If you are interested in finding a healthcare career that allows you to add a human touch to medical diagnostics, you might find great satisfaction in a career as a medical sonographer. Working as an important member of the healthcare team, you talk with patients as you use high-tech instruments that employ high-frequency sound waves or ultrasound to produce visual images of parts of the body. Your light conversation and sincere concern can help them relax as you probe their abdomen, prostrate, female reproductive system, blood vessels, or heart.

What Diagnostic Medical Sonography Detects

Today, ultrasound is widely used to detect abnormalities and is used to connect or verify the condition of organs and systems of the body. Using no radiation like x-ray does, the process can detect serious conditions such as heart disease, heart attack, vascular disease that can lead to stroke, cancer, lumps, or tumors. Many sonographers specialize in ultrasound for a particular area of the body, such as obstetrics and gynecology, vascular technology, brain, musculoskeletal system, breast, and abdomen.

With experience, sonographers or ultrasound technicians become more expert at properly capturing pictures of internal organs to uncover or view the progress of life-threatening conditions. When they turn their images over to a supervising doctor who interprets them, the images provide enough information for the physician to make a judgment about the patient’s condition.

While the sonographer usually captures the image when the patient is an examining room, the process is also used during needle biopsies to guide the needle in real time in order to take a tissue sample for analysis.

Duties Of An Ultrasound Technician

While of the technician’s day is spent doing procedures, other duties involved in a typical job include obtaining histories, analyzing information, and summarizing technical findings to the supervising physician. As with many jobs in the medical field, they also devote time each day to scheduling, record-keeping, and archiving images. While their technical skills must be excellent, a good ultrasound technician is a great communicator with patients, physicians, and other staff. Often, technicians who are adept at both the performing the job and working with others may also have managerial or supervisory responsibilities on the team.

Preparing For A Career As A Medical Sonographer

Preparing for a career in diagnostic medical sonography requires at least the equivalent of an Associates degree, obtained from an accredited program. Candidates for certification as an ultrasound technician study sonography for all parts of the body and practice their skill through a series of clinical assignments.

When certified, a technician might find work in hospital imaging centers, physician offices, OB/GYN practices, clinics, Planned Parenthood, mobile ultrasound operations, and even abroad. A career in diagnostic medical sonography can be a lucrative one, with median salaries of $75,000 common in California. While that is not the starting salary, the future for ultrasound technicians is bright.

To get started on a career in diagnostic medical sonography and ultrasound, apply for a spot in the accredited program offered at CBD College. For more information, call us today at 877.770.4CBD or 213.427.2200or complete our website form.

diagnostic medical sonography, ultrasound, medical sonographer