Over the years I have heard too many tragic
stories of students who thought they were doing the right thing by signing up
at a college. But after attending, many students find their dream has turned
into a nightmare when they end up with a useless degree that employers or professional
associations don't even recognize, credits that don't transfer, and almost
twice the average debt of their fellow students who attended wrong schools. Prospective
students often are misguided by dubious schools when they try to find
accredited and affordable programs for high demand and highly skilled occupation
like Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/diagnostic-medical-sonographers.htm
) employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is projected
to grow 46 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average
for all occupations. In addition to excellent career opportunities, salaries
for sonographers are competitive with, or higher than other professionals with
similar levels of education. According to the 2013 Society of Diagnostic Medical
Sonography (SDMS) (www.sdms.org ) Salary and
Benefit Survey Report, the median salary for sonographers is
$78,520 annually. This is one of the highest paying jobs in USA
that don’t
require a Bachelor’s degree.
The objectives of writing this article are following:
- ·
Learn about Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
career – what is DMS, specialty areas, roles and responsibilities etc.
- ·
Introducing ARDMS – The American Registry
for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
- ·
How to find an accredited (by CAAHEP)
program to become Diagnostic Medical Sonographer?
- ·
What do you need to do to get registered by
ARDMS?
When we think of an
ultrasound, you may think of fuzzy black and white images of an expectant
mother’s belly. Ultrasound was used in World War II to detect enemy submarines.
After the war in 1955, a surgeon in Glasgow named Ian Donald began to
experiment with it for medical uses. Over the years ultrasound has come to be
used as routine scan at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy for all women. This is
referred to as “routine prenatal ultrasound”, or RPU for short. It involves
scanning all pregnant women – whether a problem is suspected or not – in the
hope of improving birth outcomes.
At present time physicians used sonograms or ultrasounds
images of body organs and tissues to detect any disease which is suspected.
Ultrasound is very popular because this imaging technique does not involve
radiation. Using sound and vibrations, technologist in this medical-imaging specialty
capture images of the breast, brain and abdomen (among other body parts) that
are used to make medical diagnoses.
What is Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS)?
A DMS is a diagnostic medical procedure that uses high
frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to produce dynamic visual
images of organs, tissues or blood flow inside the body. This kind of image is
referred to as a sonogram or ultrasound scan.
DMS is used to examine many parts of the body, such as the
abdomen, breasts, female reproductive system, prostate, heart and blood vessels.
It is used in the detection and treatment of heart disease, heart attack and
vascular disease. It is widely used in needle guided procedures such as blood
draws, biopsies and surgeries. Unlike X-rays, Sonography is a radiation
free imaging modality that is a safe alternative.
Modalities within
the Radiology (Imaging) Department:
- Below are the modalities within the radiology department:
- X-Ray – uses x-rays to image the bones.
- Computed Tomography (CT) – uses x-rays to create
cross sectional images of the body.
- Mammogram – uses x-rays to image the breast.
- Angiogram – uses x-rays to image blood vessels.
- Nuclear Medicine – create images by detecting
the amount of radioactive material interacting with specific organs.
- Ultrasound – Used sound waves to image the body at various angles.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – uses a
magnetic field to create cross sectional images of the body.
Specialty Areas in
Ultrasound:
·
Abdomen
(AB) – evaluation of the soft tissues, blood vessels and organs of the
abdominal cavities (for example, liver, spleen, urinary tract, pancreas).
·
Breast
(BR) – frequently used to evaluate breast abnormalities that are found with
screening or diagnostic mammography.
·
Cardiac
(AE, PE, FE) – evaluation of the anatomy and hemodynamics (blood flow) of
the heart, its valves and related blood vessels, including Pediatric (PE) and
Feta (FE) Heart.
·
Musculoskeletal
(MSK) – evaluation of joints and soft tissue.
·
Neurosonology
(NE) – evaluation of the brain and spinal cord.
·
Obstetrics
/ Gynecology (OB / GYN) – evaluation of the female reproductive system.
·
Vascular
Technology (VT) – evaluation and analysis of the hemodynamics (blood flow)
of peripheral and abdominal blood vessels.
