Top Online Sonography & Ultrasound Tech Schools

• Certificate/diploma:
  Many programs will require incoming sonography students to complete a certain number of perquisite courses before they’re officially admitted into the program. These courses cover fundamental medical topics, such as anatomy, physiology and biology. Some programs may also require the completion of some general education courses. Core coursework includes substantive classroom and hands-on training for using equipment, learning ultrasound imaging techniques and gaining a fundamental understanding of scientific theory.
  
  The certificate or diploma path takes the least amount of time to get into the workforce; many programs take about 12-18 months to complete. The biggest disadvantage is that because it takes the least amount of time to complete, there will be more non-degree sonographers looking for post-graduate employment than those with associate or bachelor’s degrees. Some employers might require a college degree for hiring; if they accept someone with a certificate, the pay is likely going to be lower.

• Associate degree:
  Earning an associate degree will add another six months to a year in the length of time it takes to start working as a sonographer. It will also cost more money in tuition. So why is the associate degree a popular academic track for future sonographers?
  
  The associate program provides a well-rounded education thanks to general education requirements. It also results in a college degree, which can be advantageous for hiring and advancement. Those who earn associate degree credits can often transfer those to a bachelor’s program to further their education later. The associate degree might also better prepare students to sit for professional credentials, as well as provide an opportunity for specialization.
  
  To enter an associate program in sonography, applicants must typically meet the general admission requirements for their school first. Once accepted, they must complete prerequisite courses in foundational fields, such as biology and physiology, and do so with a minimum GPA. Some programs will also require incoming students to have completed a certain number of general education courses.

• Bachelor degree:
  The vast majority of bachelor’s degree programs are designed for individuals who are already practicing as sonographers or ultrasound technicians. This degree level allows the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of sonography or learn higher level theory and management skills, potentially leading to leadership roles within health organizations. Expect to take coursework that emphasizes higher level strategic thinking or a sonography specialization, such as:
  • Management principles
  • Breast sonography
  • Teaching health professionals
  • Research methodology
  • Multicultural healthcare
  • Doppler sonography
  • Advanced care delivery
  • Introduction to healthcare systems
  • Advanced pediatric and fetal sonography
  Many bachelor’s degree programs will only accept individuals who not only have an associate degree, certificate or diploma in a medical imaging field, but who also have their national certification credentials, such as an ARDMS certification. As a result, these programs are perfect for working sonography professionals who are looking to move on to clinical teaching, a different area of sonography or mid-level healthcare management.

The best ultrasound imaging equipment and skills don’t mean much if the professional obtaining the images doesn’t have the proper background knowledge to understand what to look for and put the data into the proper context. A significant portion of the sonography curriculum will include the same type of courses a nurse or doctor might take during the beginning portions of their medical training.

Given the wide range of patients a sonographer is likely encounter, as well as sensitive questions and issues that are sure to arise, special training is necessary to help handle these situations in the most professional and compassionate manner possible.

Sonographers are members of an important medical team. To help provide a better understanding of how a sonographer’s role fits at a hospital or clinic, students will learn how these types of organizations operate. Students will also receive background information on overall trends in healthcare and how the changing legal and professional landscape can affect how they provide care to the patient.

Sonography equipment is very complex. Students will learn how to take full advantage of their equipment to provide useful and effective medical imagery, as well as gain a fundamental understand of how their tools and equipment operate.

Officially, sonographers may not interpret their findings to the patient. However, they must still have the requisite level of knowledge to understand if the images they have obtained will be sufficient for interpretation by the appropriate medical professional. A doctor’s interpretation of medical images will only be as good as the quality of the images themselves.

Through the use of clinicals or practicums, students will learn the inner workings of a diagnostic imaging healthcare facility. They will gain an understanding all aspects of patient care, from patient processing to equipment maintenance to providing patient exams.

• Program tuition:
  Tuition costs can vary based on type of program, academic credential offers, location and more. However, most sonography programs will cost between $150 and $700 per credit hour. The number of credit hours will vary, depending on the academic track. Certificate and diploma programs require about 55-75 credit hours, associate degrees will require about 80 credit hours and a bachelor’s degree will require anywhere from 80 to 140 credit hours, depending on whether it’s a degree completion program.
• Application fees:
  Schools set their own application fees. These fees usually only apply when someone is submitting an application for general admission to the school, not the specific sonography program. The amount can range from $0 to $80 and anywhere in between. $30 to $60 seems to be the most common range.
• Exam cost:
  Graduates can choose from a plethora of national credentials to demonstrate their knowledge about diagnostic medical imaging. The cost to obtain a credential will depend on which organization the student seeks the credential from. But to give some idea of what it will cost, earning an RDMS from the ARDMS will cost $475, which includes the cost for the basic exam plus one of the specialization exams. Becoming a Registered Vascular Specialist through the CCI will cost $365.

How Much Do Sonographers and Ultrasound Techs Make?

As a consequence for this high demand for diagnostic medical sonographers, salaries are pretty generous. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median salary is $80,850 or $38.87/hour. But even those who are in the bottom 10% will still make around $63,680 while sonographers lucky enough to be at the top 10% can make at least $116,300.

What Career Paths are Available?

The sonography field is filled with specializations. Given the complexity of the human body, there are a number of different career paths a budding sonographer can choose to pursue. Let’s look at some of the more common ones.

1. Abdomen: As its name implies, this area of sonography focuses on the abdominal area of the human body, specifically soft tissue and organs.
2. Cardiovascular: Focuses on the cardiovascular system and obtaining non-invasive imaging to diagnose and assess the status of arteries, especially those around the heart.
3. Fetal echocardiography: Heart defects are some of the most common forms of fetal birth defects. This specialty plays a pivotal role in creating imagines of the heart of unborn babies for assessment by other medical professionals.
4. Obstetrics and gynecology: When most people think of ultrasounds, they’re probably thinking of someone working in the obstetrics and gynecological field. These sonographers help monitor the growth of fetuses and detect any abnormalities concerning a woman’s reproductive system.