Nuclear medicine technologists are able to look inside the human body in a non-invasive way using computers, detectors and radioactive substances.

In Western Australia, there are approximately 50 nuclear medicine technologists, all of whom are employed in the Perth metropolitan region.

Although 66% in this occupation are female, it is certainly an occupation suited to both genders.

Curtin University of Technology offers the only course of study available in Western Australia. Relevant studies are available interstate.

Radioactive Dyes

Imagine injecting radioactive substances into a person in order to see if they have a blood clot in their lungs or to see why an athlete is complaining of persistent leg pain. Nuclear medicine technologists use radioactive tracers to study normal and abnormal bodily functions and to treat certain diseases.

Radiopharmacy involves the preparation and dispensing of radioactive tracers. Depending on the area needing to be imaged and studied, the technologist will mix a gamma-emitter Technetium 99m with a pharmaceutical 'kit'. For example, if a doctor were interested in imaging the skeleton, a phosphate compound would be used to study the bones. If a patient is having trouble with their thyroid, then the radionuclide iodine might be used (iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland, enabling the organ to be scanned). Abnormal areas tend to show higher or lower concentrations of radioactivity than normal.

Some radio pharmaceuticals can also be used for treatment of tumours or overactive glands.


Not Just The Sick

Nuclear medicine technologists may also be asked to conduct tests on blood samples and also examine the function of the heart (cardiac stress test) or the kidneys. At SKG Nuclear Medicine, St John of God Hospital Murdoch, Diane Cheong, a nuclear medicine technologist, sees many sports injuries. ''Bone scans are performed more than any other scan. Often, these are for people with stress injuries from sport or just daily living.''


Smile You're On Gamma Camera

After administering the radiopharmaceuticals, and waiting for an appropriate time depending on the type of scan, the patient is ready to be scanned. Nuclear medicine technologists are trained to operate the special gamma cameras and process the images on a computer. To a lay person, the imaged area looks just like a series of incomprehensible dots! The nuclear medicine technologist, however, can 'read' and interpret the information.

Good interpersonal skills in this job are a must. The nuclear medicine technologist works closely with the patient for an extended time, positioning them for the imaging and ensuring they keep still. The patients may also want reassurance about the radioactive pharmaceuticals and may want to know their results immediately. It takes a certain level of tact and diplomacy to allay people's fears.


Warning: Radioactive Materials

A nuclear medicine technologist needs to be stringent in maintaining safety precautions. Radiation exposure is kept to a minimum by the use of lead glass shields in the laboratory during the preparation of pharmaceuticals, and lead shield syringes when injecting the patient. They also have to wear a radiation monitoring badge, which records the amount of radiation received.

Proper handling keeps radiation exposure to a minimum, and even someone like Diane Cheong has worked during both her pregnancies without any ill effects.

Diane says, ''We have a principle called ALARA which stands for 'as low as reasonably achievable'. That's what we strive for in all our radiation doses, not only for ourselves but for the patient as well.''

Work Opportunities

This is a great career for people who are interested in the biological and physical sciences and wish to work in the medical profession, but not necessarily as a doctor or a nurse. Job prospects are above average, with growth predicted to be strong due to the growing emphasis on preventative medicine.

Nuclear medicine technologists are employed in both private and public hospitals in the Perth metropolitan area and in private clinics. Career progressions are to senior technologist and chief technologist. There are also opportunities to work in research and tertiary education, and overseas.

Hospital based staff work a 37.5 hour week, and can be on-call to deal with emergency lung scans for pulmonary embolism.

Salaries are dependent on experience and the career grade. A level 4/6 (levels refer to experience) can expect the range to be from $45,400 to $63,800 per year and a chief technologist may earn $80,000 per annum.

If you want to become a nuclear medicine technologist you will need to complete a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Medical Imaging Science with Honours in Nuclear Medicine Technology.

Curtin University of Technology (Bentley Campus) offers a four-year undergraduate degree with Honours, as well as a two-year postgraduate Master of Medical Imaging Technology degree. For more information, please contact the university.

Scholarships are offered by the WA Health Department in conjunction with the University of South Australia to study a Bachelor of Medical Radiation (Nuclear Medicine). Graduate Renee Eustice enjoyed the course but found the first year difficult.

''You find yourself straight from school where you're spoon fed all the information to suddenly having to find out stuff yourself. But it gets easier in second and third year.''

There are no subject pre-requisites for entry into the South Australian course. For further details, please contact Sheila Scutter on (08) 8302 2082, or e-mail: healthstudy@unisa.edu.au.

Graduates can apply for accreditation from the Australian Institute of Radiography and the Radiographers Registration Board. Nuclear medicine technologists must complete a professional development year in an approved department before receiving full accreditation.

	Department of Health
	189 Royal Street East Perth WA 6004 Phone: (08) 9222 4222 Fax: (08) 9222 4046
	Medical Imaging Curtin University of Technology
	PO Box U 1987 Perth WA Australia 6845 Phone: (08) 9266 7509
	University of South Australia
	GPO Box 2471 Adelaide South Australia 5001 Phone: (08) 8302 6611

Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine
PO Box 7108 Upper Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 Ph: (03) 9756 0128 Fax: (03) 9753 6372 Email: secretariat@anzsnm.org.au URL: http://www.anzsnm.org.au

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Fate has played an important part in Julie Crouch's career as a nuclear technologist, a job she is still passionate about after 23 years working in both the United Kingdom and Western Australia.

Wanting to get into the science and health field, she happened to see an advertisement in an English newspaper for a technologist training program. Julie was accepted as a cadet, and as part of the program she worked in different medical areas, but it was the nuclear medicine side that interested her the most.

''I like the diversity of the job. There are three distinct areas: radiopharmacy, scanning and the treatment side. An important aspect of the job is that you get to see the start of a procedure, diagnosis and, in some cases, get to follow it through with treatment.''

It is a job that requires the multi-skills of computing, chemistry and physics, and a high degree of interpersonal relations. Julie believes that more women than men are probably attracted to this job rather than other medical imaging jobs because it is so patient oriented.

''At the end of the day our tests take longer. You have to stay in the room with the patient for an hour sometimes, reassuring them and encouraging them to keep still.''

The downside to the job is that she can't personally tell them the results of the scan. This is the role of the nuclear physician who obtains the scans from the nuclear medicine technologist.

''It's really difficult when the patient wants to know the result immediately and you can't tell them. They say 'Tell me, tell me. You know what's wrong with me', but of course I can't say anything.''

Julie formerly worked with children in the UK and sometimes it was traumatic when a child was brought in for scanning and had a poor prognosis. She maintains a pragmatic outlook though.

''When you are dealing with children especially, you can't get emotionally involved because if you did you could not survive.''

Her first job in Perth at Royal Perth Hospital as a senior nuclear medicine technologist seemed to be fated, too. Holidaying in Perth via Hong Kong, she decided to visit the hospital to check out what was happening in the field in Australia and was immediately asked to apply for the job.

''The job description could have been written for me. So I applied and got the job!''