Diagnostic Medical Sonographer vs. Physical Therapist

The projected number of people employed as a sonographer in 2022 will be 85,900, employment is projected to grow 14-19%. About 59% percent of ultrasound technician are in public and private hospitals ,

Pursuing an education is important when it comes to being successful at a career. To become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, it is essential to graduate high school and college, taking all the required classes that are necessary. High school classes that are most beneficial to students wanting to become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer are classes in anatomy, physiology, and physics (Kriegh, Chaylene). To become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, a college degree is needed. It usually takes four to six years to complete a bachelor’s or master’s degree in sonography (Hiltgen, Lisa). The first two years of college are focused on completing an associate’s degree in an ultrasound program to attain an Allied-Health Associates degree. The completion of

Being able to identify lumps, swelling, tissue damage, cysts, and the overwhelming news of the sex of a baby all have something in common, an ultrasound. Swelling of the spleen, kidney stones, blood clots, aneurysms, cancer and so much more can be identified through the works of an ultrasound’s imaging technique. Ultrasound involves many concepts, procedures, and careers. The amount of medical possibilities involved with ultrasounds is useful in major medical diagnostics. The field of ultrasounds and career opportunities are widely growing. As medical careers flourish, needs for technicians in many fields of medicine are increasing. Instead of a doctor choosing complex and risky surgery to find out problems within the body, they can now

The increasing demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology promises an exceptional outlook for sonographers. The majority of diagnostic medical sonographers are employed by hospitals, but accessibility to low-cost portable ultrasound equipment has led to a growing number of career opportunities at clinics and diagnostic centers (Rising Demand for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers). They now have access to portable units as small as laptop computers making commuting from hospital bedsides to clinical practices easier. Since some sonographers make their own schedules through contracts with clinics, these portable units make traveling much more convenient.

These programs must meet requirements through CAAHEP or Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Education Programs. In the state of Alabama there are a few programs in Mobile and only one in north Alabama at Wallace State Community College. This is the standard route for a sonographer. After entering the technical school or college an associate’s two-year degree or a certificate will be obtained to be able to take the next step. Once graduating with either a degree or certificate a sonographer will have to take state exams to obtain their licensures. The professional certification exams are offered through ARDMS. This is the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. While not all states require certifications it remains that if a professional hold a certification they will more likely get the job. Many employers prefer sonographers with certifications due to Medicare and some insurances reimbursements issues if they are not

Candidates for registered diagnostic medical sonographer must pass two exams. One exam being the ultrasound physics and instrumentation exam and the second being a special exam in obstetrics and gynecology, abdomen, neurosonology or ophthalmology. With the completion of the courses and exams, a student can then become certified with either an associate's or bachelor's degree. All of these specific courses and requirements can be completed at vocational programs, community colleges as well as private training centers. For those who may already obtain a job in a hospital and are interested in being a sonographer, training on the job is available, as many medical facilities do have the accredited programs for certification in this

A diagnostic medical sonographer utilizes unique imaging machinery to generate images and perform exams. They use ultrasound technology to obtain pictures of tissues and body organs. The career of sonography offers a wide range of specialties from obstetric and gynecologic to neurosonography. Some of the duties of a sonographer include prepare the patients for the procedure and examine the data recorded to give a detailed summary to the physician. Like any other healthcare professional, ultrasound technicians have responsibilities that are listed in the scope of practice (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014).

“Scrub wearin’, gel squirtin’, patient scannin’, baby findin’, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer. Eat, Sleep, Scan.” Before I began my research on being a Medical Sonographer, I already had a pretty good idea at some of the things they do. They mainly do ultrasounds on babies, to see the growth and health of the baby. They also do ultrasounds on all different people, if they’re in pain and they need to determine the problem. Their job might seem easy; sometimes it is, but the other times when we discover something wrong with the patient you have to keep it in. You are not allowed to tell them what you just found out; only the doctor can do so. It’s very heartbreaking for them to do baby ultrasounds because sometimes, for some unknown reason something happens to that baby and it’s hard to keep that bottled up and act like nothing’s wrong in front of their parents. I wanted to find out what this job requires and what kind of education i need to obtain to get a job for this career. I also wanted to find out the employment outlook, the estimated salary, and jobs in Mississippi for this career. The first place I went to find my information was referred to by my teacher, where I found every answer I needed and more. The website I found my information on is called mschoices.com. It gave me my complete job outlook, requirements, and the salary of a Medical Sonographer. After I gathered all of my research I set up an interview with a medical sonographer at a clinic in Tupelo to ask a

