License: Radiologic Technologist

MS State Dept. of Health Office of Licensure Professional Licensure Division external site

P.O. Box 1700

Jackson, MS 39215-1700

(601) 364-7360

General Information and definition of terms: 1. “Department” means the Mississippi Department of Health. 2. “Licensed practitioner” means a person licensed or otherwise authorized by law to practice medicine, dentistry, chiropractic, osteopathy or podiatry, or a licensed nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. 3. “Ionizing radiation” means x-rays and gamma rays, alpha and beta particles, high speed electrons, neutrons and other nuclear particles. 4. "X-radiation" means penetrating electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths short than ten (10) nanometers produced by bombarding a metallic target with fast electrons in a vacuum. 5. “Supervision” means responsibility for and control of, quality radiation safety and protection, and technical aspects of the application of ionizing radiation to human beings for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. 6. “Medical radiation technology” means the science and art of applying ionizing radiation to human beings for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. The Department issues three (3) types of registrations for certain specialized disciplines of medical radiation technology as further described in Rule 7.3.1. The Department does not issue registrations to limited x-ray machine operators. 7. “Radiologic technologist” means a person other than a licensed practitioner who has passed a national certification examination recognized by the Department such as the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist examination or its equivalent, who applies x-radiation or ionizing radiation to any part of the human body for diagnostic purposes and includes the administration of parenteral and enteral contrast media and administration of other medications or procedures incidental to radiologic examinations. 8. “Nuclear medicine technologist” means a person other than a licensed practitioner who has passed a national certification examination such as the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist examination or the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board examination or its equivalent, who performs in vivo imaging and measurement procedures and in vitro non-imaging laboratory studies, prepares radiopharmaceuticals, and administers diagnostic/therapeutic doses of radiopharmaceuticals and administers other medications or procedures incidental for nuclear medicine exams to human beings while under the supervision of a licensed practitioner who is licensed to possess and use radioactive material. A certified nuclear medicine technologist also may perform diagnostic CT exams on hybrid equipment for diagnostic purposes, including the administration of parenteral and enteral contrast media and administration of other medications or procedures incidental to CT exams. Certified nuclear medicine technologists who perform CT scans must be certified in CT by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board, or other CT certifying body. A certified nuclear medicine technologist may do on-the-job training on hybrid equipment provided that the certified nuclear medicine technologist is supervised by a certified technologist and obtains a CT certification within six (6) months of that training. 9. “Radiation therapist” means a person other than a licensed practitioner who has passed a national certification examination recognized by the Department such as the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist examination or its equivalent, who applies x-radiation and the ionizing radiation emitted from particle accelerators, cobalt sixty (60) units and sealed sources of radioactive material to human beings for therapeutic purposes while under the supervision of a licensed radiation oncologist or a board certified radiologist who is licensed to possess and use radioactive material. 10. “Council” means the Medical Radiation Advisory Council. 11. “Act” shall mean Section 41-58-1 et seq. of Mississippi Code of 1972, annotated. 12. “State” shall mean the State of Mississippi. “Nuclear medicine technologist registration” means the registration which permits a person to perform in vivo imaging and measurement procedures and in vitro non-imaging laboratory studies, to prepare radiopharmaceuticals, and to administer diagnostic and therapeutic doses of radiopharmaceuticals to human beings while under the supervision of a licensed practitioner who is identified as an authorized user on a Department license that authorizes the medical use of radioactive material. 13. Limited X-Ray machine operators are regulated by the State Board of Medical Licensure. Licensing Requirements: General Requirements: An applicant for registration shall submit to the Department, verified under oath, written evidence in form and content satisfactory to the Department that the applicant: 1. Is of good moral character, which is a continuing requirement for registration. 2. Is a United States citizen or has status as a legal resident alien, which is a continuing requirement for registration. 3. Has not been convicted of a crime relating to dishonest or unethical conduct, which is a continuing requirement for registration. 4. Has not been declared mentally incompetent by any court, and if any such decree has ever been rendered, that the decree has since been changed, which is a continuing requirement for registration. 5. Is free from dependency on alcohol or drugs, which is a continuing requirement for registration. 6. Has not had a license or registration in medical radiation technology suspended or revoked in any other state, jurisdiction, or country, which is a continuing requirement for registration. Specific Requirements: Radiologic technologist registration- An applicant for registration as a radiologic technologist shall submit to the Department written evidence in form and content satisfactory to the Department that the applicant is an American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT) Registered Medical Radiologic Technologist. Temporary Permit: the Department may, in its discretion, issue a temporary permit to practice a specialty of medical radiation technology for a period of six (6) months to an applicant for a registration, pending the completion of the requirements for registration, providing the applicant submits to the Department, verified by oath, in form and content satisfactory to the Department that: 1. the applicant has successfully completed an approved program accredited by the JRCERT or the JRCNMT, or their successor organizations, in the registration specialty; and 2. the applicant has qualified to sit for the appropriate ARRT or NMTCB specialty examination. 3. applications under this section must be submitted within 1 year from the date of graduation from an approved program.