In Michigan, diagnostic medical sonography programs are found at universities, community and private colleges.
Echocardiogram technicians, also called sonographers or cardiac technicians, use specialized imaging equipment to generate images of the heart. Physicians read these images and use them to treat a wide range of heart problems. To pursue a career in echocardiogaphy, you must complete a cardiac diagnostic medical sonography program or a cardiovascular technician program that includes echocardiography in the curriculum. Several technical schools, community colleges and private colleges in Michigan offer these programs. According to the career information website Indeed.com, the average yearly salary for echo technicians is $56,000 as of July 2010.
Jackson Community College
Located in Jackson, Michigan, in the central part of the state, Jackson Community College offers a cardiac sonography program that leads to an associate degree and a career as an echo technician. The Commission for Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs accredits this program. Some of the courses include introduction to diagnostic imaging, sonographic instrumentation, medical terminology, adult echo and cardiovascular principles. General education classes are also necessary. Some of the classes are available online in addition to classroom settings. Graduates of this program will have the necessary knowledge to pass the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers to become licensed sonographers.
Jackson Community College
2111 Emmons Road
Jackson, MI 49201
517-787-0800
jccmi.edu
Carnegie Institute
The Carnegie Institute is a private, postsecondary school of allied health technology, located in Troy, just north of Detroit. Carnegie offers a cardiovascular technologist program that leads to a career as an echo technician. The program has accreditation through the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education. This is a diploma program and graduates will be able to gain membership (through testing when applicable) in the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals, the American Society of Echocardiography, the Michigan Society of Echocardiography and the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. Some of the concepts learned in this program include ECG, holter monitoring, exercise stress testing, echocardiography and cardiac doppler. To gain entry into this program, students must have a formal math and science background on a college level and clinical work experience.
Carnegie Institute
550 Stephenson Highway
Suites 100 - 110
Troy, MI 48083
carnegie-institute.edu
Sanford Brown Institute
Sanford Brown Institute is a private college with campus locations throughout the United States. SBI's Dearborn, Michigan, location offers a cardiovascular sonography program. Some of the careers that graduates of this program will be able to apply for include cardiovascular sonographer, echocardiography technician, hospital and emergency room tech, laboratory technician and clinic technician. This is a diploma program and the school is fully accredited. Some of the concepts covered in this program include EKG patterns, arrhythmia recognition, emergency protocols, echocardiography and holter monitoring.
Sanford Brown Institute
5900 Mercury Drive
Dearborn, MI 48126
877-257-6444
sanfordbrown.edu
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