THINKING OF A CAREER IN SONOGRAPHY?

Sonography is a highly evolving profession with continuously developing technologies. Sonographers may choose to work in many different settings: hospitals, clinics, as educators, in research, sales or as technical advisors.

What is Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound/Sonography?

Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound/Sonography is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to acquire real time images of the human abdomen, pelvis, muscles, pregnancies, vessels, heart and other soft tissue structures. ⁽¹⁾ Ultrasound images are captured in real-time as a result they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. ⁽²⁾

Sonography (ultrasonography) is widely used in medicine. It is possible to perform both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, using ultrasound to guide interventional procedures (for instance biopsies or drainage of fluid collections). Sonographers are medical professionals who perform scans for diagnostic purposes. With sonography as an imaging modalities there are subspecialties within this field. Vascular sonographers specialize in imaging arteries and veins throughout the body. Cardiac sonographers (or echocardiographers) image cardiac structures and all other soft tissue structures, (i.e. abdominal, pelvic, etc) are imaged by generalist sonographers.

What Is the Role of the Sonographer?

Sonographers look for subtle visual cues that distinguish healthy areas from unhealthy ones. They decide whether the images are satisfactory for diagnostic purposes and select which ones to submit to the physician for diagnosis. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required of sonographers because they must be able to explain technical procedures and results to the patients, some of whom may be nervous about the examination or the problems it may reveal. A background in math and science is used to perform calculations in analyses for diagnosis and is a foundation for applying the various methods of image acquisition and manipulation. ⁽³⁾

What Are My Educational Options?

There are different avenues to pursue education in the profession of sonography. These include paths for both post secondary and post graduate students. The following are programs accredited or to be accredited by the Canadian Medical Association.

Graduate Diploma Programs

The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences

The Michener Institute offers an English language, generalist sonography program in Toronto.

http://www.michener.ca/ce/postdiploma/ultrasound.php ⁽¹⁾

Admission Requirements

Registered health care professionals with a minimum 3 year degree or diploma in their field of study (some examples: Chiropodists, Echocardiographer, Nurse, Radiological Technologist, Radiation Therapist, Respiratory Therapist, Vascular Technologist, etc) ⁽¹⁾

Or, Bachelor of Science degree, or Bachelor of Science or Arts in Kinesiology with: ⁽¹⁾

• One full university course in Human Anatomy and Human Physiology
• A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of B-, and a minimum grade of C- in each of the required courses

College Boreal

College Boreal offers a French language, generalist sonography program in Sudbury.

http://www.borealc.on.ca/misc/programmes/PDF/ECHO.pdf

Admission Requirements

Professionnel de la sante, pratiquant dans un des domaines suivants : technologie en radiation medicale, radio-oncologie, medecine nucleaire, sciences infirmiares, echocardiographie ou echographie vasculaire, medecine. L'etudiant ou l'etudiante doit posseder un baccalaureat specialise en biochimie ou en science biomedicale. Les candidats ayant un baccalaureat dans une autre discipline seront evalues de fasson individuelle.⁽²⁾

Mohawk College

Mohawk College offers an English language, cardiac sonography program in Hamilton.

http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/calendar/healthSciences/medTech/DCS.html

Admission Requirements

• A Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

• A graduate of a single two-year allied health diploma program with a full year course in Human Anatomy and Physiology, or equivalent. Such health occupations include but are not limited to Radiologic Technologist, Respiratory Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Registered Nurse, Registered Massage Therapist, Cardiovascular Technologist and Physical Therapist

• A graduate of a Bachelor's degree in a health-related discipline with a full year course in Human Anatomy and Physiology, or equivalent. Such degrees include but are not limited to BSc Kinesiology, BA Kinesiology, Bachelor of Health Sciences and Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences ⁽⁵⁾

Diploma - Degree Program

Mohawk-McMaster Institute for Applied Health Sciences

Mohawk-McMaster offers an English language, generalist and vascular sonography program in Hamilton. Graduates of this program receive an Ontario College Advanced Diploma and a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Sciences.

http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/calendar/healthSciences/medradsci.html ⁽³⁾

Admission Requirements

Completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (or equivalent) and:6 Grade 12 U or M courses including English U, Biology U, Chemistry U, Advanced Functions U, one of Calculus and Vector U or Physics U and (both are recommended) ⁽³⁾

National Registry Exams

Most employers require registration with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) and/or Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP). These credentialing bodies are considered the gold standard for practicing sonographers. For further details please refer to the following links:

The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) http://www.ardms.org

Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP) http://www.cardup.org

Possible Work Options

• Medical clinic- privately owned

• Hospital- publicly funded

• Research

• Application Specialist with Sonography Equipment Company

Why choose a career in Sonography?

As a sonographer you will be in direct contact with the patients and will apply your skills in a challenging and dynamic field of medical imaging. Depending on your preference you can choose to work in a private clinic or a hospital. You can also choose to specialize in abdominal sonography or obstetrics and gynecology as a generalist sonographer and then go on to specialize as a vascular sonographer or echocardiographer. There are many options of part time, full time as well as casual work and you may choose to work at a fixed site or work in mobile sonography.

Come, join us!

For more information contact:

OSDMS Executive Director at 416 425-1635 or Toll-Free 1-866 835-9740 or e-mail us at OSDMS @sympatico.ca

References

1. The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences; http://www.michener.ca/ce/postdiploma/ultrasound.php Retrieved, April 20, 2009

2. Radiology Info: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=genus Retrieved, April 23, 2009

3. Mohawk-McMaster Institute for Applied Health Sciences http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/calendar/healthSciences/medradsci.html Retrieved, April 20, 2009

4. College Boreal: http://www.borealc.on.ca/misc/programmes/PDF/ECHO.pdf Retrieved, April 23, 2009

5. Mohawk College: http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/calendar/diagnosticCardiacSonog.html Retrieved, April 23, 2009