Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Diagnostic Medical Sonography?
  
  
  • Sonography, also called ultrasound, is the science of using sound waves to create a diagnostic image to investigate an illness, injury, or possible treatment of a disease. It is a multifaceted profession consisting of many specialty areas. These areas include: abdominal, obstetrics and gynecology, vascular and cardiac sonography. The sonography program at USI prepares individuals to function effectively as entry-level sonographers.
    
    
• What is a sonographer?
  
  
  • A sonographer is a technologist who works under the direction of a physician, to perform ultrasound exams of many parts of the human body.
    
    
• How long is the sonography program?
  
  
  • The sonography program at USI provides a curriculum which includes didactic courses in conjunction with laboratory and clinical experience. The curriculum consists of 1 1/2 years of pre-requisite general education courses and 2 1/2 years of professional education work once the student is accepted into the program.
    
    
• What kind a degree will I receive when I am done with the curriculum for USI's sonography Program?
  
  
  • After completion of the 4 years of required curriculum, students will receive a BS degree in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences. The student will be eligible to sit for the national registry examination administered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
    
    
• Is USI's sonography program accredited?
  
  
  • Yes, the DMS program at USI is accreditated by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, www.caahep.org
    
    
• How many students are accepted into the program each year?
  
  
  • The sonography program is limited in the number of students that may be accepted each year. USI, in collaboration with the clinical affiliates, reserves the right to determine the number of students enrolled in each beginning class. Currently, the program is accepting 10 students for each beginning class.
    
    
• How many students apply to the program each year?
  
  
  • Admission to the sonography program is very competitive. There is an average of 200 students that have selected radiologic and imaging sciences as a major. This means over 200 students are in the process of completing prerequisite courses to become eligible to apply to the program. Approximately 30 students apply and are interviewed each year for positions in the program.
    
    
• What is the employment outlook in this field?
  
  

  Reply comes from US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
  
  

  • Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014 as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology. In addition to job openings from growth, some job openings will arise from the need to replace sonographers who leave the occupation permanently.
    
    
  • Opportunities should be favorable because sonography is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures, as patients seek safer treatment methods. Unlike most diagnostic imaging methods, sonography does not involve radiation, so harmful side effects and complications from repeated use are rarer for both the patient and the sonographer. Sonographic technology is expected to evolve rapidly and to spawn many new sonography procedures, such as 3D- and 4D-sonography for use in obstetric and ophthalmologic diagnosis. However, high costs may limit the rate at which some promising new technologies are adopted.
    
    
  • Hospitals will remain the principal employer of diagnostic medical sonographers. However, employment is expected to grow more rapidly in offices of physicians and in medical and diagnostic laboratories, including diagnostic imaging centers. Healthcare facilities such as these are expected to grow very rapidly through 2014 because of the strong shift toward outpatient care, encouraged by third-party payers and made possible by technological advances that permit more procedures to be performed outside the hospital.
    
    
• What are the potential earnings for this field?
  
  

  Reply comes from US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
  
  

  • Median annual earnings of diagnostic medical sonographers were $52,490 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $44,720 and $61,360 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,800, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $72,230. Median annual earnings of diagnostic medical sonographers in May 2004 were $53,790 in offices of physicians and $51,860 in general medical and surgical hospitals.
    
    
• Where can I receive more information?