Can You Become An Ultrasound Technician In 2 Years?

ultrasound techsSome programs claim that you can finish in two years, but is it true?

Can you Earn a Ultrasound technician degree in 2 years? What are the necessary requirements that you would have to meet to be able to finish in two years? Some programs claim that you can finish in two years, but is it true? Do you need a associate’s degree or bachelors degree first?

Ultrasound tech school Can you Earn a Ultrasound degree in 2 years?

This article refers to general ultrasound programs, not cardiac. The only way to complete the DMS program within two years is with a private DMS certificate program. The core curriculum is approximately 18 months long, which should include 960 externship hours, but first there are prerequisites to be met prior to the start of the core program.

In private programs that are not CAAHEP accredited, very often the school will offer a condensed version of prerequisites (physics, human anatomy and physiology, cross-sectional anatomy, algebra and medical terminology). These prerequisites generally take a few months to complete, then on to the 18 month core program. You can Becoming an ultrasound tech.

This is still well within a two year period. But there is a big catch- with the unaccredited DMS programs, in order to qualify for the ARDMS credentialing exams upon graduation, you must already have at least a Bachelor’s degree in any major (ARDMS Prerequisite 3A). If not, the graduate must work fulltime for one year as a diagnostic medical sonographer before qualifying to take the exams (and most employers will only hire an ARDMS accredited sonographer).

In CAAHEP accredited DMS programs, most, if not all of the prerequisites have to be finished before applying for admission to the DMS program. These prerequisites most likely are full length college courses, including human anatomy and physiology, physics. These prerequisites most likely have prerequisites as well, like biology and chemistry. The core DMS program is about 18 months, so the entire certificate program would be well over 2 years.

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