The job of a sonographer, working with ultrasound diagnostic digital imaging is one of the fastest growing fields today in the area of healthcare.

Sonography schools are turning out students who are well trained and up to date with modern sonography technology, and as a result, they are first in line when it comes to job, and there is a high demand for their experience, expertise and skill.

Are you considering becoming a snographer? If so, then read on for important information about choosing the right school, and where to go from there.

On This Page You Will Discover:

• Why going into this field is a good idea
• What type of education you need, and how long it will take
• What you should look for in a school, and what you should avoid
• Where you can get the best education
• What you can expect to earn as a sonographer
• A list over some great schools for you to consider

One of the growing diagnostic methods of choice in many areas of medicine is ultrasound therapy. Thus, many healthcare industries are in competition for qualified sonographers who have studied at a good ultrasound technician training school.

As you can see, going into this field can be both secure and can be quite giving, especially if you are a people’s person

The need for more sonographers has resulted in a growing number of Sonography Schools. While this is a great thing, it has made it a bit trickier when it comes to knowing how to select the right school.

Let’s take a closer look at what you should look for when choosing a faculty…

There are many things you should take into account when researching and choosing a school. You want to be sure you will receive a high quality education that will help you reach your career goals.

A good school will help you achieve the goal of becoming licensed in sonography and start working in your area of expertise as quickly as possible without cutting any corners in giving you a strong educational foundation. You may earn a 2- or 4-year degree, depending on how much you chose to specialize.

You will also want to find one that is within your budget and what you can afford to pay. But what else should you be looking for? Every educational institution claims to offer high quality training, so how do you know if it lives up to the standards it offers?

Knowing a few things to look for will help you in selecting the school that’s just right for you and your needs. One of the first things you should understand is about the two divisions in sonography – Sonography Technician and Professional Sonographer. While the latter does the work of taking the images and handles the equipment, the former helps the latter through tasks such as maintaining scheduled appointments and the maintenance of the equipment.

A good article for you to read to get more information on the training and education you will get can be found here: sonography training.

As in other areas of medicine, in sonography there are also many different branches such as medical, abdominal, animal, gynecology and ophthalmology among others. So one of the first steps is to decide what your goal is, whether it’s to become a sonography technician or a sonographer.

Next on the list is to take a look at your marks and school grades. This is important as the best sonography schools will look for students with high scores and those that come highly recommended from their teachers.

A few other things to look into are the class size and the equipment the schools have available as this will have a bearing on the standards and reputation of the institution.

Knowing the class size and the equipment available will help you calculate how much opportunity each student will have to learn about, get to know and use the equipment.

You may also want to see what they have available as far as related equipment such as test mannequins and computer simulators since the course will require lots of practical hands on training, requiring the use of relevant equipment.

By taking a look at the official websites for the schools you are considering, you can also see what they have to say about their achievements, the percentage of successful students, their successful students who are now working in well known health centers, placement opportunities, etc.

What are some good schools?

For a list of some of the top rated schools in the USA, and how to find accredited schools, check out: Sonography colleges. A good idea is to take a look at the various schools websites, so that you can get an idea and feel for each of them.

The most important thing to do when selecting a school is to check the school’s accreditation. This certification is like a passport, giving you easy entry into your new career and many health care facilities require sonographers to have taken an accredited course.

What about the salary?

We have an entire page devoted to this: sonographer salary. This article takes a deep look at how much you can expect to make depending on what division of sonography you decide to go into.

Armed with this information, you will be able to make a good, solid choice and decision in your choice of a good sonography school that will be the first step towards a great career and bright future!

To begin, there is no education level prospective employers require, but they do prefer sonographers that have been trained in an accredited program. These training programs require prospective students to have an educational background in math and science. Also, you must complete a degree from a college or allied health school before being admitted to a sonography program. Or, you may qualify if you are already working in the health care field and wish to change careers.

To be eligible for a sonography program, you will need to have at least one of the following requirements:

• A two-year completion of an accredited allied health program.

• Graduation from a four-year degree program that included prerequisite courses in math, science and physics.

• Must be presently working as a registered or licensed radiology technician.

Whatever program or work you have done prior to applying for a sonography program, you definitely need various prerequisite courses completed at the college level. In general, these include math, anatomy, medical terminology, physiology, and more with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The requirements vary from school to school, so the best thing to do is talk with a qualified professional from the school of your choice. You will be able to find out exactly what is required to gain entrance into the program.

