Detroit, MI

Ultrasound technician schools in Detroit 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 do Medical Sonographers do?

Sonography is the use of sound waves to generate an image for the assessment and diagnosis of various medical conditions. Though it is most commonly associated with obstetrics, sonography is used as diagnostic aid in many circumstances.

A sonographer is the technician who operates the equipment, called a transducer, and records the results for interpretation by a physician. The process begins with the sonographer talking with the patient and recording any medical history that may be relevant. The sonographer then ultimately uses imaging technology to project a live view of a patients’ internal tissue.

Though sonographers are not qualifed to diagnose, they do make preliminary judgments based on the images and select which of these images to show to a physician.

Many sonographers also have clerical duties such as preparing work schedules, evaluating equipment purchases and/or managing a sonography/ultrasound department.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 59 percent of sonographers are employed in hospitals, while the rest work in physicians’ offices or diagnostic laboratories. Some sonographers also travel with imaging service providers.

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 Detroit

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 Detroit

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 Detroit
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 Detroit

How do I Choose an Ultrasound Technician Program in Detroit?

Accreditation – The accrediting body for medical sonography programs is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health/Education Programs (CAAHEP). The CAAHEP has accredited 150 programs, including those offered by colleges and universities, as well as some hospital training programs. Though attending an accredited program is not the only way to become a medical sonographer in Detroit, it does automatically qualify graduates to sit for the certifying exam and is universally recognized by employers.

Admissions Requirements – Make sure to research the admissions requirements of programs that interest you. Vocational, associate and bachelor’s programs may specific courses in math, health, and/or sciences.

Career Goals/ Specialization – Because specialization is so common in sonography, be sure that your program of choice offers your desired specialty. Vascular and cardiac sonography are two particularly specialized programs that not all schools offer.

Curriculum – Look over the program curriculum and make sure that yours provides plenty of hands-on experience. Because sonography is a very hands-on, technical profession, this might be the most important part of your education.

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 45% between 2012 and 2022 (www.bls.gov) in Detroit. 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 $62,375 in March 2013.