Who would have thought the back in the 19th century when the development of SONAR was initiated to study sound, that some hundred years down the line, the same technology would allow doctors to see the insides of the human body without any invasive procedures? Today, ultrasound technology has been adopted across the healthcare community in different forms. From guiding biopsies to determining the size of brain tumors, ultrasound technology is used to study and diagnose a multitude of medical issues.

And considering the rate at which the field of diagnostic imaging is progressing, the need for skilled professionals will only continue to grow. The BLS predicts a whopping 10% job growth for diagnostic imaging professionals by 2032. So, if you’re considering a career as an ultrasound technician, I’d say it’s time to give it some serious thought! With this guide, you’ll have all the basics you need to know to get started on your ultrasound technician journey.

Types of ultrasound technicians

While the principle of ultrasound remains the same, the applications of the technology through various tools for various purposes sometimes require various specializations. That’s why, with the expansive use of ultrasound technology, different types of ultrasound technician roles have emerged. Some the most common ultrasound tech roles include:

• General sonographer: A general sonographer specializes in ultrasound scans focused on the abdominal area. That can also include the reproductive system and parts of the vascular system. These sonographers can help in detecting tumors, cysts, kidney stones, organ damage and gall bladder stones among other things.
• OB/GYN sonographer: Obstetric sonographers work with gynecologists and are, perhaps, the most recognized ultrasound techs. They play a key role in monitoring women’s reproductive health. Ultrasounds can also be used in tracking fetus health throughout pregnancy. Besides screening for reproductive diseases like ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids, OB ultrasounds can also help in detecting any fetal abnormalities early on in a pregnancy.
• Echocardiographers: These sonographers specialize in diagnosing medical conditions related to the heart. They work with echocardiograms to generate images of the heart. Cardiovascular sonographers use both 2D and 3D images of the heart to help physicians identify underlying medical conditions like coronary blockages, cardiomyopathy, and valve disease.
• Ophthalmic sonographers: Ophthalmic sonographers perform ocular scans to aid in diagnosing conditions relating to the eyes. Medical conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment or eye tumors can be diagnosed with ocular ultrasounds.
• Neurosonographers: These sonographers perform ultrasound scans of the brain and the nervous system. Neurosonography uses a specific piece of equipment called a transcranial doppler machine (TDS) for diagnostic imaging. This can help in detecting tumors and aneurysms, and diagnosing diseases like cerebral palsy and encephalitis.
• Musculoskeletal sonographers: These sonographers perform diagnostic scans that can be used to identify any musculoskeletal medical conditions that can affect a person’s mobility. These images can be used to identify sprains, broken bones, cysts, and even detect arthritis. As these kinds of injuries can be caused by accidents, musculoskeletal sonographers can be an essential part of emergency units.
• Breast sonographers: These sonographers specialize in ultrasound scans focused on tissues inside the breast. They can assist doctors in conducting biopsies to diagnose diseases like breast cancer.

How to become an ultrasound technician?

Now that you know about the different roles you can choose with an ultrasound technician career, here’s how you can get your journey started. Becoming an ultrasound technician is a fairly straightforward process. The key factors you need to be aware of are:

Educational requirements

You must meet the following educational requirements to get started on your ultrasound technician career:

• Get a GED/ equivalent of a high school diploma: A career in sonography is one of the few healthcare careers that allow a quick entry into the workforce. You don’t have to stay in school for long and can begin working entry level jobs as soon as your program finishes. In fact, your first step begins as early as getting a GED or high school diploma. As long as you have a GED or an equivalent degree, you can enroll yourself for a two-year sonography program right away.
• Get an associate or bachelor**’**s degree in sonography: You can either opt for a Bachelors or an Associate of Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Most candidates prefer the associate degree as its two years compared to a bachelor’s degree that lasts for four years. Regardless of which one you choose, make sure your chosen program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Accreditation not only ensures you’re receiving quality education but will also help you transfer your credits if you decide to switch schools. You can look up the accreditation status of the program you’re considering in the US Department of Education’s accreditation database.

Clinical experience

Sonography is a hands-on career and the theoretical aspects of it need to be balanced with practical application. That’s why most degrees have a mandatory clinical component as an essential part of their curriculum. This clinical training will allow you to brush up your technical skills by familiarizing you with different kinds of ultrasound equipment and how they’re used. Plus, the clinical hours will also count towards your credentialling requirements. This component can also help you get better at soft skills through patient interactions and collaborations with other medical professionals.

Certification: Prerequisites and credentials

Once your sonography program is completed, you must get certified.

Prerequisites

The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) lays out five prerequisite pathways to qualify for a certification exam. These are:

• Prerequisite 1: To qualify through this prerequisite, you must have a two-year allied health education degree related to patientcare, along with 12 months of full-time clinical experience in clinical ultrasound. You must have a minimum of 1,680 hours of clinical experience.
• Prerequisite 2: For this prerequisite method, you must be a graduate or a student in a diagnostic medical sonography program accredited by the CAAHEP or the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) / Canadian Health Standards Organization (HSO). Through this method, you can apply for your preferred credentialling exam up to 60 days prior to graduation.
• Prerequisite 3A: For this method, you must have a bachelor’s degree or any foreign degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in the US or Canada. You also need to have 12 months of full-time clinical ultrasound or vascular experience.
• Prerequisite 3B: If you’re a graduate or a student pursuing a bachelor’s or and equivalent degree in sonography or vascular technology, then you can qualify for a credentialling exam through this prerequisite.
• Prerequisite 5: For this prerequisite, you must hold one of the following active credentials. As for clinical experience, the required component met towards the achievement of these credentials will be considered.
  • RCS, RCCS or RVS from Cardiovascular Credentialling International (CCI)
  • Sonography, Vascular Sonography or Breast Sonography from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
  • CRGS, CRCS, or CRVS from Sonography Canada
  • DMU from the Australasian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM)

You can also use the prerequisite prep tool available on the ARDMS website to determine which prerequisite will be the best for you.