Other qualifications for entrance may include school transcripts or letters of recommendation from previous schools you have attended. If already working in the health care field, you may need to be observed by a licensed sonographer in a hospital setting for documentation. The school you choose may ask you to complete a lengthy application, and you may have to write a statement that explains why you want to enter into this field.

Now that you have some basic information about what qualifications you need to enter into a sonography school, you can find out more by speaking with a professional at the school of your choice, or going online to do more research. For a list over accredited sonography schools, check out: Accredited sonography schools

The duties of a sonographer extend far beyond that of just using equipment strictly as a technician. Because of the highly specialized training they receive and the advanced equipment used for imaging, sonographers play an essential part of the diagnostic process. As a result sonographers will work closely with other medical staff including physicians and specialists in making the final determination of results.

In an average day, a sonographer can see upwards of eight patients, where they are responsible for explaining the imaging process, as well as preform the ultrasound imaging. Sonographers may have to assist patients in positioning and generally making sure they are comfortable. Working with an elderly population is common when you are a sonographer.

Other common tasks for a sonographer include:

• Analyzing technical results and data
• Exercising professional judgment in diagnostic findings
• Working with physicians and other medical staff

A sonographer must also demonstrate that they are physically able to perform routine tasks. These tasks include being able to lift upwards of 50 lbs, twisting and bending. Good hearing and vision is important.

Where Sonographers Are Needed

Because of the importance of sonographers, they can find themselves working in many different departments and facilities. Though many work in clinics or in single offices they may serve on-call shifts in hospitals as well. Sonography is often used in diagnosing conditions of the heart. So sonographers can be found in cardiac units where they conduct cardiac and vascular sonography. They may also perform pediatric cardiac sonograms on children or young adults.

The field of sonography continues to grow and expand as the need for these professional services increases. As the baby-boomer population continues to age, more diagnostic technicians are needed to help detect, prevent, and treat a variety of illnesses and injuries

Sonography remains an exciting field for individuals interested in combining high tech medicine with traditional patient care.

Ultrasonography is a diagnostic tool in which deep structures in the body can be visualized by reflecting ultrasonic waves from the soft tissues. It can be compared to depth-sounding in the study of the ocean floor. Different frequencies may be selected in using the diagnostic tool. For example, a lower frequency is used for greater depth in imaging body areas such as in the abdomen while a higher frequency is used to examine the eye.

The process can be technically defined as:

1. Ultrasonic waves that are produced by electrically stimulating a transducer
2. A beam then strikes boundary between tissues, for example between the muscles and blood
3. Echoes produced by the transducer become electrical impulses that are displayed as a picture of the tissues that are being examined.

Sonography is becoming increasingly more popular as a tool for diagnosis, as there is no radiation involved.

As a diagnostic tool, ultrasonography can examine soft tissue such as heart size and structural changes in the abdominal cavity. In addition it can be used to detect benign cysts, cancers and tumors. However it cannot diagnose everything in the body, for example lungs, because they contain air.

In the field of obstetrics and gynecology, ultrasonography has become invaluable. It can not only diagnose the progress of a pregnancy but also discover any abnormalities in the developing fetus.

Ultrasound as a diagnostic tool has proven its worth over the years, especially in emergency room situations in which a fast determination of treatment is necessary.

A little history of ultrasound

Seeing inside the human body was sought for by scientists over many centuries. The door to the discovery of ultrasonography is believed to have opened in 1790, when it was discovered that bats navigated through the use of ultrasonic waves and echolocation.

During the 19th century, inquiring minds continued to find ways to measure how sound waves travel. An underwater bell was used to determine the speed of sound. The Curie Brothers discovered a crystalline material that would become a key component. An important advance took place when a psychiatrist used heat sensitive paper to produce an image of a brain tumor.

During the 1940′s advances were made in the differences of how sound travels through tissues in the body. Soon after a device was created that could measure pregnancy progress. When Ian Donald used the device to find an ovarian cyst in a woman, ultrasonography was on it way to becoming the diagnostic tool of the future.
Today it has become a life-saving tool.

Before you choose a school, it is important that you know that it is an accredited one. There are numerous reasons why you should select an accredited institution, as you will learn later on this page.

In this article you will learn:

• Why you should only get your education from an accredited institution
• Who is responsible for accrediting schools
• How you can find a great school near you

Obtaining credentials from a non-credited institution poses challenges when it comes to finding a job. The high standards of medical care required in the field have called for the need for minimum qualifications. No matter how good the qualification is, it would be difficult for any employer to accept it.

