A Brief History of the Ultrasound Tech Major
In short, an ultrasound is a form of diagnostic imaging that allows medical professionals to detect illnesses and complications such as tumors and those that may occur to an unborn baby by using sound waves that reflect images when they are bounced off of internal organs. These sound waves, also referred to as ultrasonic energy, are at such high frequencies they cannot be detected by the human ear.
While the history of the early developments of sonography can be traced back as far as the 1880s when the Curie brothers discovered the piezoelectric effect, sonography didn’t really begin to make an impact until Austrian Doctor Karl Theordore Dussik published his first paper in sonography in 1942 and Scottish Professor Ian Donald Scotland developed the first applications for ultrasound in the 1950s.
While European men are credited with setting the foundational framework of sonography, American professors helped solidify sonography technology as well. For example, Dr. George Ludwig was the first to apply ultrasonic energy for medical purposes in the early 1950s and University of Colorado Professors Joseph Holmes, William Wright, and Ralph Meyerdirk collaborated to develop the first B-mode scanner in 1962.
Through the following decades, sonography saw much technological advancement and is now the second most commonly diagnostic imaging device used today. Currently, ultrasound machines can detect real time images and can even capture panoramic 3D and 4D images.
Delving Into the Ultrasound Tech Major
Online ultrasound technician degrees, also known as diagnostic medical sonography degrees, will train students to enter into an evolving, expanding field in healthcare. Sometimes grouped together with other medical imaging programs, online ultrasound tech degrees may be offered as full- or part-time programs, depending on the school.
Students will learn how to work with ultrasound equipment on a diverse range of patients, not just pregnant women. Ultrasound equipment is now used to collect images of the abdomen and other parts of the body for other medical purposes as well. An accredited online ultrasound tech degree should also prepare students to sit for the Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) exam, which is administered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).
Students researching online schools should look for official accreditation and information pointing to the preparation of this exam. Major-specific courses will include sectional anatomy, legal and ethical aspects of health care, diagnostic imaging, patient care, physics, anatomy, physiology, medical imaging, research methods, pathophysiology, and more. More advanced programs may allow students to choose a sonography or ultrasound specialty, too.
With that said, most online degree programs will allow students to gain the foundational coursework knowledge from textbooks and online video lectures and notes. However, most accredited online sonography programs are formatted to be “hybrid programs,” which means students will be required to attend their online school’s brick-and-mortar facility or another assigned location to complete numerous labs for a designated amount of time. For example, students may be required to report once a week or twice a month.
Online students will also be required to get some hands-on experience with patients and equipment by participating in a preceptorship which is clinical supervised training. The number of clinical hours will vary depending on the program and school, but can typically exceed more than 1,000 hours.
Degree Levels:
Associate
Earning an online associate degree in sonography (ultrasound) typically takes about two years to complete. As an online associate degree seeker, students will learn the foundational principles and skills needed to jump start their careers as an ultrasound tech. In addition, students will learn the knowledge needed to earn an advanced education in the same field in order to become more specialized health care professionals.
With that said, online students can expect to take courses that will equip students with a framework in science, patient care and ultrasound technology and equipment. While titles may vary, students can expect to take some of the following courses: Medical Sonographic Physics; Abdominal Sonography; OBGYN Sonography; Anatomy and Physiology; Principles and Protocols of Sonographic Imaging; Applied Physics or Radiographic Physics; Echocardiography; Intermediate Algebra; and Intro to Communications just to name a few.
In addition, online students will need to enroll in clinical education to fulfill a set of hands-on patient care. This in-person component will either require students to complete supervised training at a university medical facility, a participating hospital or any other approved healthcare center.
Bachelor’s
Earning a bachelor’s degree in sonography typically takes about four years to complete. In addition to learning fundamental principles and being equipped with the knowledge to pursue a graduate degree in the subject, bachelor degree seekers in sonography will also be better fit to land higher paying managerial and leadership positions in hospitals, labs or testing facilities right out of school. A bachelor degree holder will also be more equipped to become a lead trainer or support technician for a company who manufactures sonography machines and equipment.
That said, online bachelor degree students will be required to finish a variety of pre-medical imaging courses such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, chemistry and introduction into medical imaging. Students will then move on to take the following courses as their upper division work: Sonographic Abdominal Scanning; Pelvic Sonography; Obstetrical Sonography; Breast Sonography; Fetal Echo and Neonatal Sonography; Sonographic Film Analysis; Health Care Management; Diagnostic Medical Sonography; and Sonographic Pathology just to name of a few. During a student’s final semester, he or she will also be required to participate in a preceptorship.
Master’s
Earning an online master’s degree in sonography normally takes about two years to complete, totaling about six years of online schooling. Those who choose to participate in a master’s degree program do so because they desire to “master” the subject of sonography and aspire to become specialists, educators or researchers in the subject of sonography.
