Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is launching a nuclear medicine technologist program across California in the Spring of 2022. Utilizing key partnerships with clinical sites, along with online capabilities, the new program “has received an abundance of support from the medical community,” says Farrah Johnson, founder and director of the premier modality. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) recently awarded it accreditation.
“With advancements in molecular imaging, there continues to be a need for highly skilled nuclear medicine and PET/CT technologists in California,” says Johnson. Nuclear medicine combines the principles of physics, chemistry, and math to administer small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals to examine the human body at the molecular level. “Most people can relate to the field of nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging if they have a family member or friend diagnosed with cancer,” says Johnson. “These patients typically get a PET scan for staging purposes and then additional scans for assessment of treatment plans.”
“This complements our portfolio of other allied health offerings, such as nursing, medical assisting, dental assisting, and physical therapy assisting,” says Burke Malin, Gurnick Academy COO. “In particular, we will continue our focus on becoming one of the preeminent medical imaging schools in the United States. We work closely with employer partners to develop high-quality and innovative allied health programs to support workforce demand in healthcare now and into the future.”
The program comes at a fortuitous time, with national job outlooks for the field only expected to grow. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, forecasts for nuclear medicine technologists are predicted to expand at a 5% faster rate than other national averages between 2019-2029, with the California job outlook expected to grow upward of 14.3%. Additionally, these technologists have a significantly greater ROI than other professionals of similarly situated programs. The vocation receives high rankings within multiple core employment areas. U.S. News ranked it #27 out of 100 Best Health Care Support Jobs for 2021 with an overall scorecard of 5.3 in job satisfaction.1
Many schools cannot teach the modality due to the challenges of the particular course load and the sophisticated equipment required for instruction, say school officials of the 24-month program* requiring no prerequisites. Upon completion, students can enroll in the B.S. in Diagnostic Medical Imaging program and sit for ARRT certification. The fully online cohort is currently enrolling, with the launch date of March 28, 2022.
*94 Weeks Approved Instruction
Gurnick Academy is a private, post-secondary academy offering allied health, imaging, and nursing programs operating six campuses across California, with distance education online extending across the U.S.
