Often referred to as a sonogram or ultrasound scan, sonography can be used to examine the abdomen, breasts, female reproductive system, prostate, heart and blood vessels. It is also increasingly being used to detect heart disease, heart attack and vascular disease. Sonography is even used to guide needle -tissue biopsies, which provide cell samples from an organ for lab testing.
As a Sonographer, you'll have extensive, direct patient contact that may include performing some invasive procedures. For this reason, you'll need to interact compassionately and effectively with people who may be apprehensive and/or critically ill.
To become a Sonographer, you'll need from one to four years of specialized training. You should select a reputable program that follows the minimum curriculum and clinical education standards recognized by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS). You should also consult the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), which accredits diagnostic medical sonography programs in the United States. A list of accredited programs is available on CAAHEP's web site at www.caahep.org.
Salaries for Sonographers are competitive with other professionals who posses similar levels of education. According to the SDMS Salary and Benefits Survey report (released March, 2005), the median salary for Sonographers is nearly $62K per year.
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.
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