Skip to main content

Nuclear Medicine Technologist Program Policies

Financial Policies

Student Refund Policy

If a student withdraws from the program voluntarily within the first 2 weeks and has paid the tuition in full, they are entitled a refund.  The student will be refunded the amount of tuition paid for the months they did not attend less $200 fee for administrative fees. See Withdrawals policy below for hardship circumstances. A student who is dismissed for poor academic or clinical performance or disciplinary problems waives the right to a refund.

The following University of Utah policies apply to students taking credit and noncredit classes:

Nonrefundable fees include application fees for admission and readmission fees. Courses with irregular start/end dates, workshops and short term courses, which do not correspond with the first and last weeks or the regular term, may be dropped if no more than 15 percent of the coursework has been completed. Refunds will be based on the length of the class. Refer to Income Accounting and Student Loan Services for specific drop dates of each semester. http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/index.php/students/rp/.

Petition to Refund

A petition form to request an exception to the refund policy is available at the Income Accounting/Student Loan Services Office, 175 SSB, or through Tuition/Late Fee Petitioning Procedures link to http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/index.php/students/late/. Exceptions will be granted only for extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control.

Withdrawals

Requests for medical withdrawals are reviewed individually with NMT program personnel and follow the University of Utah withdrawal policy.

Student Transfers

The NMT program does not accept transfer students from other NMT programs. Contact the University of Utah for information regarding the transferability of courses related to the pre-requisites.

Student Benefits

Students enrolled in the NMT Program through the emphasis track will be awarded the same benefits as students attending the University of Utah. Students enrolled in the NMT Program through the certificate track will not have the same benefits as students attending the University of Utah. Students will be invited to employee functions of University Health Care.

Health Coverage and Transportation

Students are responsible for their own health care and transportation.

Academic Policies

Attendance

The program begins in summer semester and completes four semesters later. Full-time day attendance is required with the exception of hospital recognized holidays and scheduled NMT program breaks. Upon request, a detailed calendar of the previous academic year is available for review. Students are scheduled 28–36 contact hours a week between clinical and didactic courses.

Non-Routine Clinical Assignments

Students are never required to work evenings, night shifts, Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Missed clinical time can be made up during the week or on program breaks if arrangements are made prior.

Percentage Grade
92.5-100 A
89.5-92.4 A-
86.5-89.4 B+
82.5-86.4 B
79.5-82.4 B-
76.5-79.4 C+
72.5-76.4 C
69.5-72.4 C-
66.5-69.4 D+
62.5-66.4 D
59.5-62.4 D-
0-59.4 E

Academic and Clinical Performance

All major, prerequisite and NMT emphasis course must be completed with a C or higher. Students who do not complete all coursework with a C or better will not be eligible to sit for the national exam until coursework is completed. Students must complete the bachelor degree within one semester of finishing H EDU 4810. Grading and counseling sessions are conducted on an ongoing basis to include the following:

  • Clinical evaluations completed at the end of each rotation
  • Quarterly clinical evaluations completed four times throughout the NMT program
  • Testing and percentage grades are granted at the end of each course.
  • Updated transcripts with grades (always available through the U of U)

Failure to earn C grade and passing clinical scores of an overall 70% or better is terms for probation or dismissal depending on the number of courses involved and the severity of the failures. For example if the student missed a C by 1 percentage point as opposed to 15. The table shown constitutes the scale for percentage to grade conversions for academic units.

Graduation Requirements

In order to receive a Certificate of Completion and be eligible to sit for registry examinations conducted by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT-NM/CT), students must do the following:

  • Successfully pass each course with a C or higher
  • Complete the required nuclear medicine clinical competencies and clinical contact hours
  • Complete the required CT clinical experiences and clinical contact hours
  • Be in good standing as outlined by the Policy and Procedure Manual

Pregnancy Policy

Student Pregnancy Policy

The student has the right to not declare pregnancy and remain in the program with no modification option.

Pregnancy during the course of the program may present problems for program completion at the expected time. If the student continues to attend both class and clinic as scheduled during her pregnancy, minimal disruption will occur. If the student has difficulty maintaining the routine schedule of the program, advancement and completion will be jeopardized. It is the policy of the program to be supportive to pregnant students. The student must understand that all program requirements must be completed in order for her to graduate and receive a Certificate of Completion.

Due to the potential danger to an unborn fetus, especially during the first trimester, the student is encouraged to inform the technology administrator, program director or any other member of the nuclear medicine program if they expect a pregnancy. If the student declares a pregnancy, plans for program continuation and completion must be made. The student has the following options:

A. Remain in the program as scheduled. This option requires the following:

  • All courses must be completed with a C or better grade. Continued attendance and successful progress must be maintained. In the event that a student cannot complete a course, they will be required to retake the course the next time it is offered. It is possible for the student to continue and successfully complete the academic courses without disruption.
  • The student's clinical rotation will be monitored so that the student will NOT receive unnecessary radiation. The student will be expected to satisfactorily perform in the clinical setting and to make-up competencies and time missed at the completion of the pregnancy.
  • The student will be allowed a leave of absence in length as agreed upon by the student and the program and in accord with the policies of the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. The student is encouraged to return to the classroom at the earliest possible date.
  • If the student wishes to complete courses as scheduled, she must attend class on an ongoing basis during and after the pregnancy.

B. The student may choose to take a leave of absence until after the pregnancy.

The terms for this are as follows:

  • The student will be allowed to take a leave of absence for a period of one year. At the end of the year, she must reenter the program as a full-time student or relinquish her position in the program.
  • Once a student voluntarily withdraws from the program due to pregnancy, she must reapply to re-enter.
  • It is both policy and practice of the program and the clinical education setting to offer the utmost radiation protection to student technologists. The program will NOT assume liability in any case of pregnancy. Should a pregnant student choose to remain in the program, the program members will provide support to the student’s completion of the program. The student will be given an additional radiation monitoring badge for the fetus and will be monitored so that the dose limit in one month does not exceed .05 rem and the total dose limit does not exceed .5 rem.

Safety Policies

Radiation Monitoring/Protection

Working with ionizing radiation and radioactive materials requires the student to wear a personnel dosimeter that measures the amount of occupational exposure received. Dosimeter service is supplied by the facility and students are required to wear dosimeters during their clinical education experiences. A radiation safety officer will monitor the student’s exposure levels. Students will be counseled quarterly by the radiation safety officer regarding their radiation exposure and safety practices. Students are provided with the knowledge necessary to keep patient and occupational exposure at a minimum early in the program. Students are provided the use of syringe shields for protection from ionizing radiation during their training.

Dress Code

Students are always required to be neat and professional in appearance while in the nuclear medicine department. Upon acceptance, students will be granted a detailed document addressing the parameters of dress code to include the appearance of body piercing and tattoos.

Administrative Policies

Disciplinary and Due Process Procedures

Available in student handbook

Governing Body

The NMT Program is under the direction of the Technology Program Administrator, Otto Casal MPH, CNMT, R.T(CT), and Chairman, Department of Radiology Satoshi Minoshima, MD, Ph.D. An advisory board of radiologists, technologists, administrators, didactic program faculty and clinical instructors are responsible for the assessment and recommendations of this program with final decisions residing with the Chairman. The VA Medical Center is a program affiliate and joins the University in providing clinical experiences. The H EDU Department has representation on the advisory committee.

Non-Discrimination Policy

This excerpt is from University Policy 1-012: University Non-discrimination Policy. Revision 3:

The University of Utah does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran status (“protected class”), in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services. Additionally, the University provides reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to qualified persons with disabilities.

Retaliation against individuals for engaging in activities protected under this Policy is prohibited. No person may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege protected under this Policy or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation proceeding or hearing under this Policy or its associated Regulations.