NMTCB PET study plan

Map the full PET detection chain from annihilation photon to list-mode event, labeling each conversion step and where energy, timing, and position information are extracted

Compare scintillator properties (light yield, decay time, stopping power, energy resolution) across LSO, LYSO, BGO, and GSO and state which property drives each performance trade-off

Derive why 511 keV annihilation produces two colinear photons and explain how non-colinearity and positron range degrade spatial resolution independently of detector size

Describe block detector and Anger-logic positioning, including how crystal-of-interaction and depth-of-interaction encoding reduce parallax error at the edge of the field of view

Explain true, scattered, and random coincidence events and compute NECR-style trade-offs when changing energy window, timing window, and activity

Distinguish 2D septa-extended versus 3D acquisition in terms of sensitivity, scatter fraction, and count-rate behavior

Walk through sinogram and list-mode data organization, including how line-of-response data are binned, normalized, and corrected for attenuation and dead time

Compare iterative reconstruction (OSEM and its time-of-flight variant) with filtered back projection in terms of noise, convergence, and lesion detectability

Identify the physical cause and correction strategy for each major artifact: attenuation, scatter, randoms, dead time, and motion

Diagram the cyclotron production route for F-18 and the synthesis sequence that yields FDG, naming the precursor, the labeling step, and the purification step

List the quality-control release tests for FDG (radiochemical purity, radionuclidic purity, pH, residual solvent, sterility, endotoxin, half-life verification) and state the acceptance criterion for each

Calculate decay-corrected activity at injection time from calibration activity and elapsed time, and calculate the volume to draw for a prescribed dose

Explain how radiopharmaceutical biodistribution determines normal physiologic uptake patterns in brain, myocardium, liver, spleen, bowel, and urinary tract

Compare FDG with non-FDG PET agents (for example Ga-68 DOTATATE, F-18 NaF, and amyloid agents) by mechanism, indication, and normal distribution

Apply radiopharmaceutical handling rules: shielded syringe handling, patient identification against the dose label, and independent verification before administration

Sequence the patient preparation steps for FDG PET (fasting, glucose check, resting uptake period, activity avoidance, hydration) and justify each step physiologically

Explain how brown fat, muscle uptake, and recent chemotherapy or radiation alter FDG distribution and what the technologist can do to reduce confounding

Describe the receiving, storage, and spill-response procedures for an incoming radiopharmaceutical shipment, including survey and wipe-test steps

Build a protocol comparison of whole-body, brain, and cardiac FDG PET covering uptake time, patient positioning, field of view, and reconstruction parameters

Specify the acquisition and processing parameters that affect image quality (bed overlap, scan duration per bed, matrix size, and reconstruction iterations) and predict the effect of changing each

Identify the CT parameters used for attenuation correction versus diagnostic CT and explain why oral or IV contrast requires attention in the AC workflow

Recognize common artifacts on PET/CT images and trace each to its cause in acquisition, patient motion, or reconstruction

Interpret SUV: compute it from activity concentration, injected dose, and body weight, and state the factors that make SUV non-comparable across scans

Describe how to evaluate image quality objectively using phantom or uniform-region metrics and how to document an unacceptable scan

Outline the daily, weekly, and periodic QC schedule for a PET/CT system, naming the test, the tool used, and the pass criterion for each

Explain the radiation safety program elements that apply to PET staff and patients: dosimetry, time-distance-shielding, ALARA practices, and release criteria

Summarize the regulatory framework governing PET radiopharmaceuticals and imaging facilities, including the roles of NRC agreement states, FDA, and institutional radiation safety committees

State the recordkeeping, survey, and package-monitoring requirements that a PET technologist must document and how long records are retained

Apply patient release criteria and explain how administered activity, dose rate, and instructions to the patient interact

Describe the corrective action path for a failed QC test, a misadministered dose, or an equipment malfunction, naming who is notified and what is documented

Consolidate all four domains into a weighted review that spends the most time on any domain scoring below 75 percent on prior practice sets

Rehearse missed-item analysis: classify each error as knowledge gap, misread question, or calculation slip, and log the corrective action

Recompute the highest-yield formulas (decay, SUV, NECR, dose volume) from memory under time pressure

Simulate a timed mixed-domain test and review every item before the exam date