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Positron emission tomography technologist education at Mayo Clinic

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Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences offers a 20-week Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Program at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota.

This PET Program has been designed specifically for those who have completed the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program at Mayo Clinic or for those who are currently employed as nuclear medicine technologists at Mayo Clinic and have passed the Positron Emission Tomography Certification Exam Preparatory Course. View our application process for complete eligibility information.

Program highlights

PET is a specialty modality of nuclear medicine that is used for diagnosis, staging, restaging, and evaluation of treatment response in patients with malignant disease and metastasis. It is also used for cardiovascular and neurological evaluation.

The Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Positron Emission Tomography Program is a competency-based program that focuses on specialized training in PET. During the program, learners can expect to:

  • Complete and demonstrate clinical competence in all PET cardiology, neurology, and oncology procedures that are performed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
  • Demonstrate understanding of PET instrumentation through accurate completion, reconstruction, and evaluation of quality control and patient imaging procedures in the PET imaging area at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
  • Compare and contrast PET and CT instrumentation, identifying how their data corrections and reconstructions impact image quality
  • Discuss innovative theories and techniques within the PET field and observe innovative techniques and theories being explored at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
  • Collaborate with PET professionals to provide patient-centered care in the PET imaging area at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN in an ethical and professional manner

Graduation and certification

Upon successful completion of the Positron Emission Tomography Program, you will receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and be eligible to sit for the PET specialty certification examination from the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB). To review the requirements for the PET specialty exam, visit the NMTCB website.

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Explore what a positron emission tomography technologist does

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an imaging test that helps reveal how a patient’s tissues and organs are functioning. It can be used to detect or evaluate many conditions including cancers, tumors, heart disease, and brain disorders. PET technologists use radioactive drugs for diagnosis and medical research.

Accreditation information

See accreditation information for Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.