Several factors influence the choice of a career. You could decide to be a doctor because one of your parents is a doctor or you had an experience that changed your life in the hospital. But the two main factors that influence career choice are personal fulfillment and salary expectations. Everyone wants a good life, takes good care of their families, and pays their bills on time, so having a great career is important to living. Let us know about Best Sonography Ultrasound Tech Schools In The US.
Sonographers are part of our daily life, but most people hardly know them or recognize them, but they contribute a lot to the total well-being of a patient and provide much assistance to the medical officers they work with.
Sonography is an ultrasound technology field that monitors, diagnoses, and treats diseases with ultrasound, while Ultrasound Tech experts review the ultrasound images to detect whether there’s a medical condition, ensure the equipment works properly, consider patients’ records and file them among others. Sonographers also have multiple specialties and there are diverse types.
Some of them are Echocardiographers (they specialize in vessels, hearts, etc), Paediatric Sonographers (imaging of children and infants), etc.
Ultrasound Tech Schools are spread across the US and job opportunities also are spread across the US too. For instance, Texas has about 5,300 employed sonographers, New York has 3,360, and Pennsylvania has 3,550 among others. Students are now making inquiries into schools to find out how to study the course, and the best schools to attend.
Best 10 Sonography Ultrasound Tech Schools in the US
Schools provide separate specialties for people interested in the various areas of Ultrasound Tech. The students also have opportunities to work with patients, and they use several available facilities to learn. Best Sonography Ultrasound Tech Schools In The US are.
- Oregon Institute of Technology: This School offers a bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography and a bachelor’s degree in Echocardiography. Students can learn using the school’s facilities for a while, obtain their degrees and train further in a hospital or an ultrasound laboratory. The school allows students to take clinical externships with professionals full-time in their senior year.
- Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois: This school offers several options for students to get a degree in Sonography Ultrasound, though they only offer Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The program is a fusion of technology, chemistry, biology, and other science courses. It is a 4-year course, and the first 3 years are on campus while students move in their final year to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago to complete their degree program. They are instructed and guided by professionals in the field, and they will be allowed to learn practically.
If you are studying another course, say, Biology, you can choose to double major in Biology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. This will take 5 years, and you will complete the Diagnostic Medical Sonography at the Hospital.
- St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN): This College is ranked #9 out of 23 schools in the Best Women’s Colleges in America, and Sonography and Ultrasound Tech are one of their most popular majors. The Net cost is about $18,912 per year. They offer a bachelor’s degree in General sonography and echocardiography as a 4-year course inclusive of clinical experience.
- Seattle University, Seattle, Washington: It is a private and global Jesuit university in Seattle. Its College of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Diagnostic Ultrasound. It’s a 4-year course for freshmen. They allow a 2-year study transfer (Junior standing of at least 90 credits or a bachelor’s degree or Associate of Arts that is transferable), a post-Bac degree Transfer, and a Post-Bac Degree Certificate, for those who have bachelor’s degrees in science-related fields.
- Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida: It believes that sonographers are key members of the surgical team. Its curriculum integrates vascular (veins and arteries) and general (abdomen, obstetrics, gynecology) sonography. The school has state-of-the-art equipment and small classes for students to learn well. You can earn your degree in 2 years, and the clinical experience can be undertaken in many hospitals and medical facilities in Florida.
- Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester, New York: Known for its innovation, top-notch staff, creativity, and cutting-edge facilities, the RIT offers students an excellent experience in its bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The duration of the program is 48 months. With an application fee of $65 and fulfilling the test score requirements, you will be offered a placement to take the course. The tuition fee annually is about $52,030. Clinical internship, which spans a year, is also part of the curriculum in about two medical facilities.
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts: Within 36 months, students can complete their courses and obtain their bachelor’s degrees in Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Echocardiography. The College accepts transfer students through the “fast track” program, and it takes sixteen or twenty-four months to complete.
- Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut: A private, not-for-profit university, the school offers a bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The bachelor’s degree program teaches both sophisticated sonography procedures and skills for students to work well with their patients. The program has options in vascular, musculoskeletal, and abdominal imaging among others.
Students have options of clinical internship in about 20 medical facilities across the state.
- Southeast Technology College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota: The course is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The College has options in vascular sonography and cardiac sonography. The College is ranked the 11th best community college in America.
- Lamar Institute of Technology, Beaumont, Texas: Upon completion of the program in the college, the student will be awarded the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
What do Ultrasound Technicians do?
Ultrasound Technicians use special equipment to check parts of a person’s body, to identify diseases of all kinds, and pregnancies. They work with doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to detect patients’ illnesses and treat them. Diagnostic Ultrasound technicians do not read the results though they detect the diseases. It is the doctors who read and diagnose the diseases. For pregnancies, ultrasound scans differ and have different uses.
Types of Ultrasound Scans
There are several types of ultrasound scans as there are specialties. Some of them are.
