Pursue training and certification in ultrasound technology.
Also known as diagnostic medical sonography, ultrasound refers to the medical use of high frequency sound waves to create computerized visual images of internal bodily structures. To become an ultrasound technician, an accredited training program at a post-secondary institution followed by a certification examination is required.
Accreditation
The Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredits schools that provide ultrasound training.
Programs
The CAAHEP currently recognizes 176 programs in 44 states. A two-year Associate of Science degree is most common, although there are some one-year certificate and four-year baccalaureate programs available.
Curriculum
Coursework typically includes patient care, medical ethics, ultrasound physics and instrumentation, cross-sectional anatomy, pathophysiology, sonographic procedures, and diagnostic interpretation. Extensive laboratory practice and an internship or practicum in a supervised clinical setting are also required.
Specialties
Some programs allow students to specialize in one of three areas. The general specialization provides training in procedures for the abdomen, small parts, superficial structures and female reproductive system. The cardiac specialization focuses on diagnostics and procedures for the heart. The vascular specialization focuses on pathophysiology and ultrasound techniques for the arteries and veins.
Certification
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) administers formal certification testing. An examination in sonography principles and instrumentation is required following an accredited training program. This is followed by a specialty exam in one of the following areas: abdomen, breast, fetal echocardiography, neurosonology, obstetrics and gynecology, adult echocardiography, pedatric echocardiography or vascular technology.
Prospects
The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects an 18 percent increase in the employment of diagnostic medical sonographers through 2018. As of 2010, the yearly salary of a diagnostic medical sonographer was $61,980.
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