Results of Didactic Training in Ultrasound
Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs are offered all over the United States in three categories: certificate, associate degree, and bachelor degree programs. It is important to remember that the goal of education is for the long-term retention of knowledge and skill – especially knowledge and skill in health care. However, retention can be difficult for others, with most of the information learned lost within the next few hours. A study was conducted on introductory courses to emergency sonography, involving 80 respondents. Their ability to retain information was the main goal of the study.
Sonography curricula
There more than 200 colleges/universities in the US that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). There are10 accredited sonography schools in NY alone. When a school is accredited, it means it curriculum has passed the nationwide standards set by different sonography organizations. Sonography training will usually include classroom-based presentation (PS) and clinical training or hands-on sessions, whatever kind of program the student enrolls in. Courses regarding specialties may vary but the basics typically remain the same throughout different schools. New York is one of the best states to enroll in a sonography program. It is fourth (out of 50 states) in terms of employment levels, making it one of the best states to seek job opportunities as a sonographer. There were more than 4,000 sonographers working in the state by May 2013 (4,320), just 400 sonographers less than the state with the best employment level – California. Salary per annum is a little less than the average throughout the nation, at $67,020, compared to $67,170. Look through a list of best ultrasound technician schools in NY for an idea on how to get started. |
Factors that affect the training process
The different factors considered to affect education and retention include program length, learning load (course load), and format of learning. After analysis of the results of the questionnaires and observations, it was revealed that the students of the sonography program had poor long-term memory regarding retained knowledge – only amounting to 20 percent (or less) of the content tackled in the classes. It was likewise revealed that the load did not proportionally nor inversely affect the ability of the sonographer to retain information from a session.
Potential problems that could have negatively affected the students learning process included too many abbreviations and bullets in the lessons, making it hard to retain the gist of the lesson taught. These lessons, usually presented in PowerPoint slides, become dull and boring, and negatively impact the students’ attention span. Similarly, several studies were able to surmise that the use of multimedia such as audio and video presentations resulted in better test result scores for students studying sonography and other allied health topics.
Types of learning styles
As a sonography student, it is part of your responsibility to know what learning style works best for you. Learning styles typically focus on three senses of the body – sight, sound, and touch. Some learners prefer visual stimulation, some audio (or both audio and visual), while others prefer a hands-on experience (tactile learners). In a diagnostic medical sonography course, being a learner who works well with all three methods is an advantage, because sonography curriculum equally divides class hours into presentations and hands-on training.
You can visit your local college or university (or the school of your choice) for a list of requirements that a sonography student needs to fulfill before enrolling in the DMS program.