- Anatomy
- Physiology and pathophysiology
- Sonography principals and instrumentation
- Medical ethics
- Patient education and communication
- Clinical assessment and evaluation
- Scanning protocol and safety for diagnostic examination
- Implementing protocol and evaluating diagnostic examination
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) is a multi-specialty profession using high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to produce dynamic visual images of organs, tissues or blood flow inside the body. The medical images are often referred to as sonograms. DMS can be used to examine many parts of the body, such as the heart, abdomen, breasts, female or male reproductive systems, blood vessels and pregnancies.
There is an increasing use of DMS in the detection and treatment of heart disease, vascular disease that can lead to stroke and fine-needle tissue guided biopsy procedures to obtain a sample of cells for lab testing.
DMS includes cardiac, medical, vascular sonography and various subspecialties. The profession requires judgment and the ability to provide appropriate health care services.
Eligibility:
- Prerequisites can be fulfilled with either:
- AAS or AS degree (recommended in a medical profession such as Nursing or Respiratory Therapy) and patient care experience
- AAS or AS degree and (such as Radiography)
- A Bachelor's degree (best if in a medically-related major)
- Applicants may apply while in progress of degree completion and/or certification, but these must be completed before the program start date
- All 91¶ÌÊÓƵ general education requirements must be completed for bachelor's degree to be awarded
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Tanya Nolan and Ambree Penrod
What You Will Learn
Certification
Upon completion of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Vascular emphasis, you are eligible to take the national certification examination given by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) and American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
Many states also require practicing sonographers to be licensed.
Clinical Education
For all Diagnostic Medical Sonography emphases, you are required to complete 24 hours of clinical education per week in a 91¶ÌÊÓƵ-affiliated healthcare facility.
Job Opportunities
Sonographers are employed in hospitals, private physician offices, imaging clinics, diagnostic laboratories, mobile services and for equipment manufacturers. Employment opportunities vary and may include travel and/or call duty.
Location and Delivery
91¶ÌÊÓƵ Campus
Requires travel to Ogden, Utah for classes once a month.
Campus and Regional programs are completed in 4 straight semesters, beginning each fall.
Campus students reside in Utah are assigned to clinical sites in Utah.
Regional students reside outside of Utah must secure their own clinical site.
Emphases
Cardiac
Diagnostic cardiac sonographers use high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to image the heart and cardiovascular system. The examinations are performed to aid physicians in diagnosing cardiac pathology and vascular blockage to the heart.
As a cardiac sonographer, you should demonstrate competence through certification in the area of practice by the nationally recognized sonography credentialing organization.
Medical
Diagnostic medical sonographers use high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) and are specialized to image the abdomen and superficial structures and/or specialized to image gynecologic and obstetric cases. The examinations are performed to aid physicians in diagnosing and evaluating normal and abnormal anatomy as well as disease and pathology.
As a medical sonographer, you should demonstrate competence through certification in the area of practice by the nationally recognized sonography credentialing organization.