You may know the words 鈥渦ltrasound鈥 and 鈥渟onogram鈥 from talking to expectant parents. This testing鈥攄escribed by Trident Technical College as the 鈥渦se of nonionizing equipment to transmit sound waves at high frequencies into the patient鈥檚 body, then collect reflected echoes to form an image鈥濃攇ets couples excited to start picking out names based on the baby鈥檚 sex. But a sonogram actually serves the crucial purpose of monitoring the baby鈥檚 health. Plus, a major in diagnostic medical sonography involves much more than producing images of a fetus in order to detect disease. You鈥檒l be using ultrasound techniques to evaluate all kinds of patients鈥 health and you鈥檒l be prepped to help physicians form their diagnoses. During your studies, you鈥檒l gain an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and pathology, using your knowledge to create accurate ultrasound images. Your program will most likely offer plenty of hands-on experience with the scanning equipment you鈥檒l someday use in the field, and you鈥檒l become skillful in the art of dealing with patients compassionately and professionally.
Sonographers are very important to physicians. As a diagnostic medical sonographer, you鈥檒l be responsible not only for producing these ultrasound images but for interpreting them as well. You鈥檒l integrate the images with a patient鈥檚 clinical information and pass on your summary to a qualified physician for diagnosis. Specifically, sonography is used to evaluate the heart, gallbladder, kidneys, liver, blood vessels, and pelvic organs, in addition to unborn babies. The ultrasound technique involves forming a two-dimensional image to examine and measure your internal organs and detect any abnormalities. You might choose to specialize in a field such as obstetrics, abdominal, or echocardiography. No matter what your chosen path, as a diagnostic medical sonography major you鈥檒l learn how to operate highly technical equipment, and you鈥檒l be a vital part of evaluating patients鈥 health and improving their outlook and future.
Abdominal Sonography
Cardiac Sonography
Case Studies
Clinical Education
Imaging Pathophysiology
Instrumentation Registry
Medical Ethics & Law
Obstetric & Gynecologic Sonography
Sectional Anatomy
Sonographic Physics and Instrumentation
Superficial Structure
A broad familiarity with the sciences is vital to a career in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, so fill your schedule with upper-level Biology, Chemistry, and Physics courses. Math courses are also important. This career requires good communication skills as well, so take courses in the humanities鈥攕uch as English and languages鈥攖hat will help you improve your reading, writing, and oral communication. Any health or anatomy courses your high school offers will give you a great head start for college.
Connect with our featured colleges to find schools that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.
Ready to create the next great app? Launch your gaming career at one of these top 50 programs.
165,000 students rate everything from their professors to their campus social scene.
Join athletes who were discovered, recruited & often received scholarships after connecting with NCSA's 42,000 strong network of coaches.