Credentials

The ARDMS offers five kinds of credentials. They are:

• Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS): To earn this credential, you must pass two exams, the mandatory physics examination on Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) and a specialty exam. For this credential, the specialties offered include:
  • Abdomen (AB)
  • Breast (BR)
  • Fetal Echocardiography (FE)
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN)
  • Pediatric Sonography (PS)
• Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS): Besides the mandatory SPI exam, you can appear for the following specialties to earn this credential:
  • Adult Echocardiography (AE)
  • Fetal Echocardiography (FE)
  • Pediatric Echocardiography (PE)
• Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT): This credential requires you to take the SPI exam and the Vascular Technology (VT) specialty exam.
• Registered Musculoskeletal Sonographer (RMSKS): Along with the SPI exam, you must pass the Musculoskeletal Sonographer (MSKS) Examination.
• Midwife Sonography Certificate: To earn this credential, you only need to pass the Midwife Sonography (MW) exam.

Licensing

In the US most states only require ultrasound technicians to have an associate’s degree and hold an active professional certification. However, if you’re practicing in New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, or Oregon, you’re required to hold a license as well. Each of the states have different procedures for applying for licensure. You can refer to their medical board websites for more information.

Responsibilities of an ultrasound technician

As an ultrasound technician, your everyday tasks can range from patient care to technical expertise to collaborating with other healthcare professionals. Your key responsibilities can include:

• Interacting with patients: Despite being a diagnostic professional, you need to have great bedside manners. From interacting with patients to make them comfortable to explaining the procedure and answering their questions, you must conduct the examination in an efficient manner.
• Operating equipment: You need to be familiar with different kinds of ultrasound equipment, to maintain and prepare the devices before ultrasound examinations. It is important to adjust the equipment accordingly to obtain the highest quality images.
• Analyzing and documenting data: You have to analyze ultrasound images to identify any abnormalities within the scans. You must document these findings for physicians, radiologists and other professionals, along with maintaining detailed patient and procedure records.
• Collaborating with healthcare professionals: As an ultrasound technician, your responsibilities are instrumental to the overall diagnostic process. That’s why you’ll often need to collaborate with physicians, radiologists, and nurses to discuss medical scenarios and patient cases.
• Maintaining safety protocols: It is important to maintain proper safety protocols, especially when you’re working with technology like sonography. Although ultrasounds are safe, unlike x-rays, it can still pose health risks especially if proper sanitation and hygiene practices to prevent the transmission of infections are not maintained.
• Quality assurance: To ensure the accuracy of ultrasound images, it is important to maintain the equipment by checking for technical issues routinely.
• Emergency response: Ultrasound technicians need to be prepared for performing emergency scans especially in cases of accidents or trauma.
• Assist in ultrasound guided procedures: Ultrasound imaging is often required to guide procedures like biopsies.

Employment

As ultrasounds perform a crucial role in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound technicians can find employment in a wide range of places. These include:

• Hospitals
• Physician offices
• Clinics
• Diagnostic imaging centers
• Outpatient clinics
• Maternity and women’s health clinics
• Cardiology centers
• Urgent care centers
• Rehabilitation centers
• Mobile imaging services
• Educational and research centers

Salary and career outlook

According to the BLS, ultrasound technicians made anywhere from $61,430 to $107,730 in 2022. The median salary for diagnostic medical sonographers was $81,350.

They also predict a 10% job growth by 2032, estimating an average of 9,600 openings a year throughout the present decade.

Prospective career paths

A career in healthcare is bound to be dynamic as the potential for career advancement is immense. As an ultrasound technician, you can consider the following career paths:

• Department lead: These professionals have experience in the sonography field along with leadership skills. Alongside the technical aspects, they also take up administrative duties like staff evaluation and quality assurance.
• Sonography educator: Sonography educators teach sonography students and help them stay up to date with the latest trends in diagnostic imaging.
• Applications specialist: These professionals play a key role in helping sonographers keep up with the latest technological developments. They are hired by companies to familiarize sonographers with their machines prior to sale.
• Research sonographer: If you wish to contribute towards the technological advancements in sonography, you can also opt for clinical research.
• Advanced provider: Ultrasound technicians also have the option of veering towards a different clinical career like a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner or physical therapist.

Over to you

A career as an ultrasound technician can be both financially and professionally fulfilling, considering the promising trajectory and career outlook. And with diverse specialties to choose from, you’ll certainly find a position that is right up your alley.

As an essential part of the healthcare system, you will play a pivotal role in diagnosis and patient care. The combination of technological advancements, increasing demand, and the potential for specialization certainly makes being an ultrasound technician a compelling choice for those seeking a fulfilling and prosperous professional journey.

References

1. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
2. Accreditation: Postsecondary Education Institutions | U.S. Department of Education
3. ARDMS | American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
4. ARDMS Prerequisite Prep Tool (qualtrics.com)
5. ARDMS SPI Exam | Diagnostic Medical Sonography Certification