NMTCB Report

The strength of an organization comes from the individual members, but the success of an organization lies in the combined efforts of those members. One year ago, at the 2000 fall Board meeting, the directors of the NMTCB voted to create a specialty exam in nuclear cardiology technology. A very ambitious plan for development and implementation of the exam was created with the goal of offering it at the SNM Annual Meeting in Toronto. This goal was met through the diligence and determination of the members of the ad hoc committee, chaired by Kathleen Murphy, as well as the volunteer advisors who provided valuable input concerning the exam content. The Board thanks those volunteers from throughout the country for their time and effort in helping to make the Nuclear Cardiology Specialty Exam a reality. The exam is truly a product of the combined efforts of many individuals with a common goal.

The results of the first administration of the Nuclear Cardiology Specialty Exam are in. Of the 58 examinees who sat for the exam, 44 passed and have earned the right to use the initials NCT (nuclear cardiology technologist). We extend our congratulations to those individuals. Bearing in mind that a specialty exam is designed to measure expertise in a field, the Nuclear Cardiology Specialty Exam is not an easy exam, and the individuals who passed should be very proud of their accomplishment. The Board is very proud of our new product and pleased with the performance of the exam. The goal was to create an exam that would test the knowledge of an experienced technologist in the field of nuclear cardiology, and the exam analysis indicates that we achieved that goal and that the exam’s difficulty is within the desired range. We anticipate administering the exam at least twice next year. Those who plan to take the exam would be well advised to follow the detailed exam content specifications, which can be found on the NMTCB website.

The Board has received several inquiries regarding continuing education (CE) credits for successfully passing the Nuclear Cardiology Specialty Exam. Dr. Bhaskar Dawadi, Executive Director of the NMTCB, is working with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) to gain recognition of the specialty exam as a mechanism to fulfill CE requirements, just as the ARRT awards CE credits for passing one of their specialty exams.

Another project undertaken by the Board this year was that of a comprehensive salary survey. Over 13,000 surveys were sent out and over 5,000 completed surveys were returned. Although a comprehensive analysis of the data has not been completed at the time of writing, some preliminary results are available on our website at www.nmtcb.org. The complete analysis will provide much more detailed information concerning salaries based on specific job descriptions and years of experience, as well as compensation for being on call or instructing students. Until the final results are published, please visit the website for periodic updates as they become available. We hope that you will find the data useful in determining how your position and salary compare to the survey results.

At the Fall Board meeting we bid farewell to three members who made great contributions to the NMTCB as directors: Jeanine Burkett, who served one term as a director; Dan Leahey, who served as Chairman of the Board twice during his two terms on the Board of Directors; and Pat Wells, who chaired numerous committees during her two terms. We wish them well in their personal and professional endeavors.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve as Chairman of the Board for the NMTCB this year. Much has been accomplished because of the collective efforts of the NMTCB staff and the directors. In January 2002, Tony Knight will take over as Chairman of the Board. Tony, who has chaired the Exam Committee for a number of years, has extensive experience in exam development and data analysis. He was a key player in the effort to develop and implement the new cardiac specialty exam and in the development and analysis of the recent salary survey. He is the program director for the nuclear medicine technology program at University of Iowa.

Last, the NMTCB staff and Board of Directors extend our deepest sympathy to those who suffered losses as a result of the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001.