Do you already have a career in the field of allied health, or want to compare Associate’s and entry level programs in the field of healthcare?
If so, there are two paths in education towards ultrasound technician certification through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) to consider. Professionals who are already working in the field of healthcare can sometimes take a program that can be completed in about 12 months.
To enter most Associate’s programs, you will need to have the equivalent of a high school education, and meet minimum G.P.A. requirements. For Bachelor’s programs, you will need a number of prerequisites to move into the upper level courses. Some of these classes include biology, college algebra, human anatomy, and others.
If you already have a degree related to sonography, then you probably have everything you need to move straight into a bachelor’s program.
10 Reasons To Consider Sonography Training…
1.) You can wear many hats in this role. When you work as an ultrasound technician, you will have a variety of responsibilities. You will prepare the treatment rooms for the procedures, as well as handle administrative tasks, such as scheduling, handling phone calls, taking vital signs, patient histories, and other important aspects of office procedures.
When you consider ultrasound training, try to look for programs that include a variety of skills, in addition to the fundamentals. This will help you prepare for the many functions of office environments.
2.) Wide variety of ultrasound careers. Ultrasound technician work is more than monitoring pregnancies. In fact, there are sonographer jobs that focus on cardiovascular health, abdominal organs and soft tissue areas, and other specialties that give professionals different career paths they can follow. This is another thing you need to consider when looking at different training options in your area. Make sure the learning outcomes associated with each course align with your career goals.
There are also many types of work environments that ultrasound techs can find openings to apply for. You can apply at hospitals, outpatient facilities, private practices, non-profit organizations, and many other types of healthcare offices.
When you speak with ultrasound school, it is important to discuss local career options. The best schools for sonography and ultrasound will know what the job landscape looks like in your area, what offices hire recent graduates, and they should have internship opportunities for you to get real world experience.
3.) Professional competencies abound. To be successful and advance in the field of healthcare, you will need to have more than your core skills. Being great at your practice takes an entirely different set of training than developing strong interpersonal and communication skills that patients and physicians will connect with. Also, understanding how an office operates, and adhering to policy changes (which are common in healthcare) can really help you on the job, and prepare you for success. Along with this, make sure your school also has career resources or training opportunities with local facilities.
4.) A medical career keeps you on your toes. A lot of people want to work in a structured, office environment, but also want to avoid sitting behind a desk all day. If you want a career in healthcare that is less hectic than emergency room work, but keeps you moving, you should check out ultrasound training. You should be in pretty good physical condition to perform this job. That’s because you will sometimes have to help patients get into the appropriate position for you to produce the best imagery.
Another thing that goes along with this is the fact that no two shifts in healthcare are ever the same. Your overall job functions will remain constant, pretty much. However, every day will present you with new patients and new situations that help keep this occupation from becoming boring or redundant.
5.) Sonography training can be quick. There are several paths to ultrasound technician certification and careers. If you want to train quickly and start working as soon as possible, then look into 1-2 year programs. If you see yourself wanting to advance in the field, consider bachelor’s programs in diagnostic medical sonography as an option as well. If you already have a degree in healthcare, and are currently working in the field, you may be able to get your employer to pay for your training. It may even be offered at a local hospital or other facility, as a fast track to certification.
Just make sure you pursue accredited training programs that will qualify for ARDMS certification. This is another one of those reasons for checking out all your options. There are so many benefits to ARDMS for professionals; you won’t want to miss out by taking a program that isn’t credible. When you find out about accreditation, ask how their courses help you prepare for the examination.
6.) ARDMS certification has other benefits. If you haven’t checked out the website for the ARDMS, then you should, right after you finish this list. They have a ton of information about earning your certification and being successful in this field. You can stay up-to-date with what’s going on through their articles, calendar of events, podcasts, and many other ways students stay informed.
They also offer specialty certifications in the core areas of sonography, including: abdomen, breast, pediatric, fetal, vascular, and obstetrics and gynecology. You can read more about these certifications here to determine which path is best for you. You should also look around at other resources for ultrasound professionals. The more you know about careers and training in healthcare, the better decisions you’ll make for your future.
7.) You can fall in love your job. We can’t think of anything better than loving your job. If you want to work in healthcare, make a difference in patients’ lives, and think these facts sound good to you so far, then you might really love an ultrasound career. Even though the salary and career outlook for ultrasound looks great (we’ll talk about those things later on), it’s no secret that people are much happier when they love their jobs.
Can you imagine how good it would feel to see the joy on parents’ faces when they find out their baby’s gender for the first time? Or how awesome it is to know you just made a patient feel comfortable about their health? These are moments you live for when you have compassion for others, and want to help heal others through your career.
8.) Interactive job position. Working with patients, physicians and co-workers offers ultrasound technicians an opportunity to mix it up and communicate with different types of people throughout the day. Your patients will have different personalities and stories, physicians will help you learn and appreciate your hard work, and you can enjoy working with coworkers who you support in their efforts to deliver quality care.
Unlike other positions, such as billing and coding, that are data-focused, ultrasound techs have an opportunity to work in an interactive environment. If this is the kind of atmosphere in which you thrive, this could be a good career option for you.
9.) Compensation. We can’t have a list about the reasons to become an ultrasound tech without talking about salary and career outlook. We’ll talk about salary here, and job growth next. Basically, you can earn an average annual mean wage of $68,970 as a diagnostic medical sonographer. That’s according to the Bureau of Labor statistics (BLS, 2017), where we compile all of our salary and job outlook data from.
Of course, you should speak with schools near you and search local job listings to get the best gauge for salaries you can expect if you earn your certification and start working.
10.) Check out ultrasound career growth. Just to give you some perspective, the BLS expects all occupations combined to experience 7% growth between 2014-2024. Got that? 7%.
So check out what they anticipate for diagnostic medical sonographers: The BLS expect growth to reach 26% at the same time.
In an era where we constantly hear about workers wanting job security, we can’t think of a better choice in the field of healthcare for long-term security. But at the same time, healthcare is experiencing some pretty impressive growth overall. On this topic, the BLS reports healthcare should grow at a rapid 19% rate between 2014-2024.
So, now can you see what all the hype is about when it comes to ultrasound technician training?
If you are ready to explore ultrasound schools near you, use the search box to find the programs that interest you. You can contact as many schools as you want, free from our website.
