Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I consider becoming certified?
Certification demonstrates mastery of a body of knowledge. That body of
knowledge includes the concepts that allow technologist to evaluate,
adapt and identify problems, and solve them. Many states already
require
certification and/or licensure for nuclear medicine technologists. In
many other states certification is optional. It is likely that
certification will eventually become mandatory. There are two forces
driving this change. The first is the C.A.R.E. Act that is being
considered by the House and Senate. The Act, if passed, would require
state licensure for all technologists who administer radiation,
including radiographers, radiation therapists, and nuclear medicine
technologists. The second force is reimbursement. State legislatures
can pass requirements, as Minnesota has, that reimbursement for
Medicare and Medicaid patients will only be made to facilities that
employ certified technologists. A third force that is also affecting
the need for technologists to become certified is the movement toward
accreditation of nuclear medicine labs by agencies such as ICANL and
the ACR. Although accreditation is currently voluntary, labs are
required to
employ certified technologists if they wish to earn accreditation.
How can I become certified if I graduated from
school a long time ago?
You have five years from the date of your graduation from an accredited
nuclear medicine program to take the entry-level exam. If you graduated
more than 5 years ago, you have the option to apply under the Alternate
Eligibility route. Please
note that the Alternate Eligibility route
will expire in 2015.
This is an entry-level exam. If you’re a good technologist, you shouldn’t have any difficulty passing it. If you need a review, or a confidence boost, there are some good review books available from the Society of Nuclear Medicine.
I never went to a program, but I’ve
worked as a tech for years. Can I get certified?
Graduation from an accredited program is the preferred method
because it provides the greatest knowledge base. However, the NMTCB
currently has an alternate eligibility route for people who
trained on-the-job or in another country. You must meet certain
criteria, which are spelled out in the section of "Alternate Eligibility and Non-USA
trained candidates". Please
note that the Alternate
Eligibility route will expire in 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding NMTCB's CE Policy
Q: When do I start
collecting credits?
A: The mandatory Continuing Education Policy Began on January 1, 2006
and mandates that the certificant's first CE cycle begins the month
that the certificant first passes the entry-level examination.
Q: How many
credits do I need to obtain?
A: The odd or even-year is based on the year that a Certificant passed
his/her first NMTCB exam. Your NMTCB certification card will have your
original certification date on it to remind you of your certification
year.
The typical CE requirement is one hour of continuing education for each month of the CE cycle. Normally, the CE cycle is 24 months, requiring a total of 24 hours of continuing education. There are two exceptions, however. New certificants may become certified part way through a CE cycle and will only be required to obtain continuing education based on the actual number of months in their first cycle. A chart has been prepared to describe the requirement for the first cycle.
The second exception is that during the 2009-2010 calendar years, the NMTCB is transitioning from a CE cycle that runs from January through December to one that is based on each certificant's birth month. The current CE cycle for established certificants has been extended during the transition period. A chart has been prepared to help explain how this transition affects you.
Q: Can I change my
NMTCB CE reporting cycle to match my continuing education cycle with another organization?
A: Yes, each Certificant will be given a "ONE-TIME"
option to change his or her CE cycle. All certificants for whom the NMTCB has a birth date on file
have a CE Cycle that ends on the last day of the month immediately prior to the certificant's
birth month. If the NMTCB does not have a certificant's birth month on record (generally this includes
certificants who have held certification for 15 years or more), the certificant was assigned a December
birth month. Please make sure the NMTCB has your correct birthdate.
Click on NMTCB CE Cycle Change Request Form to change your CE cycle.
Q: Once I change my reporting cycle, do I have
the option at a later date to change again?
A: When a Certificant selects the option to change his/her CE reporting
cycle, the change will be noted in the Certificant's file. After
changing his/her reporting cycle, if the Certificant wants to make
another change, the request will be denied.
Q: Do I report my CE hours on a form or do I
only report my CE hours if I am audited?
A: Everyone will answer a question and sign his/her name
regarding their compliance with the CE policy on the yearly
certification renewals. 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. Certificants will also be randomly
chosen for an audit of their CE records. Only audited individuals will
be required to provide documentation of the CE activities for the
previous two years within 60 days of the postmark on the letter from
the NMTCB.
