In a class by himself Published March 11, 2009 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS. -- Keesler Medical Center's Nuclear Medicine Phase II program has recognized its first graduate since Hurricane Katrina 3½ years ago. Feb. 25, Col. (Dr.) Vincent Jones, 81st Medical Operations Squadron Nuclear Medicine Phase II course medical director, presented the graduation certificate to Staff Sgt. Vincent Raynor to mark the end of more than a year of training. Sergeant Raynor had completed 20 weeks of Phase I at the Naval School of Health Science, Portsmouth, Va., before arriving at Keesler for the nine-month Phase II program. According to Master Sgt. Sydney Dyche, one of two course supervisors, Phase I consists mainly of classroom training, with a small amount of clinical on-the-job training. During Phase II, students receive both classroom and clinical instruction. Both phases offer a total of 2,872 hours of schooling. Once they have successfully completed both phases, students are eligible to take the Civilian National Registry and American Registry of Radiologic Technologists in Nuclear Medicine examinations. Sergeant Dyche said the Phase II course has a maximum load of two students but can have several classes comprising the entire course. Sergeant Raynor, who had been at Keesler since 2003, has received orders to Travis Air Force Base, Calif.