Buffalo, WY

Ultrasound technician schools in Buffalo can educate you in a vital area of today’s healthcare system. Doctors can’t diagnose their patients without solid evidence of illness or other medical conditions. Nor can they easily track the progression of certain diseases or determine the status of some pregnancies unless they are able to see what is happening inside their patients’ bodies.

What Does an Ultrasound Technician do?

Ultrasound technicians image organs and other structures inside a patient’s body using equipment that relies on sound wave technology. The ultrasound images or scans they capture are used to diagnose and monitor medical conditions, abnormalities or diseases. Ultrasound techs work in concert with other healthcare professionals, such as doctors and radiologists. They also help prepare patients for procedures, maintain ultrasound equipment, record patient history and present findings to the medical team. As diagnostic medical sonographers, they help interpret ultrasound images.

Are There Different Types of Medical Sonographers?

Because sonography is used on so many different areas of the body, most sonographers choose to specialize in one or more areas. These include: obstetric/gynecologic sonographers, who study the female reproductive system; abdominal sonographers, who inspect organs such as the gallbladder, bile ducts, kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen and the male reproductive system; neurosonographers, who study the nervous system and the brain; breast sonographers who aid in mammography in order to detect breast cancer, track tumors, monitor blood supply conditions, and assist in biopsy of breast tissue; and vascular and cardiac sonographers, who study the heart and blood vessels.

What are the Requirements to Become Ultrasound Tech I Should Know About in Buffalo

The requirements you should be aware of before pursuing a career in sonography are fairly straightforward. Here are the most important points to keep in mind about the credentials you’ll need:

Ultrasound Technician School  in Buffalo

Certification and Licensing

• Employers in this field generally prefer to hire people with professional certification.
• Some states require licensure. This usually requires professional certification, but requirements vary from state to state.

Becoming Professionally Certified  in Buffalo
Here is what you should know about professional certification:
Know the Organizations

• The most-recognized certification organizations are the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), and the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).
• The ARDMS offers certification exams to become a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS), or a Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT).

Choose Your Sub-specialties

• If you choose to become certified through the ARDMS, you will get to choose one or more sub-specialties to be tested on. As an RDMS, for example, you can be certified in one or more of the following areas: Abdomen (AB), Breast (BR), Fetal Echocardiography (FE), Neurosonology (NE), or Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN).

Pass the Exams and Stay Certified

• In order to become certified, you must meet a few basic prerequisite requirements (such as having a relevant degree), and then you’ll need to pass one or more exams.
• Staying professionally certified requires ongoing continuing education.

Ultrasound Technician Career Overview in Buffalo

Ultrasound Technician School: Degrees in Buffalo

With several options to choose from, which ultrasound degree in Buffalo is best? Here’s a look at what each level offers.

Associate’s Degree

An associate’s degree in diagnostic medical sonography can open the door to entry-level positions in the field. Most programs last between 18 and 24 months.

In addition to learning about equipment, ultrasound technician students can expect to receive a heavy dose of patient care education. Since sonographers interact closely with people all day, they need a strong grasp on how to interact with a diverse group of patients.

Mastering legal, ethical and regulatory topics will also be necessary.

Bachelor’s Degree

Most ultrasound technicians hold an associate’s degree, but if you’re looking to advance your education earning a bachelor’s degree in diagnostic medical sonography can offer great rewards.

The additional schooling will allow you to strengthen your problem-solving skills and get involved with research and projects. Some ultrasound technicians with BS degrees go on to pursue careers in medicine.

If a bachelor’s degree sounds like a logical step on your way to an ultrasound career, take note of the two options most schools offer.

Degree completion: These programs are specifically designed for sonographers who are part of a professional registry, such as the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or those who have previous college credit. Most programs will also require that you are currently employed in the field.

If you haven’t taken certain general education courses, such as college algebra, social sciences and English composition, you’ll be required to complete these courses during ultrasound technician school. The professional courses will typically include:

• Healthcare systems
• Healthcare management
• Fetal echo, neonatal and pediatric sonography
• Musculoskeletal sonography
• Breast sonography

You’ll spend much of your time in laboratory settings and most schools also require an externship at a local medical facility or lab.

If you already have your associate’s degree in sonography, there are bachelor’s degree completion options that allow you to specialize in areas like vascular sonography. Your time will be devoted to learning the intricacies of this specific track.

Four-year degree: Just starting out? For those without a previous degree or college credits, a four-year BS in diagnostic medical sonography is available. Like other BS degrees, you’ll take a combination of general education courses and classes specific to your major. The latter usually occurs in the last two years of the program, however, your initial coursework will prepare you with introduction science courses.

Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs for diagnostic medical sonographers, which include ultrasound technicians, are projected to increase by 48% between 2012 and 2022 (www.bls.gov) in Buffalo. This growth is attributed to the fact that health care providers prefer ultrasound imaging as a safer alternative to radiology. The BLS also noted that the median annual wage for diagnostic medical sonographers was $62,154 in Oct 2014.