Kenyan in diaspora joins three others as only students in the US with masters in Nuclear Medicine Technology

A Kenyan living in Birmingham Alabama together with three others American students have become the first students in the country to earn a masters degrees in Nuclear Medicine Technology.John Gitau Wairimu, 34, graduated from The University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB recently. Prior to that, he had graduated with a bachelors degree in Public Health(epidemiology) in the same University. This is the first Nuclear Medicine program to rise to master’s entry level in the whole of United States and the only Nuclear medicine technology program in the state of Alabama.“I feel privileged to to have pursued my studies in this great world known university hospital," Says Wairimu in an interview.“I have rubbed shoulder with some of the greatest scientists and Physicians in the World at the UAB, and having learnt from them, I feel ready and confident enough to go out there in the World and have an impact in someone’s life”.Nuclear Medicine is the medical specialty that uses unsealed sources of radiation (liquids and gases) for diagnosis and therapy. Nuclear Medicine can assist doctors in diagnosing many diseases and conditions such as:

• Analyze kidney and spleen function.
• Image blood flow and function of the heart.
• Scan lungs for respiratory and blood-flow problems

Wairimu has also been involved in several other research projects in Birmingham including environmental pollution and health programs.In the in the Fall of 2018, he hopes to pursue PhD in Healthcare management and focus on improving health disparities in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing world.

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