For example, an online master’s degree holder in sonography could possibly teach a sonography program at a community college, either as the classroom instructor or the program’s clinical instructor. Master’s degree holders are also more likely to find employment either as a medical researcher or a researcher for a manufacturer who helps to create and test new ultrasound machines and equipment.
Traditional master degrees in sonography or ultrasound tech are extremely rare and are even scarcer in an online format. However, those that do find an accredited master degree program to enroll in will not only take advanced courses in the sciences, patient care and equipment use, but they will also be given the opportunity to specialize in either the educational, industrial and medical sectors of sonography.
Doctorate
While there are currently no doctorate programs available in the nation, those who wish to further their careers and become more heavily involved in the research aspect of sonography can consider enrolling in an online biomedical engineering doctoral degree program. As a biomedical student, one will be given the knowledge to blend engineering techniques and practices in order to perfect or improve a variety of medical technologies, including those used for ultrasounds.
In fact, students will be able to conduct research and write a dissertation on a topic that pertains to anyone of these specialized areas: ultrasonic imaging; biomedical imaging; clinical technology; or clinical engineering just to name a few. Earning a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering typically takes anywhere from an additional three to five years to complete after one earns a master’s degree. Additional prerequisites may also be needed to apply for this program.
Supplementing Your Ultrasound Tech Major
While ultrasound is already a specialized field in healthcare, there are opportunities for students to hone their skills even further. This can be done in a number of different ways, one being to select a concentration or specializing in one particular area in sonography. While options will vary depending on the online school, program and degree level, students typically can choose between 11 specializations, the more popular ones including the following: Neurosonography; Echocardiography; Abdominal Sonography; Breast Sonography and Veterinary Sonography.
With the right specialization and proper advanced training, graduates should be able to increase their marketability and earn higher paying positions after having a few years of experience under their belt, such as becoming a diagnostic cardiac sonographer. Students can also increase their marketability by choosing an appropriate minor.
For example, minoring in health care administration is an excellent choice since students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to lead subordinates. This is because health care administration programs are designed to teach students how to complete administrative tasks and how to be effective supervisors, decision makers and communicators in a health care facility environment such as in a hospital, clinic or other medical facility.
Ultrasound majors may also consider minoring in communications. As an ultrasound tech or sonographer, employees will be required to verbally explain to patients how the procedures work and must be able to explain to patients what the images mean. Minoring in communications can help a student improve his or her speech and become a better communicator so that he or she can easily say important information to patients. Minoring in a different language like Spanish can also increase one’s versatility and marketability since one may have the skills to explain to procedures and treat patients whose first language is not English.
Learn More About the Ultrasound Tech Major
- Principles of Imaging
- BMC Medical Imaging
- International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
The Ultrasound Tech Major in the Job Market
Upon completion of an ultrasound tech online program, graduates will be equipped with the skills needed to read ultrasound images and handle ultrasonic equipment. These skills alone can potentially improve and save a patient’s life or their unborn child’s life. In addition to possessing technical skills, online graduates will also possess skills that traditional degree graduates will most likely not have. For example, online students will naturally be more independent since the format of an online degree program requires students to execute assignments with little or no outside help from professors and classmates, thus displaying one’s work ethic.
Online programs will also showcase a graduate’s time management skills, especially if one successfully completed an ultrasound program while having another job or the responsibility of taking care of a family. As a bonus, an online degree will help students become more familiarized with computers, a skill that is needed in just about every work place and environment. While ultrasound positions are one of the few career choices that allow employees to sit for extended periods of time, applicants who have a high stamina will boost their marketability.
With that said, just as many other health care fields are experiencing job growth and a healthy job outlook, online ultrasound tech graduates will notice that their field is projected to experience faster-than-average job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the industry will see a 19 percent increase — or approximately 8,700 new jobs — in employment. The best jobs will be found at large research hospitals which have budgets for new, experimental technology and cutting edge health care systems.
The BLS also estimates that the median annual salary for diagnostic medical sonographers is nearly the same for those who work in hospitals — $56,850 — and those who work in doctors’ offices — $56,970. As more patients are filtered out of hospitals to managed care and outpatient care facilities, diagnostic sonographers will see more job openings appear in those healthcare environments as well. Popular employment titles in sonography include becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer, ultra-sonographer, ultrasound technologist and ultrasound technician.
However, even if you qualify for any one of the job titles listed above, sometimes it can he hard to know where to look for openings since a good chunk of opportunities are not posted in the classified section of the daily newspaper. Instead, a good place to kick start an employment search is to look at a few job listings posted online, like the ones found on SimplyHired, Medical Workers, and RadRounds. Other ways to find employment is to go to job fairs, hire recruiters, join medical ans ultrasound associations to increase networking possibilities as well as get in touch with former professors and preceptorship advisors.