Sonography is a non-invasive medical procedure that uses the echoes of high-frequency sound waves to construct an image of internal organs or body structures. The employment rate is is expected to grow 26 percent from 2014 to 2024. Since ultrasound is non-invasive, it is more encouraged than other methods so the career is always in demand. Diagnostic medical sonographers duties are to prepare and maintain diagnostic imaging equipment, taking a patients medical history, answering questions about the procedure, operating the equipment, review images and test results, know the difference between normal and abnormal images, analyze diagnostic information, record findings, and keep track of patient records. Hospitals, offices of physicians, medical

As per the Foothill Community College Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Assessment Form, the skills obtained from the program only come after a lengthy list of prerequisites. This includes the completion of a two- year Allied Health Program in Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Nuclear Medicine, Cardiovascular Technology, Registered Nursing, Veterinary Technology or a degree with significant direct patient care experience. In addition to this advanced experience the student also has to have completed college level Human Anatomy, Physiology

A diagnostic medical sonographer only requires a two-year associate’s degree (Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Job Overview, U.S. News Careers, 2014).

The required training and education for entry-level positions in diagnostic medical sonography is generally obtained through an associate’s degree, preferably with an accredited institute. Bachelor’s degrees are also available, as well as one-year certificate programs for professionals expanding their current healthcare degree. Most employers require education from an accredited program because of their allotment for clinical training and studies including medical terminology courses and detailed instruction on interpreting ultrasound images. As discussed previously, students choose a specialized field of sonography to study. Certification is then applied to whichever specialized field has been chosen, such as obstetric and gynecologic sonography, abdominal sonography, breast sonography, musculoskeletal sonography, neurosonography and cardiovascular sonography. Although the interviewee Wilma Barniak has many modalities, she mentions, “I have fortunately always been able to find employment in Rad/CT or a Cardiac Cath Lab. I would say these are my most useful certifications.” The job market for cardiovascular technologists and vascular technologists is rapidly growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a projection of twenty-nine percent in employment between 2010 and 2020 is expected. The authors of Hot Health Care Careers noted, “This technology is increasingly being used to detect heart attacks and heart and

To become an ultrasonic Sonographer, the candidate should have the bachelor’s degree in diagnostic medical Sonography . It requires 2 to 4 year program on medical diagnostic sonography. This program covers vascular and obstetrical gynecological sonography. There are several programs comes under the Commission on Accrediation of Allied

Ultrasound is nothing but sound of frequencies above $20000\thinspace Hz$. This is beyond the range of human hearing. Frequencies of $130\thinspace MHz$ are typical for diagnostic ultrasound. Diagnostic ultrasound technique is non invasively building up high resolution images of the internal body part from the reflected ultrasound signals captured in real time. The most commonly known application of this is in obstetric to produce images of the embryo or fetus within a pregnant woman. However, ultrasound technique is not just limited to imaging but these days analysis of the real time ultrasound signal without any image formation is gaining a lot of popularity due to lesser time consumption for analysis. The resolution attainable is higher

Another form of imaging is ultrasound. Ultrasound, which uses very high frequency sound, is directed into the body. And because the tissue interference's reflect sound, doctors are able to produce, by use of a computer, a photograph or moving image on a television. Ultrasound has many application uses on the body, but is more commonly used in examinations of the fetus during pregnancy, because use of radiation may affect the outcome of the baby. Some other practices for ultrasound include examination of the arteries, heart, pancreas, urinary system, ovaries, brain, and spinal cord. And because sound travels well through fluids it is a very useful technique for diagnosing cysts( which are filled with fluid), and fluid filled structures such as the bladder. And since sound is absorbed by air and bone it is impossible to use a ultrasound on bones or lungs.