- An Abdominal Ultrasound scan: This is used to check the internal organs and detect diseases and the extent of damage in the human body, such as the spleen, liver, and kidneys.
- Transabdominal Ultrasound Scan: This is mostly used for pregnant women in their second and third trimesters. The Technician will rub a gel on the abdomen and use a traducer to spread it around. Simultaneously, the internal images will be shown on a computer monitor. This scan diagnoses the state of the fetus determines the sex, check the growth, fetal movements, placenta location, and any other information that can be seen.
- Pelvic Ultrasound Scan: Used to diagnose pelvic pain, ovarian cancers, kidney stones, and several others.
- Transvaginal ultrasound scan: It is also used to diagnose pelvic pain, and for pregnancies too. In the first trimester, the transvaginal ultrasound is mostly used to detect the fetus before it can be seen on an abdominal ultrasound.
- Others are Carotid & Abdominal Aorta Ultrasound Imaging (to check blood flow from the neck to the brain), Obstetric Ultrasound scans (general name to check the fetus of a pregnant woman), and Transrectal scans among others.
Diagnostic Ultrasound Tech Coursework to take in Schools
Courses differ from school to school, and the degree you seek, so you should expect to take more or less of the courses listed here. For an Associate Degree Program, your curriculum includes Physics, Anatomy, Physiology, Ultrasound Imaging, Principles of General Sonography, Registry Review, Clinical Internships, and Pathology among others.
For a Bachelor of Science Degree, your coursework will include Introduction to Epidemiology, Ultrasound Physics, and Health Policy among others. You will also be required to complete clinical internships with some medical facilities or hospitals.
There are also advanced classes for sonographers who want to specialize further in their chosen career, these people are expected to have 30 CME (continuing medical education) credits
Important Factors to Consider when Searching for a School to study Sonography Ultrasound Tech.
- Know the requirements for entry: Some will require specific diplomas or completion of some programs.
- Know the certificate options your preferred school(s) offers.
- Confirm if the sonography program is accredited.
- Check for the type of facilities used in the school. Are they modern and cutting-edge facilities?
- Get an idea of the facilities the school uses for clinical training.
- Ask if the school offers scholarships and the requirements. Do students have tutoring centers?
- Ask about the tuition and other fees you might have to pay.
- Know if the school is affiliated with other institutions. This might be of great benefit to you.
- Check if they offer the course online too. You might need it at some point in the program.
- Ask if they are affiliated with organizations, hospitals, or medical facilities for the employment of graduates.
- Ask any other question that will dispel your doubts.
You might need to schedule an appointment with a staff of the department or a course advisor, to answer your questions.
How much do Sonographers earn in the US?
The average hourly salary for a sonographer in the US is $35.26. The highest-paid specialties in sonography are Neuro Sonography, $115,000, and Paediatric sonography, $85,000. The states with the highest-paying salary are the District of Columbia with $101,650, California, 101,230, Hawaii, with $99,410, and Washington, with $98,470. The lowest paying states are Puerto Rico, $28,600, Alabama, $60,550, Mississippi, $61,530.
The factors that determine a sonographer’s salary are experience, location, education, need, work skills, negotiation skills, and several others.
Needed Skills for Sonography Ultrasound Technicians
Skills are much needed in this Century. The reason is that it helps a professional do his job to perfection. Employers now employ candidates who have certain skills they believe can help promote the work they are expected to do, not just because they have a degree. Whether you are a doctor or an Engineer, skills are very important for your job.
The skills and abilities a sonographer should possess are Interpersonal skills, effective communication, listening and learning skills, arm steadiness, great oral expression, and time management among others.
Sonographers deal directly with patients so they must be able to keep their feelings and expressions in check so that they do not aggravate a situation or the condition of the patient, more than necessary, particularly as they are not even allowed to explain the images to the patients.
Are there schools that offer sonography as an online course?
Yes. Some schools offer online coursework for sonography, but you will have to complete your clinical internship at a medical facility or a hospital, and there are quite a few schools that already have their affiliate medical facilities and you might not be allowed to intern with a different hospital.
Are sonographers exposed to radiation?
No, sonography is safe, and the patient and sonographers will not be exposed to radiation exposure.
Conclusion
Sonography is wide, has multiple specialties, and is one of the fastest-growing careers in the US. So, if you love to care for people and don’t want to be a doctor, then you can consider sonography and make a difference in the lives of several people. Now it is clear about Best Sonography Ultrasound Tech Schools In The US.
You also have options for study programs. You can take a 1-year certificate, 2-year associate degree, and 4-year bachelor’s degree to qualify, and then write other advanced qualifying examinations. This career is both rewarding and very demanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is ARDMS?
ARDMS means the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. It is a licensed organisation for sonography in the US and across the world.
- Are ultrasound and sonography different?
Yes, they are slightly different. The tool that takes the picture is called Ultrasound, while the picture taken is the sonogram.
- How much do entry-level ultrasound technicians earn?
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics and the National Compensation Survey, they earn a salary of $60,160 per annum.
