Sonographers train to use ultrasound equipment.
Most of us take physiological processes such as hearing and vision for granted. But when disease strikes and we lose some of our innate abilities, we long to understand the mechanisms that keep us healthy and functional. Well-trained sonographers use medical ultrasound equipment to produce diagnostic images, videos or scans of human anatomy.
Academic Requirements
There are several paths of entry into the field, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trainers and employers prefer attendees with academic and practical training as well as professional licensing. A bachelor's degree in anatomy, basic physics, physiology, patient care or instrumentation is generally the norm for sonographer positions. Individuals who attend a vocational training school are welcome in the occupation, especially if they graduate from a program that the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs has accredited. Licensing carries professional prestige, and the most popular industry credential is the registered diagnostic medical sonographer.
Target Audience
In addition to novice sonographers and people with no connection to the medical world, professionals in sound-related disciplines attend training to hone their skills. These personnel include diagnostic medical sonographers, echocardiographic technicians, registered diagnostic medical sonographers and ultrasound technologists, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O-Net OnLine). Other potential attendees include ultrasonographers as well as cardiac and vascular sonographers.
Area of Focus
During training, attendees learn generate clear and precise images of different areas of the body, depending on physicians' orders; prepare, use, maintain and troubleshoot diagnostic imaging equipment; and explain procedures to patients before starting imaging tests. Equally important, participants learn create precise and accurate evaluations of diagnostic imaging exams and submit diagnostic imaging results to physicians, according to online medical resource Medical Career Training.
Tools
O*Net OnLine notes that novice sonographers and other participants train to use the tools of the trade. These include immobilization and positioning devices, high-frequency transducers, ultrasound video equipment and monitors, pulsed-wave ultrasound equipment and two-dimensional Doppler ultrasound machinery. State-of-the-art technology plays a key role in modern-day sonography procedures. Accordingly, trainers share -- with the attendance --- their knowledge of database user interface and query software, patient medical record software and ultrasound accuracy management applications.
Considerations
Active listening is not the only trait that sonographers train to develop. Trainees also hone skills such as effective communication, time-management ability, detail orientation, social perceptiveness and problem sensitivity. Another benefit of training is that it helps develop a knack for identifying and troubleshooting mechanical malfunctions in ultrasound equipment. As of 2010, sonographers earned an average annual salary of $69,000, according to online career resource Indeed.
Tags: ultrasound equipment, diagnostic imaging, diagnostic medical, according online, diagnostic medical sonographers, medical sonographers