Q: Will the NMTCB accept a copy of my VOICE
transcript from the SNM or my ECE report from the ASRT?
A: Yes, if you are audited, NMTCB will accept a copy of
your VOICE transcript from the Society of Nuclear Medicine, and/or a
copy of your ECE report from the ASRT. You may also submit CE
transcripts from the states that are included on the list of
organizations that meet the NMTCB's criteria for awarding continuing
education credits.
The NMTCB and the SNMTS have jointly developed a VOICE credit sharing program. Members of the SNMTS may sign up for this on the SNM website at www.snm.org. If you sign up for this program and are selected for a CE audit, the NMTCB will first check your VOICE credit history with the SNM. If, according to their records, you have met the CE requirement, you will not be required to respond to the audit. If we are unable to verify that you have fully met the CE requirement through the VOICE program, you will only be asked to document the CE hours you obtained outside of the VOICE program.
Q: What is the procedure if I am audited and do
not have the required amount of CEHs?
A: If a certificant is audited and fails to provide
documentation and/or does not meet the CE requirements, he/she will be
placed on six 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 CE requirements by the end
of the six-month probationary period, his/her certification will be
suspended. If, after six months of suspension, the certificant
fails to meet all CE requirements, he/she will have certification
revoked. The CE credits obtained during the probation/suspension period
will not
be counted towards the 24 CE hours that are required for the subsequent
two-year cycle. Please see the full CE Policy
for the definition of revoked.
Q: If I have let my certification lapse, what is
the process I must follow to reinstate my certification?
A: A certificant who has not been active for less than
five 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 $65 reactivation fee, AND
- Documentation of completion of 12 continuing education credits for each year he/she was not active/
A certificant who has not been active for five years or more must meet the current eligibility requirements and must pass the entry-level examination in order to reactivate. This shall be considered the equivalent of two years of continuing education, after which the certificant shall re-enter the two-year continuing education cycle.
Q: Will the NMTCB accept the same credits as
other credentialing agencies within the field of allied health?
A: Please refer to the official NMTCB Continuing
Education Policy to see what will be accepted for your CE requirement.
The NMTCB will only accept continuing education credits from the list
of approved organizations listed in the Continuing Education Policy.
Q: What do I do if a credentialing organization
that I receive continuing education credits from is not on the approved
list?
A: Contact the organization and ask them to send a
letter to NMTCB with the following information:
- Stating the organization's interest in becoming an approved CE granting organization for the NMTCB,
- A description of how they award CEUs (what method is used as far as monitoring sessions),
- What is the mission of the professional group,
- What medical education group accredits this professional group (i.e., ACCME)
Q: I am
a new graduate, when will I begin
acquiring my CEHs?
A: New graduates will start acquiring CEHs immediately
after passing the NMTCB exam. For example:
In 2006, new even-year certificants needed to start collecting (12 + X) CEH to report on their 2008 certification renewal (see table below for the value of X based on the month that the exam was successfully completed).
This table has been established to pro-rate the number of CEHs new graduates will be required to obtain.
|
NMTCB
Exam Month |
CEH
required in Exam year |
Plus 12
CEHs for first full calendar year after exam year Plus… |
Birth
Month |
CEH
required before 1st day of birth month |
|
January |
12 |
January |
0 |
|
|
February |
11 |
February |
1 |
|
|
March |
10 |
March |
2 |
|
|
April |
9 |
April |
3 |
|
|
May |
8 |
May |
4 |
|
|
June |
7 |
June |
5 |
|
|
July |
6 |
July |
6 |
|
|
August |
5 |
August |
7 |
|
|
September |
4 |
September |
8 |
|
|
October |
3 |
October |
9 |
|
|
November |
2 |
November |
10 |
|
|
December |
1 |
December |
11 |
For example, if you passed the exam in August, 2006, according to the
table you will be required to obtain five CEHs for 2006 and 12 CEHs in
2007, totaling 17 credits to be reported on the 2008 renewal form.
After the first prorated CE cycle, the new certificant will be required to obtain the full 24 CEH in future two-year CE cycles.
Q: Will NMTCB accept "Category B" credits?
A: No, NMTCB will only accept credits from the
organizations listed in the policy.