Fred Said:

Would any of you suggest diagnostic medical sonography as a career?

We Answered:

It's more than just babies. Sonography is a diagnostic medical procedure that can be used to examine many parts of the body, such as the abdomen, breasts, female reproductive system, prostate, heart, and blood vessels. Sonography is increasingly being used in the detection and treatment of heart disease, heart attack, and vascular disease that can lead to stroke.

Jamie Said:

Can you start a career in sonography with no medical experience and no college degree? ?

We Answered:

I doubt any accredited ultrasound program would accept a student who has no medical experience and no college level prerequisite courses. Many ultrasound programs require you to be a radiological technologist (proper term for an x-ray tech) before they will consider you. You can search for an accredited ultrasound program in your area, and look into their prerequisites.

When thinking about entering an ultrasound program, you need not be concerned so much about certificate vs. degree. What is important is that you go to an ACCREDITED program, whether it is college or hospital based. An accredited program allows you to take your registry (licensing) exams upon graduation. Once you get licensed, you will never be asked about your schooling again. An employer does not care what route you take to get licensed, they just want you to have that license.

Don't waste your time or money on a NON-accredited program. Upon completion and graduation from a NON-accredited program, you must work in the field of sonography for a full year prior to taking your licensing examinations. But, you will have a hard time finding an employer to hire you, unless you are licensed.

I would suggest you observe an imaging department to get an idea of what ultrasonographers do daily. There is much more to it than scanning pregnant women. Most people have no idea how much is involved in this career!

You can find a list of accredited schools in your area, by searching "diagnostic medical sonography" and your state at the following site. There are links provided for each program, which will give you additional information (including course duration and prerequisite courses):

http://www.caahep.org/Find_An_Accredited…

Many people, myself included, go to school to become a radiologic technologist, before continuing to ultrasound school. In fact, it can be difficult to get into u/s school without the RT license. There are many more choices for schools for x-ray in most states. You can find them here, by searching “radiography“ and your state:

http://www.jrcert.org/cert/Search.jsp

The pay for ultrasound technologists will vary, depending on experience and geographical location. The American Society of Radiologic Technologists just did a large salary survey, in 2007. You can see how much a RT and/or ultrasound technologist averaged, per year, in your state here:

https://www.asrt.org/media/pdf/research/…

Robin Said:

What is a better career: Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Dental Hygiene?

We Answered:

My best friend graduated from an accredited Dental Hygiene program in May and became registered weeks after. She still has not been able to find a job, along with half of her classmates. Also, all of the interviews she has had so far are for part-time positions, maybe 2 or 3 days a week. And from what I hear, it's that way pretty much everywhere right now. And the main issue with DH is that there isn't much flexibility. If you can't get hired in a dentist's office, you're pretty much out of luck.

With DMS, you have the option of choosing a specialization, and have various places you can get hired at. You could work in a women's clinic, a doctor's office, a hospital, a free-standing imaging station, or a traveling station.

Schooling is basically the same for both, an associate's degree and then boards, & you are registered if you pass. Also, these programs are highly competitive, time-consuming, & stressful.

I think they are both great careers, I just think that right now you probably have more options with DMS than DH.

Salaries: DMS avgs about $63k/year
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292032…
DH - about 67k/year
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292021…

Here is a great site for each, to give you some additional info:
DH - http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm
DMS - http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos273.htm
*To find an accrredited DMS program: http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited…

Walter Said:

Is medical sonography a good career?

We Answered:

You don't need your masters to be licensed in sonography. And the field of sonography is expected to keep growing, requiring sonographers.....

When thinking about entering an ultrasound program, you need not be concerned so much about certificate vs. degree. What is important is that you go to an ACCREDITED program, whether it is college or hospital based. An accredited program allows you to take your registry (licensing) exams upon graduation. Once you get licensed, you will never be asked about your schooling again. An employer does not care what route you take to get licensed, they just want you to have that license.

Don't waste your time or money on a NON-accredited program. Upon completion and graduation from a NON-accredited program, you must work in the field of sonography for a full year prior to taking your licensing examinations. But, you will have a hard time finding an employer to hire you, unless you are licensed.

I would suggest you observe an imaging department to get an idea of what ultrasonographers do daily. There is much more to it than scanning pregnant women. Most people have no idea how much is involved in this career!

You can find a list of accredited schools in your area, by searching "diagnostic medical sonography" and your state at the following site. There are links provided for each program, which will give you additional information:

http://www.caahep.org/Find_An_Accredited…

Many people, myself included, go to school to become a radiologic technologist, before continuing to ultrasound school. In fact, it can be difficult to get into u/s school without the RT license. There are many more choices for schools for x-ray in most states. You can find them here, by searching “radiography“ and your state:

http://www.jrcert.org/cert/Search.jsp

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists just did a large salary survey. You can see how much the average yearly income was for a sonographer, in your state, here:

https://www.asrt.org/media/pdf/research/…

Eleanor Said:

what are the job outlooks for a career in diagnostic medical sonography in miami florida?

We Answered:

There are jobs for Sonographers, just less than there used to be. It is not as bad as some other fields yet, like dental hygiene or radiologic technology. I live in the southeast and my teachers say we'll have no problem finding a job so long as we're flexible - be willing to commute or move to get at least 1 year of experience and then maybe you can find something closer to home.

BTW - make sure you find an accredited program. http://caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Pro…

Vivian Said:

Is Diagnostic Medical Sonography a better career for a mother than a nurse?

We Answered:

They are both demanding jobs, but I would Sonography is slightly less stressful and demanding than Nursing. With Sonography, you would always have the option of working in an outpatient center or a physician's office, so you would have "normal" hours. Sonographers that work in hospitals work on call/some weekends/holidays/etc.

Just be prepared that with either one of these, the schooling is extremely time consuming. I'm currently a Sonography student and I have missed out on a number of family get togethers and other social events because I literally don't have the time. When I'm not in school or at clinical, I'm at home studying. It is a full time job. And I know the same thing goes for Nursing.

Good luck! Here's the link to accredited DMS programs if that's what you choose: http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited…