Ultrasound technicians work in medical facilities with a variety of patients.
Ultrasound technicians, also known as diagnostic medical sonographers, use specialized equipment to take images of soft tissue, internal organs and the unborn babies of patients. They then forward these images to physicians as diagnostic tools. Those wishing to pursue a career as an ultrasound technician may take courses at colleges and universities, resulting in a certificate or degree with a concentration in the field.
Keiser Career College
The program at Keiser Career College takes 24 calendar months to complete for full-time students, which results in an associate of science degree in diagnostic medical sonography. Applicants must hold a high school diploma or GED and have a grade-point average of 3.0 out of 4.0. Students must complete courses in basic life sciences such as anatomy and physiology, biology, and chemistry. Other classroom courses include introduction to sonography, acoustic instrumentation, neonatal sonography, obstetric and gynecological sonography, vascular sonography and others. In addition to the classroom instruction, students must satisfactorily complete seven clinical rotations in various health care facilities.
Keiser Career College
6812 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite D-1
Greenacres, FL 33413
561-433-2330
keisercareer.edu
University of Missouri-Columbia
Students completing the four-year course of study in diagnostic medical ultrasound at the University of Missouri earn a bachelor of health science degree. Applicants must have a grade-point average of 2.74 out of 4.0 or higher and exhibit moral and ethical qualities necessary to ensure patient safety and dignity. The program requires students to complete prerequisites in the life sciences prior to taking courses in diagnostic medical ultrasound, including medical pharmacology and pathology. The school requires students to enroll in the program full time. Students obtain theoretical learning in the classroom while gaining practical experience through extensive clinical rotations.
University of Missouri-Columbia
104 Jesse Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
573-884-2990
missouri.edu
Alamo Colleges-St. Philip's College
St. Philip's College in San Antonio, Texas, offers a full-time program for those pursuing a career in ultrasound technology. The five-semester curriculum consists of classes such as ultrasound physics, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, several ultrasound courses and a battery of clinical rotations. The clinicals take place in local health care facilities. Students use actual ultrasound equipment on patients under close supervision of St. Philip's faculty and attending physicians. The program at the college focuses on abdominal, obstetric and gynecological ultrasound applications. Advisers at the school recommend that students work no more than 15 to 20 hours per week while attending.
Alamo Colleges-St. Philip's College
1801 Martin Luther King Drive
San Antonio, TX 78203
210-486-2000
alamo.edu/spc
Tags: diagnostic medical, Career College, clinical rotations, Keiser Career, Keiser Career College, Philip College, Alamo Colleges-St
