Ultrasound Technician News

Find Best Diagnostic Medical Sonography Schools Online

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Diagnostic medical sonographer schools can offer in-class, online or blended programs. The online programs that are offered are primarily certificate or associate degree programs.  The minimum requirements for most diagnostic medical sonography schools will require the student to have their high school diploma or equivalent, with some degree programs requiring prior courses in math or science to be taken in order to qualify for enrolment.

The Sonography Career

Ultrasound-Technician-TrainingAs a sonographer you will operate ultrasound machinery, with the images produced being used by a physician in order to assist in diagnosing a patient’s condition.  A sonographer will commonly hold an associate’s degree in this field but may be required to further their education if they wish to obtain supervisory positions.

The American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographer offers tests for certification in basic sonography as well as different specialty fields such as the breast, abdomen, nervous system and heart.  In order to maintain certification through the ARDMS Organization the sonographer will need to obtain continuing education hours, the number of which will vary from state to state.

Blended programs will be offered by local schools that feature sonography programs. The blended program features half of the coursework held on campus with the other half of the coursework taken online at home. A blended program is designed to give the student more flexibility in their schedule while also providing them with in-class learning experiences. This type of program is commonly found in community colleges, vocational schools and technical schools. Four year colleges may also feature some of the sonography courses online; however this will typically involve only one to two courses.

Online Programs Available

If you are interested in taking an online degree program you will need to have a personal computer, webcam and internet access. To qualify for a program online the student will need to have completed the natural science requirements or have a degree in nursing. These online programs will combine clinical training with webinars and courses in sonography.  The program can last two to four years and includes clinical labs and courses in advanced anatomy and medical terminology. The student will also be able to choose a specialty area such as mammography, general sonography, vascular sonogaphy or abdominal.

The online associate’s degree will have the student attending live web lectures, online lessons and clinical training in a hospital or clinic. The amount of clinical training may vary depending on each school’s program; however the typical amount will range from 20 to 30 hours each week for a period of two to three months.

The bachelor’s degree program that is available online is designed for students who want to work in a supervisory role. The programs are designed to give a student a better understanding for this health care profession by providing courses in several health care specialty fields such as health care management, health care policy and pharmacology.   Having sonography as a major will feature courses directed towards medical imaging in conjunction with courses for managerial skills in a health care setting.  After a student has completed their education they will need to take the American Registry for Medical Sonography exam to gain their certification in this field. Registration with this organization also requires the sonographer to maintain their licensure by earning continuing education hours every year.

Ultrasound Technician Online Classes

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ultrasound techThere are lots of programs that offer classes for ultrasound technicians, however it is really important that you understand that you will need to take some hands-on classes to become certified as a ultrasound Tech. Very few employers will hire you if you do not have proper training. In private programs that are not CAAHEP Accredited You will need to find a way to take your hands on training at a hospital.

Most employers will only hire an ARDMS accredited sonographer so you are going to need to take extra care selecting the program if you choose to take an online ultrasound training course. Just remember that you can take some of the curriculum online but at some point you’re going to have to do some hands on training which will require you to go to a hospital or training facility.

CAAHEP Accredited Ultrasound Tech Schools

Educational ultrasound applications are authorised by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or CAAHEP. The size of study will depend on the type of ultrasound diploma or program. Diagnostic medical sonography certification packages can be obtained by healthcare professionals after a yr of training. An affiliate diploma in medical sonography is attained after 2 years, while a baccalaureate diploma is achieved after 4 years of study and training. Most potential sonographers full a two-yr medical ultrasound program, culminating in an affiliate degree.

The curriculum relies on the ultrasound diploma that’s being work on by the student. Usually,ultrasound classes embody the bodily rules of ultrasound, fundamental and superior physics and instrumentation, methods in imaging, biological effects of ultrasound, human anatomy and physiology, histology, pathophysiology, sonography affected person care, emergency care, ultrasound functions and limitations, and picture evaluation and administration.

If you already have a bachelors degree then you should be able to take a two years or shorter program and be able to pass the required certification. 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). Read the ultrasound tech job description and see if it is something that appeals to you.

Evaluating Accredited Schools for Ultrasound Technician Programs & Online Courses:

In CAAHEP accredited DMS programs, most, if not all of the prerequisites have to be finished before applying for admission to the DMS program. The key thing to keep in mind when examining these online courses is that while it may be possible to take didactic courses (lectures) online, it is impossible to earn your DMS certificate completely online and if this is what the online program is describing, then move on with your search.

How Long Does It Take To Be An Ultrasound Technician?

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Ultrasound-Technician-CollegesHere is a frequently asked question about becoming an ultrasound technician: “I have been looking into going to school to be a Ultrasound tech and I was wondering how long it take from start to finish?” or “How many years of school to become a ultrasound technician?”

It’s a good question. There are several paths to being a Diagnostic Ultrasound Technologist.

