A career as Ultrasound or sonography technician is a very lucrative and best job if you want to stable your economy and make assure your bright future in medical science with respective job profile and earn up to $80K per year. They help the physicians and doctors to find out the disease and illnesses of the patient correctly.
Ultrasound technicians who are also known as ultrasound techs, sonographers or diagnostic medical sonographers, sonographers use ultrasound instruments to take the internal image of the patient affected organ through sound waves generated by the ultrasound equipment. The information is given below for those who are interested in how to become an ultrasound technician.
The easy steps for becoming Ultrasound Technician
- Step 1: complete the program or ultrasound technician or sonographer course which is affiliated by CAAHEP.
- Step2: Then graduate and complete your clinical training for the real experience and direct interaction with the patients.
- Step3: fight the competitive exams name ARDMS exams.
- Step 4: simply apply for positions as a certified and registered clinical sonographer.
What is an Ultrasound Technician?
An ultrasound tech generally takes the internal image of the human body organs and very large images of the human body tissues and the blood flow so that it can help the physician and the doctors to find out the real problem of the infection or the disease.
Generally they work in the hospitals and physician offices although some technician work in the private fields also.
Fields of medical which are heavily depended on the ultrasound instrument are gynecology, neurology, and obstetrics.
Duties of the ultrasound technician:
Ultrasound technicians or the sonographer do various jobs related to the use of ultrasound and sonography equipments and they also do the administrative task as well.
1. Explain the process to the patient
The ultrasound technicians take digital image of the patient organs and before doing the task they explain the whole process to the patient which make them relax and comfortable. They answer any query related to sonography to the patient.
2. Adjusting the sonography equipments and patient positioning
After giving explanation to the patient then they set the instrument and apply a special gel to the area of human body which is to be examined and keep the patient in the position where it could get the proper and best digital view.
3. Take the internal image of the patient organ
Ultrasound techs take images of the patient organ with the help of the sonography instrument which help the physician to diagnose the exact problem.
4. Decide the best scan for diagnose purpose
Before delivering the scans to physician they judge the best or proper scan for correct diagnosing from a physician. They evaluate the best and accurate scans and deliver them to the doctor to make any judgement.
5. Minor tasks
They keep maintenance of the sonography instruments and patient records. They decide about purchasing the new one equipment if the old one is not working well.
Educational Requirements:
You do need some subject in high school to come into an ultrasound technician program preferably you should have English, maths, computer science, health and both life and physical sciences. If you do not have any medical background then you have to fulfill some prerequisites for entering into this program. Some colleges demand to have a CNA program before having entry into a DMS course or program.
This course is available in many institutes, schools and colleges.
Ultrasound Technician Programs
CAAHEP has already affiliated more than 150 training courses and programs for the ultrasound technicians which are available in many more institutes and universities. You can also choose online studying.
Ultrasound Technician Degrees
Basically as we mentioned above the proper completion of the high school degree is the general requirement for ultrasound tech program. After that the interested one gets the way to pursue the respective course. For the interested ones or who are already in the health care department can choose the best option according to the convenience and the requirement which ranges from six months to 4 year programs or courses.
Certification program
This program is for ones who want to change their career options and want to grow fast in 6 months or in one year. The advantages of this option are that the students and graduates can get the job after some required lecture and medical hours.
Most of the employers give chance to the graduates because they spend more time for clinical training and they have the extreme experience as they spend more time with practicing. A disadvantage is for choosing this program is that it is not affiliated through CAAHEP (Commission on affiliation of ailed health Education Programs) for all vocational institutes so is aware when selecting the school.
Associate Degree
This course can be done in 2 years. If the interested one has much time and money then select this option for better training which trains you more in depth in the respective field of Ultrasound technology.
The advantage of choosing this program is the salary aspect which is clear if one has more experience or more qualification then he/she gets a more lucrative salary. If a one has associate degree can demand higher salary than certified technician.
Bachelor’s Degree
After completing the associate degree one can apply for the bachelor degree and for completing this degree additional 2 years of study is required.
Online V/s Campus training
In this high tech world the students who are not able to attend the classroom regular then with the help of the internet it is possible now for the ultrasound technicians. These programs include audio files, videos, discussion boards and forums through the email for studying about the respective field.
The queries of the students are solved online by the professionals and this is helpful for the working students.
Clinical Training
The ultrasound technician program requires clinical training and clinical hours. Whether you are on campus or enrolled online, you have to assure that the internship must be complete for getting the actual experience in the hospital where you directly interact with the patient.
Typical Course Curriculum
The subjects are different according to the institutes of the respective course of the student s enrolled in. Some common subjects offered for the Ultrasound or sonography technician:
- General physics
- Human physiology and Anatomy
- Patient care
- Medical laws and work laws
- Introduction to Sonography
