The ARDMS exam is an ultrasound technician certification exam given in all fifty states in the US. Unlike other allied health professions like nursing and medicine, sonography doesn’t have a nationwide licensure examination. However, there are a few states which have proposed or enacted licensure legislations - primarily in Oregon, New Mexico, West Virginia, and New Jersey. In order to set nationwide standards for the practice of sonography, the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography gives out periodic and on-demand exams to license sonographers.
Sonography education
Sonography training comes in three different programs according to length: 12-month certificate programs, 2-year associate programs, and 4-year bachelor programs. Associate and certificate courses can typically found in most community colleges. If you plan on studying to become a sonographer, remember to enrol in an accredited program by the CAAHEP – the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. There are 209 CAAHEP-accredited schools in the US this 2014 (for more details visit the accredited sonography schools directory).
Accredited programs offer the best training that prepares a sonographer for licensure because that program’s curriculum meets the standards set by CAAHEP all over the US. Requirements are much easier to complete as well, when a sonographer applies for licensure, if the person graduated from an accredited program. CMEs are also explained through the link for Lisa’s article. |
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A license to practice
Licenses are legal documentation and proof that a person is allowed to engage in an activity. Sonography licensure is a legal requirement for sonographers working in New Mexico and Oregon to practice their occupation as a sonographer. While several states have proposed legislation to require sonographers to have licenses to practice, only New Mexico and Oregon have approved them.
The importance of getting a license
While certificates are not required by a sonographer to practice his or her occupation, licenses are the complete opposite. In states where sonography licensure is part of legislation, sonographers are required to apply for a license before they can work as a sonographer. This license acts similarly to the license required by nurses and medical doctors to practice their occupations.
Having a license means that the knowledge and skill a person gained through training meets the standards for practicing sonography all over the state. As a sonographer, it is part of your duty to meet these standards and become certified. Licensed sonographers are guaranteed to have the best skill and technique when handling patients and performing the diagnostic procedure on them.
When a person graduates from a sonography program from a college or university, he will be hard-pressed to find a job without license. Without a license, sonographers are paid less and have less opportunities offered to them than sonographers who are licensed. It is near impossible to get a job as a sonographer if the state laws do not allow you to practice without a license or ultrasound technician certification.
Having a license means that the knowledge and skill a person gained through training meets the standards for practicing sonography all over the state. As a sonographer, it is part of your duty to meet these standards and become certified. Licensed sonographers are guaranteed to have the best skill and technique when handling patients and performing the diagnostic procedure on them.
When a person graduates from a sonography program from a college or university, he will be hard-pressed to find a job without license. Without a license, sonographers are paid less and have less opportunities offered to them than sonographers who are licensed. It is near impossible to get a job as a sonographer if the state laws do not allow you to practice without a license or ultrasound technician certification.