Four students from BCC’s Nuclear Medicine Technology program earned regional recognition at the annual Greater New York Chapter Society of Nuclear Medicine Conference for presenting original research in a highly competitive student competition among five colleges and eight presentations. 

Competing in two teams, the students tackled topics at the forefront of their field. One team made up of Kouakou Koffi and Ye Jin Kim earned third place for research on Terbium-161, an emerging radiopharmaceutical being studied for ovarian cancer treatment, presenting a compelling case for why it may offer advantages over current therapies. The second team consisting of Kimberly Lopez and Bushra Wahid traced the dramatic resurgence of nuclear medicine over the past few decades – from a field once struggling to find its footing to one now facing a shortage of professionals keeping up with surging demand. Their presentation moved a world-renowned physician in the field, Dr. Munir Ghesani, to seek them out afterward and personally congratulate them. 

“I’m so proud of all of them,” Program Director Grace Tursi-Wenzler said. “It takes tremendous confidence and dedication to present at a conference like this while balancing clinical rotations, board exam preparation and coursework. The students represented BCC beautifully.” 

The conference experience also helped strengthen mentorship and camaraderie within the program, bringing first and second-year students together in a professional setting. Tursi-Wenzler noted that the students arrived prepared, engaged fully in conference activities and demonstrated the professionalism that has become a hallmark of the program. 

BCC’s Nuclear Medicine Technology associate degree program serves students on campus, as well as through a  newly launched distance education certificate serving upstate New York. Many of this year’s graduating students have already received job offers through their clinical placements – a testament to the caliber of training the program provides and the high-demand for trained clinicians in this field. The program continues to expand its partnerships with hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout New York State. 

Starting salaries for BCC students receiving a Nuclear Medicine Technology Associate Degree at BCC range from $109,000 – $120,000.