As the healthcare field continues to evolve, individuals who are interested in pursuing a medical degree may benefit from earning an education with technology skills integrated into the curriculum. By learning these skills, future degree holders will be better equipped with knowledge needed for success in this field.
For example, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Saint Louis University and the University of Missouri School of Health Professions have all announced the offering of the Nuclear Medicine Advanced Associate program. The schools have added this masters degree to their online education options to help current professionals learn about new technologies and procedures without disrupting their careers, according to Kansas City InfoZine.
This advanced program was launched to benefit students who have already earned a bachelors degree in nuclear science, and will better prepare them for credential testing as well as careers as nuclear medicine technologists, the news source reports.
Glen Heggie, chair of the Department of Cardiopulmonary and Diagnostic Sciences and director of the Nuclear Medicine program, stated that "recognizing that nuclear medicine has broadened, it follows that an advanced form of certification or degree should be available to recognize practitioners with additional and advanced abilities and skills." He added that the program "gives people a place to be recognized for what they are doing and lets the patients know that there are people in the field that have these additional skill sets."
By 2018, the employment of nuclear medicine technologists is expected to increase by 16 percent, which is higher than the 10 percent projected for all other occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
