One-year certificate programs are for health professionals, especially radiologic technologists and ultrasound technologists wishing to specialize in nuclear medicine.

According to a Hay Group survey of acute care hospitals, the median annual base salary of full-time nuclear medicine technologists was $49,400 in 2001, with an average low of $41,000 and average high of $55,000.

Relatively few job opening will occur, because the occupation is small.

In nuclear medicine, radionuclides-unstable atoms that emit radiation spontaneously-are used to diagnose and treat disease. Radionuclides are purified and compounded like other drugs to form radiopharmaceuticals. Nuclear medicine technologists administer these radiopharmaceuticals to patients, then monitor the characteristics and functions of tissues or organs in which they localize.

Nuclear medicine technologists generally work a 40-hour week. This may include evening or weekend hours in departments which operate on an extended schedule. Technologists in hospitals may have on-call duty on a rotational basis.

Team player.