The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for diagnostic medical sonographers will increase by 18 percent from 2008 through 2018. To enter the field, students must complete some type of post-secondary education from a school with the approval of the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. A large number of schools in the United States carry these credentials, including public and private traditional and junior colleges, hospitals and private career schools.
St. Catherine University
Founded in 1905 by the Roman Catholic Church, St. Catherine University is a women's college in St. Paul, Minnesota. The school is home to more than 3,700 undergraduate students. The college's Henrietta Schmoll School of Health offers an associate degree in sonography. The program admits only 16 students per year and requires two to three years of study to complete. Classes focus on a number of specialties, including abdominal, gynecological, obstetric and vascular ultrasound.
St. Catherine University
2004 Randolph Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
800-945-4599
stkate.edu
Grady Health System
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Grady Health System opened in 1892 and is a 953-bed facility. A teaching hospital, the institution trains around 25 percent of all doctors who practice medicine in Georgia. The hospital's School of Imaging certificate program in diagnostic medical sonography is open to students with a two-year associate degree in an allied health field or a four-year bachelor's degree in any field with previous educational experience in medical terminology, anatomy, physics, biology, communications, information technology, psychology, statistics and algebra. Only 10 students are accepted into the school per year. The program requires 12 months of full-time study to complete, with students entering clinical rotations in hospital facilities throughout the program.
Grady Health System
P.O. Box 26095
80 Jesse Hill Junior Dr. Southeast
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-616-5032
gradyhealthsystem.org
College of Southern Nevada
Established in 1971, the College of Southern Nevada is a public, community-based institution in Las Vegas. The college is home to more than 34,000 students, making it one of the largest post-secondary institutions in the state. The school's associate degree programs in diagnostic medical sonography are limited-access programs, open only to individuals who spend 40 hours observing a sonographer at work and who complete prerequisite classes in a number of areas, such as mathematics, biology and English. Students specialize in either general sonography or vascular ultrasound. Both programs require two years of full-time study to complete and include five clinical rotations.
College of Southern Nevada
6375 W. Charleston Blvd., W3K
Las Vegas, NV 89146
702-651-5925
csn.edu
South Hills School of Business and Technology
A private, career-training institute, the South Hills School of Business and Technology opened in 1970 and features branches throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania. The school's diagnostic medical sonography program is offered at its campus in State College. For students without any previous medical or college experience, a three-year associate degree in sonography is offered, and a two-year diploma program is available for students with a bachelor's degree in any field. Students who have a two- or four-year degree in an allied health area may participate in the school's one-year sonography program. All three programs allow students to specialize in general, cardiac or vascular ultrasound.
South Hills School of Business and Technology
480 Waupelani Dr.
State College, PA 16801
814-234-7755
southhills.edu
Tags: associate degree, diagnostic medical, Business Technology, Catherine University, College Southern, College Southern Nevada