Pursuing a Career as an Ultrasound Technician

Ultrasound Technology is a growing field offering an exciting opportunity to work with and help people using the latest medical technology. An ultrasound technologist or sonographer is an important part of a medical team, assisting physicians with diagnosis of medical conditions through sonic wave imagery.

Job Description

As an ultrasound technician, you will be looking to see what is going on inside a patient's body without the use of surgery. Sound waves reflect images off the inside of the patient's body to develop an image that will be reviewed by the physician to obtain a proper diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. As a part of your job duty, you will explain the procedure and prepare patients to undergo an ultrasound. Among your responsibilities will be operating and maintaining equipment, choosing the most usable pictures for the physician in assisting with diagnosis. In Obstetric sonography, measurements are taken to ensure the unborn fetus is developing properly.

Specialty fields for medical sonographers include obstetrics, gynecology, abdominal sonography, echocardiography, vascular technology and breast sonography.

Salary and Job Outlook

There is a growing need for ultrasound technologists. According to the Office of Bureau and Labor Statistics, the occupation is expected to see a faster than normal job growth rate through the year 2014. The median salary for an ultrasound technologist in 2004 was $52,490/year with the higher paying jobs reaching $72,000/year.

Education

A career as an ultrasound technologist will require education through an accredited program for medical sonography. Some hospitals offer training programs or you may pursue a two or 4-year degree at a university or vocational technical school. The ARDMS (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography) offers the following professional designations: RDMS - Reistered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer; RDCS - Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer; RVT - Registered Vascular Technologist; and RPVI - Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. Many employers look for the ARDMS certification and obtaining one will assist you in obtaining the better paying jobs available in medical sonography.

Sources:

Ultrasound Technician Career Info: Ultrasound Technologist Job Description

Become an Ultrasound Technician

Ultrasound Technician: Requirements to Start a Career as an Ultrasound Tech

Overview of ARDMS (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography