Distance Learning

The goals of the distance-education offering are to increase the supply of nuclear medicine technologists in Central Washington and the South Sound (Tacoma) area as well as allowing individuals from those regions to participate in the Bellevue College (BC) program without having to relocate. We expect to place two students into each distant cohort, each year.

Clinical Training in Central Washington

Clinical training in Central Washington is provided by Kadlec Medical Center in Richland and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima. Students in the Central Washington cohort train at both locations over the course of the program. Two of the specialty rotations are also completed in the region, namely the nuclear cardiology office rotation (at Kadlec Cardiology in Richland) and the positron emission tomography rotation (at Kadlec’s outpatient imaging center). Three additional specialty rotations will require students in the Central Washington cohort to spend a total of three weeks in the Puget Sound region.

Clinical Training in Southern Puget Sound

NEW for 2017 is a Tacoma cohort. Clinical training will be provided by Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Tacoma General Hospital in Tacoma and St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. Two specialty rotations, nuclear cardiology office and positron emission tomography, are also offered in the Tacoma/Puyallup area. Three 1-week specialty rotations will require the students to travel to Seattle and/or Bellevue.

Classroom Participation

Classroom participation is accomplished via two-way videoconferencing technology. From a classroom in Columbia Basin College’s (CBC’s) Health Sciences building in Richland or the Health Sciences building at Tacoma Community College (TCC), students are connected to the classroom at BC. A monitor reproduces the computer screen in the classroom, including slide presentations, Internet pages, etc. A second monitor shows the BC classroom. A remote control allows the students to control the camera in the BC classroom, and a microphone allows them to ask questions. A camera in the CBC or TCC classroom allows the instructor to see the distance students.

Applying for Distance Learning

The Imaging Sciences application form includes checkboxes (next to the nuclear medicine program checkbox) labeled “Puget Sound,” “Tacoma,” and “Central Washington.” You may check one, two or three boxes, depending on your preferences. Checking multiple boxes means that you will receive consideration for those locations, and therefore for more positions than if only one box is checked. However, checking multiple box implies that you are willing to relocate to those areas.

Tip: Do not check multiple boxes on the form just to increase the likelihood of being accepted into the program. There will be little if any ability to change from one location to the other.

You should plan to do an observation in each location you have checked. For more information, see the Required Observations page.

Last Updated June 7, 2022