After working form some time, you will want to get a certificate in one or more specialties, this will ensure that you become indispensable, and will make it easier to get a job later. This is done by taking an exam. These examinations are offered by certain institutions such as, the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist and the Cardiovascular Credentialing International depending on the specialty you choose to get a certificate in.

These establishments will not readily allow you to sit for any such exams if your credentials were not obtained from an accredited institution, as well as you will be required to document at least 1680 hours as an ultrasound technician before you can be allowed to sit for the said exams. This will be difficult, considering the fact that employers are unwilling to employ you if your qualifications are not from an accredited school.

Where to find accredited schools

The mandate to accredit sonography schools is vested upon the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This institution is approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to carry out the accreditation process. Currently, the number of institutions that have been accredited by CAAHEP is about 2000. The institutions deal with at least 23 health science careers and students may be enrolled at the entry level.

In order to find out the accreditation status of any school, log on to CAAHEP’s website: http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/. Use the specific guidelines such as, the institution name and the state where it is located, to find a school near you.

The field of being a sonographer is rapidly growing. A sonographer is also known as an ultrasound technician and they are finding themselves in high demand due to all the help that they are available to provide in reading and diagnosing ultrasound images.

In this article we will take a look at the available education to those who want to work in sonography.

Obtaining a degree on sonography is done with either a two year associate degree program or a 4 year Bachelor degree program.

There is actually a one year certificate program offered in the field of sonography but since it is not accredited, it is only recommended for people who would like to increase training for their current employment. With the two year associate degree program, there is usually the requirement of completing a program in allied health from an accredited university. Basically the two year program will require showing familiarity with patient care and medical practice and proving that one has experience in this area with further training past the two year degree.

An associates degree course will most likely have some prerequisite courses involved and then cover things like anatomy, abdominal sonography, obstetric sonography, vascular sonography and fetal and neonatal anomalies. At the end of the course, students will know how to analyze data using ultrasound equipment and be able to explain the data to both doctors and patients.

The Bachelor degree program or the 4 year degree program, are accredited with universities or colleges. Most students will earn a sonography degree through the two year Associates degree program, but new studies show that those who complete a 4 year degree program have increased income and career potential. Students in these programs are taught the different parts of sonography like breast sonography and gynecology, echocardiography, abdominal sonography, neurosonography, and vascular technology. In addition the Bachelor degree program will include a wide range of liberal arts education. To find accredited schools, and read about the best ones, you can check out: sonography colleges

The salary of an individual holding a degree in sonography varies depending on their experience level, the industry, and then the state that they are employed in. A couple years ago, the reported median salary for someone working in sonography was about $30 and hour or around $63,000 a year. For more info on sonography salary, read this article: sonography salary

Currently there is no better time to be a sonography. There are many job possibilities and have the added benefit of being helpful in the medical industry without having to go to years of medical school. It’s no wonder that more and more people are choosing to start the education needed to pursue this career route.

The sonography field is expected to grow in the future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs open for sonographers will increase by 18 percent through 2018. That’s faster than average growth for all career fields.

An aging population is likely to drive up demand for diagnostic imaging, and at the same time, ultrasounds are increasingly been seen as a safe alternative to X-rays. Improvements to sonography technology are expected to let sonographers scan new areas of the body, creating new procedures and specialties for them to learn.

Hospitals employ the majority of sonographers, but as ultrasound technology becomes less expensive, individual doctors and laboratories are more often directly hiring sonographers. The shift toward outpatient care is also increasing employment opportunities for sonographers.

Sonographers who are willing to relocate and have multiple specialties are likely to have the best job opportunities in the future.

Sonographers are best known as the technicians who do ultrasounds for pregnant women. They let expectant couples get their first look at their baby, track the fetus’ growth and health, determine its sex and help find any birth defects, but sonographers are involved in a wide variety of other medical specialties, as well.

• Abdominal sonographers: Diagnose conditions in the abdominal cavity, including the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, male reproductive system, spleen and bile ducts.

• Breast sonographers: Help detect breast cancer, and during treatment for the disease, they monitor the tumors and blood supply.

• Cardiac sonographers: Examine blood flow in the heart, its valves and connected blood vessels to diagnose potential disorders and diseases.