Roles and
Responsibilities of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers:
·
A diagnostic medical sonographer is a highly
skilled professional who uses specialized equipment to create images of
structures inside the human body that are used by physicians to make a medical
diagnosis.
·
The process involves placing a small device called
a transducer against the patient’s skin in the area to be imaged. The
transducer works like a loudspeaker and microphone because it can transmit
sound and receive sound. The transducer sends a stream of high frequency sound
waves into the body that bounce off the structures inside. The transducer
detect sound waves as they bounce off the internal structures. Different
structures in the body reflect these sound waves differently. These sound
signals are analyzed and converted into a digital signal by a computer to make
an image of the structure (s) and displays it on a monitor.
·
Sonographers have extensive and direct patient
contact that may include performing some invasive procedures.
·
They must be able to interact compassionately
and effectively with people who range from healthy to critically ill.
Career
Opportunities:
Sonography is a dynamic profession that has grown
significantly over the past 20 years. With rapidly developing new technologies
and increased use of diagnostic ultrasound procedures, growth is projected to
continue in the future with employment opportunities for qualified sonographers
in both urban and rural areas nationwide. Sonographers and vascular
technologists can choose to work in clinics, hospitals, private practice
physician offices, public health facilities, laboratories, and other medical
settings performing examinations in their areas of specialization. Career
advancement opportunities exist in education, administration, research, and in
commercial companies as education/application specialists, sales
representatives, technical advisors, etc.
Overview of ARDMS
The American Registry for Diagnostic
Medical Sonography (ARDMS) is an independent, not-for-profit organization
founded in 1975 that administers examinations and awards the following
credentials:
- RDMS® – Registered Diagnostic Medical
Sonographer
- RDCS® – Registered Diagnostic Cardiac
Sonographer
- RVT® – Registered Vascular
Technologist
- RPVI® – Registered Physician in
Vascular Interpretation
- RMSK™ - Registered in Musculoskeletal™ Sonography
What program is ideal for you?
The SDMS recommends that prospective students select a
reputable program that follows minimum curriculum and clinical education
standards recognized by the American Registry
for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS.) The SDMS does not recommend
training programs that provide limited opportunity for students to apply
classroom instruction and technical skills in patient care settings (clinical
rotations). When seeking a reputable program, candidates might wish to consult
the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
which accredits diagnostic medical sonography programs in the United States. A list
of accredited programs is available on CAAHEP's web site, www.caahep.org.
1. Graduate
or a student in a program accredited by an agency recognized by the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), United States Department of
Education (USDOE) or Canadian Medical Association (CMA), which specifically
conducts programmatic accreditation for diagnostic medical
sonography/diagnostic cardiac sonography/vascular technology does
not require additional work experience to apply for ARDMS
licensure exam. Currently the only organizations that offer programmatic
accreditation under the aforementioned associations are the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Canadian
Medical Association (CMA). This is the best route for students who
want to pursue DMS as a career.
2. If
you are a graduate from a
single two-year allied health education program that is patient
care related, you are required to show proof of 12 months of full time
clinical/vascular experience to apply for ARDMS licensure exam.
Allied
health occupations include, but are not limited to diagnostic medical
sonographer, radiologic technologist, respiratory therapist, occupational
therapist, physical therapist and registered nurse.
If you are using your DMS program (not accredited by
CAHEEP), you still have to document an additional 12 months of full time
clinical ultrasound experience earned outside the two year program to
apply for ARDMS licensure exam.
3. You have a Bachelor’s degree (any
major) or foreign degree equivalent
to a Bachelor’s degree in the US or Canada, you are required 12 months of full
time clinical ultrasound experience in order to apply for ARDMS licensure exam.
Find out the affordability
of your school:
Congratulations! You are at the last step to find the right
program for you. As we all know that school education requires investment of
your time and money. It is very important to find out the school which has
reasonable tuition and also has great graduation rate. Once you make a list of schools
that you are considering, you click the link below to find out each school’ net
tuition, retention and graduation rate. This will help you to find out the
right school that saves you thousands of dollars in debt.
If you find this article helpful or have any question please
email me. Thank you for reading.
