A Career in Ultrasound   

 If you're thinking about a career in ultrasound, the Inside Scoop may be able to help you get a more detailed understanding of what sonography is all about. And hopefully help you decide if this is the right career path for you. 

 The Profession

Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), commonly known as “ultrasound”, is a mode of diagnostic medical imaging that utilizes ultrasound energy (sound frequencies much higher than are audible by humans) to produce real-time images of the body’s anatomy. Performed by a sonographer, these images are then conveyed to an interpreting physician for diagnosis. 

Sonographers have extensive, direct patient contact that may include performing some invasive procedures. Ultrasound is used to guide needles for biopsies, as well as to drain cysts and ascites (free fluids). Sonographers must also be knowledgeable about and able to limit the risk from possible exposure to blood and body fluids.                                                                      
Ultrasound can be used in detecting and determining the cause of:

• Female pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding or other menstrual related problems, such as, cysts and fibroid growths, as well as ovarian and uterine cancers
• Pregnancy outside the uterus                                       
• Suspicious lumps or nodules in breast tissue
• Male prostate abnormalities                                             
• Heart blockage and heart valve diseases
• Blood clots
• Aortic aneurysms

Furthermore, ultrasound allows the unborn child to be viewed safely – to indicate position, evaluate the placenta, determine if multiple pregnancies exist, diagnose congenital abnormalities, establish fetal age and fetal size.                                                                  

The professional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:   

• Obtaining and recording accurate patient history
• Performing diagnostic procedures and obtaining diagnostic images
• Analyzing technical information
• Using independent judgment in recognizing the need to extend the scope of the procedure according to the diagnostic findings
• Providing an oral and/or written summary of the technical findings to the physician for medical diagnosis
• Providing quality patient care
• Collaborating with physicians and other members of the health care team.

The ability to interact compassionately and effectively with people who range from healthy to critically ill is a must for the sonographer.

Many sonographers also assist in electronic and clerical scheduling, record keeping, and computerized image archiving. Sonographers may also have managerial or supervisory responsibilities.

Sonographers generally specialize in one of several areas: General Ultrasound (Abdominal, Obstetrics, Gynecological, Breast), Vascular Ultrasound or Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Ultrasound. To view information on each specialty track, visit their individual pages at DMS Specialty Tracks.

Ultrasound is a very "hands on" modality. More than other radiology methods, ultrasound images depend on the technique of the person doing the study.  Learning proper technique requires many hours spent scanning in class, in open scan sessions and during clinical hours.

Earnings Potential for Sonographers

As sonography students, we come into contact with a variety of working sonographers and sometimes we get street-level information about what people are making. Unfortunately, this information seems to be pretty unreliable in terms of what any given individual can expect to earn. The reason is that there is a big range in compensation within the field of sonography, depending on geographic area, level of experience, the individual institution where one works and the specifics of the work relationship (employed vs. freelance). The salary is also dependent upon when a person is working full-time, part-time, or per-need basis (PRN).

Salaries for sonographers are competitive with or higher that other professionals with similar level of education. In fact, the US Department of Labor ranked sonography as one of the top ten best-paying job for someone with an Associate Degree.  

Various Work Environments

Sonography is a dynamic profession that has grown significantly over the past 20 years. With rapidly developing new technologies and increased use of diagnostic ultrasound procedures, growth is projected to continue in the future with employment opportunities for qualified sonographers in both urban and rural areas nationwide. Sonographers and vascular technologists can choose to work in clinics, hospitals, private practice physician offices, public health facilities, laboratories, and other medical settings performing examinations in their areas of specialization. Career advancement opportunities exist in education, administration, research, and in commercial companies as education/application specialists, sales representatives, technical advisors, etc.

More information about a career in Sonography can be found at Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Since most sonographic work is in clinical settings, we thought we would offer some input as to what these environments are like.

Hospitals: In a hospital setting the level of commitment that is expected of hospital workers is quite high. The overall attitude is that patients' needs come first, especially in emergency situations. If a patient comes in to the emergency room at three in the morning needing a sonogram exam, you might very well get a call in the middle of the night.

Even without emergency situations, hospitals have high personnel needs because they are open all the time. Sometimes hospital employees are required to work different days each week, or even different shifts each day. So, why would anybody do it? For one thing, hospital work is a great way to get a really broad base of experience. Also, sonographers may be compensated for being on call, and on days when they're not called in.

Outpatient Clinics and Doctor's Offices: An outpatient clinic operates similar to a doctor’s office, except it is larger. Compared to the hospital setting, outpatient clinics or doctor’s office have more fixed schedules, usually Monday through Friday. Patients are scheduled to come in during regular daytime hours and, if there is bad weather they can choose to close and direct patients to the hospital. Patients who come to clinics are generally much healthier than hospitalized patients. For one thing, they are able to walk or get around in a wheelchair. In contrast, hospital patients are often very ill and are confined to a hospital bed or stretcher.

So, why would anybody not choose to work in an outpatient clinic? There are several reasons. For one thing, some people might find that a clinic is too quiet or boring compared to a hospital. Another potential problem with clinical settings is that, because of the relatively small personnel groups, individual workers are much more dependent on having good coworker relations.

In general, each work environment offers its own advantages and disadvantages. As student in Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at Montgomery College, you will experience a variety of work environments as part of your clinical training. By the time you finish, you will know what your individual preferences are.

The Physical Aspects of Sonography

One thing students might not realize about sonography is that it is quite physically demanding. In fact, there are specific physical standards that one must be able to fulfill in order to do the work. For example, vision must be adequate to distinguish fine shades of gray on a computer screen. Sonographers also need to be physically strong in order to help patients move around if they are not fully mobile on their own. Read the Technical Standards of physical fitness published by Montgomery College for more information about physical requirements.

Because of the demanding physical nature of sonography, work-related injuries are actually a very significant problem among sonographers. In fact, these injuries are the number one reason why people eventually leave the field. Fortunately, equipment manufacturers are starting to realize the importance of ergonomic design, and there are some exercises that can help. Take a look at the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography's web pages on ergonomic issues and exercises.

Legal Aspects of Being a Sonographer

Everyone has heard stories about the legal troubles faced by doctors as a result of malpractice lawsuits. What you probably haven't heard is that sonographers occasionally get sued too. Although the incidence of lawsuits brought against sonographers is relatively low compared to a physician, it is a risk that students need to be aware of.

A sonographer who makes a mistake can potentially cause serious harm to a patient. But, while this is a scary thought, there is a positive way of looking at it. You could regard this risk as merely the flip side of the fact that sonography is a highly skilled profession. Most job functions that require particular expertise include a certain inherent risk of harm if a mistake is made. This is true even for those who work outside of the medical field. This is just part of being in a responsible position.

The good news is that sonographers can reduce the risk of lawsuits by maintaining good standards of practice and keeping up their level of training. The other good news is that malpractice insurance is readily available for sonographers and is relatively inexpensive. Find out more about liability insurance at the SDMS website.