Getting into Local Sonography Programs
With 2015 looming ahead, 2014 has brought great news to sonographers. In the previous year, sonographer employment was at a high – 58,250 earning annual salaries of $67,170; that’s a mean hourly wage of $32.29. Because of these statistics, sonography education has become more available to students all over the country. Check your community college’s website; they probably offer local sonography programs. If not, visit them in person to find sonography programs near you.
Preparing for Sonography Education
Like other college-level courses, completing a program in sonography – known formally as diagnostic medical sonography or DMS – will award a student any of the following: (1) a certificate, (2) an associate degree, or (3) a bachelor degree. There are different specialties to choose from as well, with the four major specialties being general, cardiac, vascular, and pediatric cardiac sonography. Learn more by visiting a website about how to become an ultrasound tech.
Preparing for a sonography degree starts from high school and tailoring your high school activities for a career in sonography. That means choosing extracurricular activities and AP classes that improve your knowledge and skills in medical technology. Even projects and papers you work on in high school can help build your application form (and even your resume!) to the college or university of your choice.
Preparing for Sonography Education
Like other college-level courses, completing a program in sonography – known formally as diagnostic medical sonography or DMS – will award a student any of the following: (1) a certificate, (2) an associate degree, or (3) a bachelor degree. There are different specialties to choose from as well, with the four major specialties being general, cardiac, vascular, and pediatric cardiac sonography. Learn more by visiting a website about how to become an ultrasound tech.
Preparing for a sonography degree starts from high school and tailoring your high school activities for a career in sonography. That means choosing extracurricular activities and AP classes that improve your knowledge and skills in medical technology. Even projects and papers you work on in high school can help build your application form (and even your resume!) to the college or university of your choice.
The College Experience
On other schools, students can put off declaring their majors until the third year of college. However, as an ultrasound tech major who has declared his or her major as early as the first year of college can effectively plan out or space the major courses and clinical training involved in the sonography program. Sonography schools usually have a preplanned curriculum, spanning all four years of a student’s college experience, with major courses starting as early as the second semester of the first year. However, other schools – including those that offer local sonography programs – usually gives students the first two years to finish all general education classes like English and Math, before choosing their major. This allows students more freedom in planning out their education through college or university. Distance Education Diagnostic medical sonography is also one of the college-level courses in the US that can be completed online. The advent of the internet has made information and education very accessible to people all around the world – and that includes acquiring a sonography degree online. This kind of program is perfect for students who work or have family and personal responsibilities that limit their ability to go to school for a regular 8-hour day of classes. |
Currently, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has accredited three schools in the entire United States that offer sonography programs – they can be found in Topeka, Jackson, and Milwaukee.
Sonography Scholarships
In today’s world, while education is available in many places all over the United States, accessibility is a big problem faced by students. The cost of education is still on the rise, with thousands of dollars being spent each semester for something that is everybody’s right to have – regardless of a person’s income or means. To remedy this, there are different scholarships and grants available to students who are studying sonography specifically or a similar allied health course.
Head to your college or university and see if there are any scholarships or grants available to students taking local sonography programs. The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, International Foundation for Sonography Education and Research, and even the American Veterans Service Organization offer scholarships to sonography students all throughout the year.