• Neurosonographers: Specialize in the nervous system and the brain. For example, some neurosonographers examine premature infants to diagnose them for any potential nervous system or neurological disorders.

• Vascular sonographers: Evaluate the blood flow in peripheral vessels and those in the abdominal cavity.

Formal education as the first step toward becoming a registered diagnostic medical sonographer can be expensive with the tuition, matriculation and other incidental expenses. This is true for both the 2-year associate program and the 4-year bachelor’s degree program.

Accreditation Agency

The importance of getting formal education from an accredited school offering the diagnostic medical sonography program cannot be overemphasized. The time, effort and money spent should be well worth it in the sense that the diploma will be accepted as part of the requirements for taking the certification exam. By the way, the certification examinations are given by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist, and the Cardiovascular Credentialing International depending on the specialty.

For the best source of the list of accredited sonography schools in the United States, go to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) website. This accrediting agency is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and has currently accredited over 2100 entry level programs in health sciences including the diagnostic medical sonography.

Accredited Schools

It should be noted that virtually every state has its own share of accredited schools offering diagnostic medical sonography programs. On the website, choose the “Diagnostic Medical Sonography” option on the Profession Name, then click on the appropriate categories for “Concentration”, “State” and “Degree/Credential”. This search function makes it easy to choose the schools with the right program that fits into your needs and wants to secure formal education in medical sonography.

The following accredited schools are just a few examples.

• The Lurleen B Wallace Community College is located in Opp, Alabama. Its graduates are eligible to apply for the ARDMS’ National Registry Examination for medical sonographers. Admission requirements include a COMPASS Reading Exam score of 76 or higher and completion of BIO 103 and other pre-medical sonography classes with at least a C rating on each course. Its major course titles include anatomy, sonography clinic, and sonography preceptorship.
• The Arkansas State University is located in the city of Jonesboro, a college town. Selection of its students is a rigorous process consisting of a personal interview with the Admission Committee coupled with a personal essay and a spatial resolution test. The application and reference forms can be downloaded over its website. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to at least shadow in a medical facility’s ultrasound department before passing on the application for admission.
• Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences is located in Richmond, California. It is one of the most prestigious schools offering several associate and degree courses in healthcare. Its diagnostic medical sonography program is 18-months long consisting of classroom education and hands-on clinical experience in the specialty areas of abdominal, obstetrics and gynecology. Take note that the education has a general approach with only a limited exposure to vascular sonography.

With the right education in an accredited school, you can be a registered diagnostic medical sonographer, too. Again, the trick is in choosing the right school that will meet your wants and needs in formal education.

Are you a student who is interested in becoming a medical sonographer?

A medical sonographer uses equipment that produces high frequency sound waves to create images that allow the technician to see inside the body much better than with an X-ray. The sonographer works as a member of the health care team to perform diagnostic testing and collect data relevant to the patient’s condition to help the physician in making an accurate diagnosis. Sonography is well-known for its use in pregnancy and fetal development, but this procedure is also used to detect medical problems in other areas of the body as well.

Job Description
Sonographers are employed in many health care settings such as hospitals, medical clinics and laboratories. They provide diagnostic testing services for patients in the health care facility or in a clinical environment. Working to assist physicians in collecting medical data, the sonographer will: obtain patient medical history, perform diagnostic tests and collect information, analyze findings and present a written summary of findings to physician for diagnosis, work closely with physicians and the health care team to provide quality patient care.

Training Programs
Sonography training programs are offered at colleges, universities, technical schools and more. Check with several sonography schools to find a program that suits your needs. It is very important that the training program you choose accredited by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, otherwise your training may not be recognized by potential employers.

Allied health professionals with related training may take an accelerated 1 year program to qualify to take the exam for licensure as a medical sonographer. Students with no previous medical training can take a 2 to 4 year course in a degree program that meets the prerequisites for entry into some training programs. Many employers in this field prefer candidates with a 4-year degree. Prerequisites for entry may include one or more of the following courses in: anatomy, biology, chemistry, math, physiology and social sciences.

Projected Salaries
Salaries levels will vary depending on experience, training and geographic location. Opportunities are available for full-time, part-time and on-call employment. The sonographer salary ranges between $43,600 and $83, 950 per year or more with the average payment for sonographers employed in the US to be $64,000 a year.

Career Outlook
The employment rates for qualified medical sonographers are expected to increase at a high rate through 2016.Opportunities for career advancement increases with education and experience in the field.