Ultrasound technicians use high-frequency sound equipment to examine and image organs and structures in the human body, providing essential medical information for diagnosis. Formal training programs, including certificate, associate’s, and bachelor’s degrees, offer courses in various ultrasound techniques and imaging procedures, with specialized training in cardiac, obstetric, abdominal, or gynecological ultrasound. Graduates are eligible for certification exams and can find employment in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. The demand for ultrasound technicians is expected to increase due to an aging population.
Ultrasound technicians, also called sonographers or sonographers, manipulate high-frequency sound equipment designed to examine and image various organs and structures in the human body. These trained professionals are a vital part of a healthcare team, providing essential medical information that helps physicians diagnose patients’ conditions. Most employers prefer to hire ultrasound technicians who have completed a formal training program. Students who enroll in ultrasound courses often work toward a certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree in ultrasound technology.
The ultrasound courses required by a certificate program are designed to train students in various ultrasound techniques and imaging procedures. Some of the typical ultrasound courses offered by these training programs include the principles of ultrasound, ultrasound physics, ultrasound anatomy, and ultrasound instrumentation. Instructors also explain the biological effects ultrasound has on the human body. Some ultrasound courses offer specialized training in cardiac, obstetric, abdominal, or gynecological ultrasound procedures. Upon completion of these ultrasound courses, graduates have the necessary educational requirements to attend the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).
An ultrasound training program that awards an associate degree usually includes ultrasound courses, labs, and clinical experiences that combine to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain, interpret, and analyze pathological and anatomical data using ultrasound technology. Typical course topics include ultrasound scanning techniques, interpretation of ultrasound data, acoustic physics, and pathophysiology. Graduates of these two-year undergraduate ultrasound programs are eligible to take the ARDMS certification exam and typically find entry-level employment as ultrasound technicians.
Ultrasound courses required by the baccalaureate plan often include health systems, microbiology, and organic chemistry, as well as hands-on training in various ultrasound techniques and instrumentation. Most of these programs allow students to specialize in abdominal, gynecologic, obstetric, breast, or cardiac ultrasound.
Some of these degree programs allow students to specialize in dental or veterinary ultrasound studies. Students who wish to work as ultrasound technicians in veterinary clinics will be required to attend classes focused on animal nutrition, animal anatomy and physiology, and animal parasitology. Those who want to work as a sonographer in a dental office also need to enroll in classes in dental anatomy, tooth morphology, and oral pathology.
Whatever the area of expertise, students must complete training at an imaging center to gain real-world experience performing ultrasound procedures on patients. Upon successful completion of the ultrasound courses and the internship, graduates are eligible to take the ARDMS exams. They will also be able to take the necessary exams to become a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Ultrasonographer (RDCS) or Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT).
Employment prospects for those with formal training in ultrasound technologies are expected to remain favorable. Populations are aging and the need for diagnostic tests continues to increase. Graduates of university ultrasound programs typically find employment in hospitals, physicians’ offices, diagnostic laboratory facilities, veterinary clinics, or dental clinics.
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