Are you a certified nuclear medicine technologist (CNMT® )?

To renew your license with the Nuclear Medicine Technologist Certification Board® (NMTCB®), you must complete continuing education (CE) credits. CNMT®s in California have additional CE requirements to renew the state license.

What are these continuing education requirements for certified nuclear technologists? We’re guiding you through all the details next, so keep reading. 

NMTCB ® Continuing Education Requirements

All CCNMTs must complete 24 California radiology continuing education courses to renew their license. The NMTCB license expires every cycle, which extends two years. Here’s what you need to know about CE cycles. 

New Certificant NMTCB ®  CE Cycles

Did you earn your NMTCB® certificate this year (2021)? If so, you need to earn 24 CE credits before the end of your certification cycle. 

The certification cycle begins on the first day of the month you received your certificate. The cycle ends on the last day of the month before your birth month in the next odd-numbered year (e.g., 2023). 

If you earned your NMTCB ® certificate last year (2020) or expect to earn it next year (2022), the certification cycle ends on the last day of the month before your birth month in the next even-numbered year (e.g., 2022 or 2024).

Both of these cycles should equate to 24 months. That means CNMT® s could earn around one CE credit per month or complete a 24 hour continuing education (CE) course per two-year cycle.  

NMTCB CE Requirements for Subsequent Cycles 

After the first CE cycle, all subsequent cycles start on the first day of your birth month. Subsequent CE cycles end on the last day of the month before your birth month in the next even- or odd-numbered year. 

For example, if your first CE cycle ends in 2022, subsequent cycles would end on the last day of the month before your birth month in 2024, 2026, etc. If your first CE cycle ends in 2021, subsequent cycles would end on the last day of the month before your birth month in 2023, 2025, etc. 

All subsequent CE cycles should equal a 24 month period. 

California Continuing Education Requirements for Certified Nuclear Technologists

The state of California has additional CE requirements for CNMTs®  to remain licensed. California state nuclear medicine licenses expire every five years. The applicant’s education and training should include at least five (5) clock hours since the last certificate renewal or initial application in each of the scopes specified in 17 CCR 30533 for which the certificate was issued.

Nuclear medicine categories pursuant to 17 CCR 30533(a) states, “Certificates shall be issued for one or more of the following:

(1) Diagnostic in vivo and in vitro tests involving measurement of uptake, dilution, or excretion, including venipuncture, but not involving imaging.
(2) Diagnostic nuclear medicine technology procedures involving imaging, including venipuncture.
(3) Use of generators and reagent kits for preparation of radioactive material.
(4) Internal radioactive material therapy.

CE credits from the Radiopharmacy scope may be applied to either: Non-Imaging (in-vivo/in-vitro) or Generators and Kits, depending upon the topic.”

Where Can You Take CE Courses?

The NMTCB® publishes an annual list of approved professional organizations where you can take CNMT CE courses. Approved courses cover nuclear medicine-related subjects and offer 60 minutes of instruction per CE hour.

Which Courses Count Toward Your CE Requirements?

For a nuclear medicine CE course to qualify, it must be accepted by American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT® ) or Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board® (NMTCB® ). 

Submitting CE Course Requirements

You are responsible for keeping records of your CE hours. The NMTCB ® and the state of California require documentation for proof that you’ve met the requirements. 

If you can’t provide documentation of or can’t complete your CE credits, you’ll be placed on probation for six months. Or until you complete the required 24 credits per cycle. 

Scrubs Continuing Education for Nuclear Medicine Professionals

In this guide, we’ve gone over the continuing education requirements for certified nuclear technologists.

You need 24 CE hours every two years to renew your NMTCB® license. If you practice in California, Scrubs Continuing Education offers a list the scopes and the amount of credit hours awarded on the certificate of completion. 

Are you searching for ARRT ® – and/or NMTCB ® -accepted courses for your CE credits? You’ve come to the right place. Place your order for nuclear medicine CE courses to further your career today!