The quickest way is the DMS Certificate in a private program that is accredited by the CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation Of Allied Health Education Programs).

Then there are the private program that are not accredited by the CAAHEP. Next is the AS degree from a community college and lastly there is the BS degree from a university. Then there are the online DMS Ultrasound Tech programs. It is impossible to become a DMS Ultrasound technologist without intensive hands-on training and some online Ultrasound Tech programs don’t offer internships but tell you to find one in your area (no hospital or imaging center would take you on without hands-on training in an internship).

In all the mentioned paths, the potential student would have to take an entrance exam and have at least one interview with the program’s director. In order to be hirable at most healthcare institutions, the graduate must pass at least 2 ARDMS exams (one must be SPI Physics).

Let’s take a look at each program path individually.

The quickest path is with a private program that is accredited by the CAAHEP and accepts high school graduates with a heavy emphasis in sciences and algebra. The student would attend fulltime (either days or evenings) for approximately 19 months. This doesn’t include the prerequisites that are specifically designed for the program, which tacks on approximately another 2 months to the program’s length. The CAAHEP accredited private program has somewhat of a waiting list because they aren’t that widespread and are very desirable.

If the program is not CAAHEP certified, then please listen carefully. You must have an AS degree in a healthcare field or a BS degree in any major from an accredited university and the program’s internship must be at least 960 hours in length. Go to the ARDMS website (ARDMS.org) for specific requirements. You must be incredibly careful with non-accredited private programs. Go on any ultrasound blog and read the sad stories of these graduates who are unable to find jobs and basically just threw away their tuition money with nothing to show for it. What happened?

The unaccredited program directors didn’t tell the potential students that unless they have an AS degree in a medical field or a BS degree, in order to sit for the ARDMS exams, they would have to work fulltime as an ultrasound technologist for one year. Here is the sticking point and the thing that ruins so many graduates’ dreams. Rarely will an imaging center or hospital take a chance and hire an unregistered ultrasound technologist, so there’s no way for the graduate to get that one year of employment in order to qualify to take the ARDMS exams.

As for the AS and BS degrees, those are offered by community colleges and universities and will require general education to be satisfied, as well as the major’s course load. In order to declare a major in DMS, prerequisites must be satisfied with a high GPA. The normal prerequisites are Microbiology, Physics, and Human Anatomy. And these prerequisites have prerequisites such as Algebra, and Biology/Chemistry for health majors. The AS degree would take 2-3 years (including prerequisites) and the BS degree, 4-5 years.

CAAHEP Accredited Online Ultrasound Technician Programs

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Online ultrasound programsYou may see many online DMS programs advertising on the internet. The key thing to keep in mind when examining these online courses is that while it is possible to take didactic courses (lectures) online, it is impossible to earn your DMS certificate completely online and if this is what the online program is describing, then move on with your search.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is learned through class instruction, hands-on training labs and clinical externships. There is an enormous amount of time spent with the ultrasound machines themselves, learning how the machine works, understanding the ultrasound physics and how to create an ideal image, where to place the handheld transducer on the human body, learning to see normal anatomy through ultrasound, which is like learning a new language, only you are using your vision. These are just a few of the basic skills needed.

Ultrasound is operator dependent, which means that in order for an accurate diagnosis to be made, the Sonographer must be highly skilled and knowledgeable about anatomy, physiology, disease processes and the appearance of such on ultrasound. This hands-on process of learning begins with the labs at the ultrasound programs on campus, continues with the clinical externships offered by the program, and beyond into your sonography career.

How Many Students Get Into A Sticky Situation

Many unaccredited online programs might provide the didactic courses online but you must come to their campus for labs and you will be responsible in finding an imaging center or hospital in your area to complete your externship (the program might say they will assist in finding an externship, but it’s not guaranteed). This is where many students get into a sticky situation– here they’ve done all their didactic work, but there isn’t any imaging centre in their area that will accept a single ultrasound technologist extern from an unknown program. There is too much liability and not enough advantage on their part. In fact, there are fewer and fewer workplaces that will even hire a graduate without ARDMS credentials!

Lastly, don’t forget that for any unaccredited DMS program to work for you, online or not, you must already have an AS degree in a hands-on health related field or a BS degree in any field so you would be eligible to sit for the ARDMS exams once you’ve graduated.

That all being said, there actually are a handful of online CAAHEP accredited ultrasound programs. There is much competition to get into these rare programs. While you might be able to complete some of the prerequisites and the program’s didactic courses online, the program will require you to either relocate or travel to their campus for their hands-on labs and clinical hours. Some programs may have a few clinical locations in other areas of the state.  Once graduated, you can sit for the ARDMS exams. You would have to contact the individual program for details about accepted prerequisites and admission requirements. You can begin your search at CAAHEP’s website… www.caahep.org and on this site to find accredited ultrasound technician schools.