Home / CCSNMMI News / News from College of DuPage’s Nuclear Medicine Technology Program

 

submitted by Amy Yarshen, MBA, CNMT, Instructor and Program Coordinator, Nuclear Medicine Technology, College of DuPage

Dr. Ann Rondeau was appointed by the College of DuPage Board of Trustees to serve as the College’s sixth president starting July 1, 2016. She is a past president of the National Defense University, a consortium of five colleges and nine research centers in Washington, DC. Dr. Rondeau retired from the U.S. Navy as a three-star admiral in 2012. She is the second woman to have achieved this rank. She then served as a partner and later an independent consultant with the IBM Watson Group. Dr. Rondeau has extensive leadership experience in significant military and educational roles, including Deputy Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command in Illinois, Pentagon Director/Chief of Staff for the U.S. Navy Staff, Commander of the Navy Personnel Development Command in Virginia, Commander of the Naval Service Training Command at Great Lakes, Ill., Pacific Fleet Staff Chief of Staff in Hawaii, Commanding Officer of Naval Support Activity in Tennessee and other staff and commanding responsibilities with policy, support and student service. Dr. Rondeau holds a B.A. from Eisenhower College (NY), an M.A. from Georgetown University (DC) and an Ed.D. from the College of Education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Dr. Rondeau holds an honorary Doctorate in Public Service from Carthage College (Kenosha, WI).

The college, including the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program, is very excited about Dr. Rondeau’s leadership. Our Nuclear Medicine Technology Program students have been extremely successful in both the didactic and clinical portions of the program. The job market has been kind to the students as well. Many of the 2015 and 2016 program graduates secured nuclear medicine positions before completing the program. I have recently been contacted by employers looking to fill nuclear medicine technologist positions. When all of the recent graduates have already secured positions, I can offer no recommendations to help them fill their need. Looking for a solution to share job opportunities and professional information related to our field, COD’s Nuclear Medicine Technology Program will be creating a Facebook group. This private group is intended to aid in job acquisition and networking for students and alumni of College of DuPage’s Nuclear Medicine Technology Program. Please consider sending a request to join and share professional opportunities with other members.

Speaking of Alumni… The College of DuPage Foundation recently honored 10 alumni for their outstanding achievements during the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards Reception.  A 1991 Nuclear Medicine Technology Program Graduate, Dr. Roy Karl Werner was one of those honored on-campus during the November event. Dr. Roy Werner, MD is the Assistant Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Loyola Medicine – Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. Also a member of College of DuPage’s 1987 NJCAA National Championship Ice Hockey team, Werner is an active volunteer in the sports community as both a medical professional and a coach. Werner provides volunteer concussion care and education to youth athletes and their families. He is developing an elite community rehabilitation clinic for mild traumatic brain injury, concussion care and recovery. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from Benedictine University, his Master of Science degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry from Southern Illinois University and his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine. He helped to establish paramedical education in Saudi Arabia to improve pre-hospital care while he was at the University of Iowa. The nuclear medicine students really enjoyed meeting Dr. Werner and learning about his journey from a nuclear medicine technologist to a physician! If you were wondering, Roy did work as a nuclear medicine technologist in the suburbs of Chicago and rotated through the area hospitals while in COD’s program. COD program students were surprised to learn that Roy worked with some of the same clinical staff that they train under today. Some newer employment opportunities for nuclear medicine technologists include full-time positions in cardiac clinics, where part of the day is spent as a medical assistant and the other part as a nuclear medicine technologist. One of the 2016 program graduates was offered this type of position. Another newer trend in employment for nuclear medicine technologists is working for a health physics company to perform such tasks as annual calibrations and sealed source leak testing. In this position, the technologist works under the guidance of a Health Physicist. Multi-modality education also adds to job opportunities for nuclear medicine technologists. College of DuPage offers Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Programs. Computed Tomography is offered as an Advanced 2-semester Certificate Program. A 12-month Magnetic Resonance Imaging Program is also now available at College of DuPage. With PET/CT and PET/MRI becoming increasing popular, many technologists are choosing to continue their education and broaden their employment opportunities.