Ultrasound Technician Certification
An ultrasound technician is also known as a diagnostic medical sonographer. An ultrasound technician uses ultrasonography diagnostic imaging to examine the internal organs, tissue and blood flow of patients. One of the most well known examples of ultrasound technology being used today is with pregnant women as this type of technology is commonly used to get a glimpse of a growing fetus inside the womb.
An ultrasound technician can work at a hospital, doctor’s office, health clinic or inside some other type of medical facility. The right type of training and certification can help any ultrasound technician student become an excellent medical professional within a relatively short period of time. There are scores of schools offering ultrasound technician training programs. Ultrasound technician certification is handled by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers or ARDMS.
In order to become certified as an ultrasound technician, one should graduate from a two year allied health program followed by one year of clinical training in a hospital setting. In order to become certified as an ultrasound technician it is required that a clinical verification form be turned into the ARMDS for the desired specialty area. Once the application and required documents are accepted by the ARMDS, the student can sit for the registry exam. If the exam is passed the student will then receive his or her credentials.
People can visit the ARMDS website to pay for and submit their ARMDS application. It is required that people submit their necessary supporting documentation based on their prerequisite or requirement selection within three weeks of submission of their online application. Failing to do so will result in the person receiving a automatic refund less the $100 processing fee. Each exam costs $200 which includes the $!00 processing fee. ARDMS uses a fair, specific methodology for scoring exams. The most important score is the cut-off score which is the score that represents basic competency. One must have a score of 555 which is the cut-off score to pass all ARDMS examinations.
Ultrasound technicians usually specialize in one of six areas: echocardiography, breast sonography, obstetrics/gynecology sonography, abdominal sonography, vascular technology or neurosonography. Two year associate degrees and four year bachelor’s degree programs are available at many community colleges and colleges and universities. One could also become educated at a vocational school or a hospital. Ultrasound technicians do not have to be licensed by the state they work in.
Courses that must be taken to become a certified ultrasound technician includes introduction to sonography, sonographic instrumentation, sectional anatomy, medical terminology and physics. A clinical practicum may also be included as a part of the curriculum.