Continuing Education Policy
Mandatory reporting of credits began on January 1, 2006. CE hours obtained must be through the NMTCB approved METHODS and MECHANISMS.

The NMTCB recognizes certain Post-Primary or Specialty Examinations as being the equivalent to 24 hours of continuing education (CE).
Note: The entry level examinations for the NMTCB and the ARRT (Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiation Therapy, Sonography or Primary Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
are not considered the equivalent to CE hours.

The CE cycle for newly certified technologists begins the month that certification is granted.  The CE requirement for the first cycle is pro rated based on certification date and birth month (See our Pro-Rate Chart for details).

Frequently Asked Questions regarding NMTCB's Continuing Education Policy

NMTCB CE Hours Attestation Form

NMTCB CE Cycle Change Request Form

The NMTCB will waive the requirement for active duty military service personnel to obtain continuing education hours while deployed overseas.  To apply for this waiver, download the waiver form, complete it, and send it along with a copy of the deployment orders to the NMTCB office.

NMTCB Military Deployment Waiver Application

Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board
POLICY ON CONTINUING EDUCATION

Rationale: The NMTCB entry-level examination is a test of knowledge. The knowledge base for nuclear medicine technology continues to change. Therefore, persons certified by the NMTCB must demonstrate a continued accumulation of knowledge about the field.

Definition of terms:

NMTCB Certificate: A certificate granted by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) signifying recognition that an individual has met certification qualifications set from time to time by the NMTCB, including, but not limited to education, experience, examination, and good moral character.

Certificant: An individual who holds any NMTCB certificate.

Types of NMTCB Certificates:

Active: A duly issued NMTCB certificate currently in good standing.

Inactive: A duly issued NMTCB certificate which is no longer active and is not in good standing due to non-payment of renewal fees.

Emeritus: An inactive certificate of a certificant with either 15 years active certification, or 10 years active certification and over the age of 62.
Probation: The certificant maintains certification, but specific requirements must be met within a given time frame in order to return to Active status. If the probation requirements are not met, the certificant may be subject to further administrative discipline.

Suspension: The certificant has his/her certification removed. There is a possibility of the certification being reinstated after specific requirements have been met.

Revoked: The certificant has had his/her certification removed with no possibility of reinstatement.


Methods: NMTCB certificants will be required to demonstrate involvement in educational activities in one of the following ways:

A. Continuing education (CE) credits: a minimum of 24 hours of CE credit must be obtained over a period of two years.

B. Specialty examination: successful completion of a specialty examination offered by the NMTCB, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), or American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA). Acceptable specialty exams offered by the NMTCB include Nuclear Cardiology and Positron Emission Tomography. Acceptable specialty exams offered by the ARRT include Magnetic Resonance (MR), Computed Tomography (CT), and Quality Management (QM). The acceptable specialty exam offered by the AHRA is the Management exam. Successful completion of a specialty exam will be worth 24 hours of CE.

Mechanisms: Certificants are responsible for keeping records of CE hours obtained. The NMTCB shall use calendar years as the basis for counting CE hours, and shall use an odd-even system based on initial certification year for tracking certificants. The NMTCB shall require certificants to record the hours of CE obtained in the last two years; the renewal statement shall include a space to record CE credits. Excess CE credits (more than 24 hours acquired in the 2-year cycle) may not be carried over into the next 2-year cycle.

Certificants will be randomly chosen for an audit of their CE records. These individuals will be required to provide documentation of the CE activities for the previous 2 years within 30 days of the postmark on the letter from the NMTCB. A certificant who checks that he/she will not meet the CE requirements by the date specified will be automatically audited and will not receive a card. If a certificant is audited and fails to provide documentation and/or does not meet the CE requirements, he/she will be placed on 6 months probation, and will be required to complete the deficient CE hours for the audited cycle by the end of the probation period. If the certificant fails to meet all the CE requirements by the end of the probationary period, his/her certification will be suspended. If acceptable documentation of required CE hours is not received by the office within six months of being placed on suspension, certification will be revoked and the certificant will need to take the Entry Level Exam under current eligibility requirements in order to be reinstated. The CE credits obtained during the probation period will not be counted towards the 24 CE hours that are required for the subsequent 2-year cycle.

Falsification of CE documentation may result in the revocation of certification(s), monetary fines to cover costs of investigation, and/or permanent disbarment from any and all NMTCB examinations.

The following organizations meet the NMTCB's criteria for awarding continuing education credits, therefore educational units from these groups will be accepted by the NMTCB. Click on each organizational name to visit their website (this list will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis, check the NMTCB web site for the most recent list of approved organizations):

  1. American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
  2. American College of Radiology (ACR)
  3. American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA)
  4. American Medical Association (AMA)
  5. American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC)
  6. American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO)
  7. American Society of Radiological Technologists (ASRT)
  8. Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT)
  9. Charlotte Area Health Education Center (Charlotte AHEC)
  10. Consultants in Nuclear Medicine
  11. Echelon-a division of Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
  12. NorthEast Medical Center
  13. Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
  14. NorthEast Medical Center
  15. Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
  16. Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (SDMS)
  17. Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM)
  18. Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologist Section (SNMTS)
  19. Society for Vascular Ultrasound
  20. Continuing education activities approved by the following state licensing agencies will be accepted:
    1. California
    2. Florida
    3. Illinois
    4. Iowa
    5. Kentucky
    6. Massachusetts
    7. New Mexico
    8. Oregon
    9. Puerto Rico
    10. Texas

  21. The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)
  22. The Institute for Nuclear Medical Education (INME)
  23. The Section for Magnetic Resonance Technologists (SMRT)

NOTE: Technologists should contact organizations directly from which they are acquiring CEHs to submit a request for addition to the NMTCB approved list if the organization is not currently listed. NMTCB will not contact individual organizations. Click here for more information

Official grade transcripts from an accredited post-secondary school must be submitted as proof of successful completion (grade of C or better) of college courses related to the Radiological Health Sciences, Patient Care, Business/Management, Technology and/or Education. Sixteen CE hours will be awarded for successful completion of one semester college credit or 12 CE hours per quarter college credit.

Successful completion of ACLS will be awarded 6 CE hours per 2-year cycle. A signed and dated copy of the ACLS certification card must be submitted for the credits to be awarded.

A certificant who has been inactive for less than 5 years may reactivate by completing both of the following requirements:

  • Paying back dues up to a total of no more than the current examination fee, plus a $15 reactivation fee, AND
  • Documentation of completion of 12 continuing education credits for each year he/she was inactive

A certificant who has been inactive for 5 years or more must pass the entry-level examination in order to reactivate. To reactivate, an Inactive person must submit a new application to the NMTCB under current eligibility requirements - either as a program graduate or an Alternate Eligibility applicant.



Updated: November 2006


© 2002-2007 Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board
3558 Habersham at Northlake, Bldg I | Tucker, GA 30084
ph (404)315-1739 | fx (404)315-6502 | board@nmtcb.org


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