In case you are a person who wants to enter a career in the field of allied health, we are here to help you.
There are two paths in education which aspiring students can take towards ultrasound technician certification through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).
Those professionals who are already working in the field of healthcare most frequently 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 high school education and meet minimum G.P.A. requirements.
On the other hand, for Bachelor’s programs, you will need to meet a number of prerequisites to move into the upper-level courses.
Some of these classes include biology, college algebra, human anatomy, and others.
10 Reasons To Consider Sonography Training
1. Once you finish education and get a job as an ultrasound technician, you need to expect to have a variety of responsibilities.
Some of them will be to prepare the treatment rooms for the procedures, handle administrative tasks, such as scheduling, handling phone calls, taking vital signs, patient histories, and other important aspects of office procedures.
That is the reason why you need to gain not only technical, but record-keeping skills as well, and this has to be considered when choosing an ultrasound training to attend.
There are programs that include a variety of skills, in addition to the fundamentals with the aim to prepare students for all the duties in office environments.
2. As an ultrasound technician, you can choose from a wide variety of ultrasound careers.
When we think about an ultrasound technician, we usually have in mind a person who works on monitoring pregnancies, but that is just one of the possible duties that these professionals can perform.
Actually, sonographer jobs are focused on cardiovascular health, abdominal organs and soft tissue areas, and other specialties.
When choosing a future career, this is another thing that you will need to consider.
There may be different training options in your area, so make sure that you enroll in a course that aligns with your career goals.
Sonographers also work in various types of work environments.
They can find jobs to apply for at hospitals, outpatient facilities, private practices, non-profit organizations, and many other types of healthcare offices.
Our suggestion is to speak with an ultrasound school representative about local career options, being that the best schools for sonography and ultrasound will know what the job landscape looks like and they should have internship opportunities for you to get real-world experience.
3. Just like it is the case in any other career, so as to be successful and advance, you will need to have more than your core skills.
The first and foremost is that you need to be perfect at your practice.
On the other hand, you will be required to develop strong interpersonal and communication skills as you will be in constant communication with patients and physicians.
Record-keeping skills are also obligatory, as you must have an understanding of how an office operates.
So, before enrolling in any program, make sure your school has career resources or training opportunities with local facilities.
4. Some people hate sitting at the table all day, while others do not like the fact that they need to be on toes during the whole shift.
If you want to avoid sitting behind a desk all day, a sonography career is the right one for you.
A career in healthcare requires that you keep moving, spend a lot of time standing, so you should be in pretty good physical condition to perform this job.
Also, you will need to help patients get into the appropriate position for you to produce the best imagery.
Another thing that goes along with this is that every day in the life od a sonographer is different and will present you with new patients and new situations.
This is considered the positive side of this career as it helps to keep this occupation from becoming boring or redundant.
5. Another very important reason why a great number of young people enroll in sonography programs is the length of sonography training.
There are several paths you can take to reach ultrasound technician certification and careers.
The majority of people want to train quickly and start working as soon as possible, so they can enroll in 1-2 year programs available for sonography students.
However, there are those who want to reach more than just entry-level positions and want to advance in the field, so they should consider bachelor’s programs in diagnostic medical sonography as an option, which will take more time and effort.
Those who already have a degree in healthcare, and are currently working in the field, may get their employer to pay for the training to reach a certificate.
No matter which path you choose, it is the most important to pursue an education at accredited training programs that will qualify you for ARDMS certification.
The best way is to check out all your options, as there are so many benefits to ARDMS for professionals.
6. ARDMS certification has numerous benefits and if you visit their official website, you will find a ton of information about earning your certification and being successful in this field.
They also offer specialty certifications in the core areas of sonography, including the abdomen, breast, pediatric, fetal, vascular, and obstetrics and gynecology.
Our advice is to get familiar with these certifications and only then determine which path is best for you.
You should also look around at other resources for ultrasound professionals so as to be able to make better decisions for your future.
7. Even though they are not so interested in this field at the beginning but they get involved due to good job prospects and salary, many people fall in love with this job once they get it.
There are those who like working in healthcare and make a difference in patients’ lives from the very beginning and there is nothing better than doing what you like.
Besides the salary and career outlook for ultrasound technicians that look great, people are much happier when they love their jobs.
8. This job is never boring and working with patients, physicians and co-workers offer ultrasound technicians an opportunity to mix it up and communicate with different types of people throughout the day, making this profession quite interactive.
You will have to deal with patients that have different personalities and stories, and you will need to meet all their requests.
Also, you will have to work with physicians who will help you learn and appreciate your hard work, or may not be so friendly.
You will get a chance to enjoy working with coworkers who you support in their efforts to deliver quality care.
9. After investing in education all your efforts, time, and money, it is normal that you expect a good salary and a satisfactory job.
As an ultrasound technician, you can earn an average annual mean wage of $68,970, but these figures vary depending on the region where you live and work.
Also, you can improve your salary as a diagnostic medical sonographer by advancing your education and by gaining more experience.
10. Last, but not the least, ultrasound career, according to the BLS expects, will experience a 26% job growth between 2014-2024.
So, in case your desire is job security, there is no better choice in the field of healthcare for long-term security than a medical sonographer.
