Ultrasound Technician Schools

Your online resource for Ultrasound Technician Schools and Career Information. Ultrasound technician schools provide training and education for those people who want to work in this career. The education for this career is similar to the path for x-ray technicians because the work being done is essentially the same. Students will study for 21-24 months to obtain a certificate and between 2 and 4 years to obtain an associate or bachelor's degree in radiological sciences. There are many potential jobs in the future for those who have these certifications. Every state has their own requirements for licensure within this industry, and the American Registry of Radiologic Technicians (ARRT) has their own voluntary program for certification. Employers often prefer these types of programs when they hire employees even though they are not required by law. Once a professional is ARRT certified, they must maintain certification with 24 continuing education hours every two years. Ultrasound technician schools pave the way for careers in doctor offices, hospital laboratories, clinics, and other healthcare environments where ultrasound services might be needed.

Top Ultrasound Technician Schools

Ultrasound Technician Schools F.Y.I.

Hiring will be brisk over the next decade for ultrasound professionals. The U.S. Labor Department predicts that openings for ultrasound technicians, assistants, and sonographers will grow by nearly 20 percent by the year 2014. Ultrasound schools across the country offer a wide range of professional development, degree, and certification classes for people who want to join this fast-growing field. Medical college and university ultrasound schools provide full, four-year sononographer degree programs as well as one- and two-year training programs that qualify ultrasound techs and assistants. Short, one-year certification programs are also available at some ultrasound schools.

Coursework for ultrasound professionals may include patient orientation, anatomy, ultrasound equipment operation, basic physics, pathophysiology, medical ethics and law, abdominal techniques, gynecological technique, and instrumentation. Students learn about sound speed, frequency, and wavelength as they apply to tissues and internal organs. Students also participate in hands-on labs and training at ultrasound schools.

None of the states in the country currently requires licensure in ultrasound or diagnostic medical sonography, however many employers expect their technicians and other professionals to seek American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) certification. Once they enter the field, ultrasound professionals can continue their training, advancing to supervisory or leadership roles in hospitals, clinics, physicians' offices, and laboratories. Many health care workers enroll in ultrasound schools to broaden their resumes.

Ultrasound professionals will find an increasing demand for their services as more and more doctors and hospitals turn away from traditional radiation imaging methods in favor of safe ultrasound technology, the U.S. Labor Department reports.

Source
U.S. Labor Department

Related Ultrasound Technician Degree & School News

  • Four Hot Specializations in Ultrasound - Ultrasound--or diagnostic medical sonography--is a rapidly growing career field in the medical professions. Because ultrasound technology is a non-invasive procedure, physicians and patients often prefer using sonography for gathering diagnostic data over radiation alternatives that may produce harmful side effects. The Department of Labor predicts solid 19 percent job growth...

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