detectors, scintillation detectors, and multichannel analyzers; quality assurance testing for nuclear medicine instrumentation including GM detectors, ionization chambers and scintillation detectors.

NMT 623. CT Instrumentation. 3 Hours.

Theoretical principles of Computed Tomography (CT); CT instrumentation, data acquisition, data processing, and image quality.
Prerequisites: NMT 605 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 624. Physics/Instrumentation of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. 2 Hours.

Fundamental physical principles of nuclear magnetic resonance, including structure of atom, concept of resonance, Larmor frequency, gyromagnetic ratio, T1 and T2 and methods of generating magnetic fields.

NMT 625. CT Physics and Instrumentation. 2 Hours.

Provide theoretical principles of Computed Tomography (CT); CT instrumentation, physics, data, acquisition, data processing and image quality.

NMT 631. Nuclear Medicine Anatomy & Physiology - Procedures I. 4 Hours.

Study of the utilization of nuclear medicine procedures including skeletal, respiratory, endocrine, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems. Anatomy and relevant concepts in physiology are reviewed and applied to each procedure.
Prerequisites: NMT 601 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 632. Nuclear Medicine Anatomy & Physiology - Procedures II. 2 Hours.

Study of the utilization of nuclear medicine procedures including nuclear cardiology, oncology, central nervous and hematopoietic systems and applications of position emission tomography. Anatomy and relevant concepts in physiology are reviewed and applied to each procedure.
Prerequisites: NMT 631 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 633. Computed Tomography Procedures. 2 Hours.

Overview of CT positioning criteria, specific selections, and options in protocols. Understanding concepts in advanced CT including interventional imaging, positron emission tomography and special procedures.

NMT 634. MRI Scanning and Sequence. 2 Hours.

Overview of basic MRI theory; imaging sequences, parameter optimizations, and imaging procedures, flow imaging, and MR spectroscopy.
Prerequisites: NMT 624 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 641. Regulations, Radiation Protection/Biology and Lab. 4 Hours.

Overview of principles and methods of radiation protection, radiation biology and ionizing radiation regulations.

NMT 653. Research Methodology and Publication Analysis. 2 Hours.

Perform scientific research, critically evaluate scientific literature, and write an abstract and scientific poster on a topic relevant to nuclear medicine.
Prerequisites: CDS 610 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 660. Radiopharmacy, Pharmacology & Lab. 4 Hours.

Overview of fundamentals of radiopharmacy and experiments including radionuclide generator design, elution and operation, labeling and quality control of Tc-99m labeled compounds, unit dose preparation; radiopharmaceutical design, IND process, MIRD, contrast media and pharmacology.

NMT 675. Special Topics in Nuclear Medicine Technology. 1-4 Hour.

Faculty-led exploration of current topics and issues in nuclear medicine technology.

NMT 691. NMT Clinical Practice. 3-9 Hours.

Directed clinical practice: in vivo procedures; instrumentation quality control; radiopharmacy; applied radiation safety procedures.

NMT 692. NMT and CT Clinical Practice. 7 Hours.

Clinical experience providing the opportunity to observe, work, and train to become a Nuclear Medicine Technologist in a clinical setting.
Prerequisites: NMT 691 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 694. Computed Tomography Clinical Practice. 1-10 Hour.

Directed clinical practice: CT instrumentation quality control; applied application of CT procedures.
Prerequisites: NMT 605 [Min Grade: C] and NMT 623 [Min Grade: C] and NMT 633 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 695. MRI Clinical Practice. 10 Hours.

Directed clinical practice: MRI instrumentation quality control; applied application of MRI procedures.
Prerequisites: NMT 602 [Min Grade: C] and NMT 605 [Min Grade: C] and NMT 624 [Min Grade: C] and NMT 634 [Min Grade: C]

NMT 696. Seminar and Registry Review. 2 Hours.

Ethics, healthcare disparities and costs associated with selected disease conditions; board exam review.

NMT 697. Journal Club in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences. 1 Hour.

Analysis of primary scientific literature in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging sciences.

NMT 698. Non-Thesis Research. 1-10 Hour.

Directed research for a non-thesis master of science degree project.

NMT 699. Thesis Research. 1-10 Hour.

Original research in nuclear medicine technology and interpretation of results. Demonstrates student's acquaintance with literature of field and competency in proper selection and execution of research methodology.
Prerequisites: GAC M

Faculty

Bolus, Norman E., Assistant Professor, 1999, M.P.H. (UAB)
Brady, Amy, Assistant Professor and Program Director, 2021, (UAB)
Caffrey, Emily, Assistant Professor and Program Director, 2022, PhD (Oregon)
George, Remo, Assistant Professor, 2008, Ph.D. (UAB), Using Molecular Beacons for Detection and Attenuation of Mycobacteria
Glassgow, Krystle, Instructor and Clinical Coordinator, 2022, PhD (UAB)
Maqbool, Muhammad, Associate Professor, 2017, Ph.D. (Ohio University)
Navarrete, Liliana, Assistant Professor, 2008, MS (University of Alabama)
Wilson, Charles, Assistant Professor and Assistant Program Director, 2022, PhD (Louisiana State)