Ultrasound Tech Requirements

Ultrasound technology is indeed a ‘wonder’ in the field of medicine but this wonder cannot work without help of an ultrasound technician. Career of an ultrasound technician is an exciting and rewarding career and the experts are employed both in public and private hospitals. It has been declared as one of the highest paid job in the medical arena.

If you want to pursue this career and want to know about the ultrasound technician requirements; firstly, you must have a high school education with focus on biology, physics and medical terminology. After that, an associate degree in medical sonography is required. For this, you have to finish a 2-year training program. The syllabus consists of patient care, medical ethics, physics, anatomy, medical terminology and physiology.

Credits

First year is very rigorous with a load of at least 17 credits. These include pathology, basics of instrumentation, basic sectional anatomy (which is also used in performing MRIs), obstetrics and gynecology and physics. Second year is focused on learning echo cardiology, vascular anatomy and performing actual scans. And then the final semester where student is well on his/her way to fulfilling the requirements through clinical and preparing to scan up to 40 hours a week.

Moreover, you must have a background and adequate knowledge of physics of ultrasound, clinical procedures and ultrasound machine operating procedures. You also need a clinical internship to complete a degree in ultrasound course. For those technicians who want to specialize in this field, a bachelor’s degree is necessary.

ultrasound_technician_studentStudents are prepared in this training course to do obstetric, abdominal and gynecological sonography and other related procedures. In addition to the above mentioned requirements, technicians must also be physically capable of standing for long time spans and performing repetitive movements that are needed for every scan. Those who are interested in expanding their career options as a technician, Masters Degree are available for continuing education, both in health service management and ultrasound technology.

Register With ARDMS

Requirements also include a certificate of training program that you have completed. Most of the employers require an applicant to be registered through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. General and special tests are required to be passed in order to be accredited by this medical organization. In ‘General’, ARDMS offers currently ten prerequisites. First time applicants should select the one under which they want to apply for an ARDMS specialty exam and/or sonography principles and instrumentation (SPI) examination.

Each requires appropriate educational background, necessary clinical ultrasound/vascular experience and required documentation to be submitted with the application for an application to be approved. Though the requirements to sit in the exams are quite tough, yet passing one of the exams proves to be a key for obtaining a successful career as an ultrasound technician. If the above requirements are met, a highly rewarding and compensatory career is waiting for you.

Pursuing this career is an attractive option for those who are seeking a career in health care industry. Those who fulfill the requirements, they command respectable salaries and have several further options related to specialization, advanced degrees and certification- all of which increase the career options for the individual.