For students who want to enroll in sonography programs, there are three main kinds to choose from: certificate, associate, and bachelor degree programs. The first one, certificate programs, are short courses that last typically between 12 and 18 months, depending on the number of units the student has to take. While certificate programs are indeed shorter, they are targeted towards a specific group of students – graduates of allied health education programs other than sonography.
Overview of a certificate sonography program
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Certificate sonography programs are the shortest kind of program available for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS). It runs for typically 12 months in most schools but can be last as long as 18 months. These shorter programs have targeted curricula, meaning the program’s classes are all major subjects in DMS. Clinical training is still a major part of this kind of program, despite its shorter time frame.
This means that a certificate program can only be taken by students who have previously taken an allied health education program or have completed all required general education classes (Math, English, etc.). Schools that offer certificate programs prefer that the student who apply to them have prior experience in allied health, or have studied allied health subjects before.
This means that a certificate program can only be taken by students who have previously taken an allied health education program or have completed all required general education classes (Math, English, etc.). Schools that offer certificate programs prefer that the student who apply to them have prior experience in allied health, or have studied allied health subjects before.
Preparation for ultrasound technician certification
Whether you take a shorter program or a longer one, both kinds should prepare you to become certified. Unlike other medical professions, sonographers are not required to have licenses. However, that does not mean that sonography isn’t a regulated practice. There are two main organizations in the US that regulate sonography practice and require sonographers to get certified: the ARDMS and the CCI. Both organizations offer certification exams for sonographers, a requirement that is a common request of employers in lieu of a license.
If you live in Maryland or plan on studying in Maryland, you can find a list of ultrasound technician schools in Maryland through the link. These schools are all certified by CAAHEP and will prepare you best for an ARDMS or CCI exam.
Listed below are common classes included in certificate training:
If you live in Maryland or plan on studying in Maryland, you can find a list of ultrasound technician schools in Maryland through the link. These schools are all certified by CAAHEP and will prepare you best for an ARDMS or CCI exam.
Listed below are common classes included in certificate training:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Sonography principles, concepts, and instrumentation
- Pathophysiology
- Medical ethics
- Medico-legal issues
- Obstetric and gynecologic ultrasound
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Vascular sonography
Requirements
Because certificate programs are basically post-graduate courses, a requirement for applying to one is an associate or bachelor degree in an allied health program. Some schools will allow students who have taken a number of general education units in their undergraduate program and/or have work experience in sonography to enroll in the certificate course. Depending on where or what school you want to study sonography in, the requirements will vary but these basic concepts are typically the same for all certificate courses.