Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Ultrasound)

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Diagnostic Medical Sonography ( Ultrasound) - Medical Imaging

Sonograhy student practicing on a computer based patient simulator Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010 as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology. Some job openings also will arise from the need to replace sonographers who leave the occupation.

Ultrasound is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures as patients seek safer treatment methods. Because ultrasound—unlike most diagnostic imaging methods—does not involve radiation, harmful side effects and complications from repeated use are rarer for both the patient and the sonographer. Sonographic technology is expected to evolve rapidly and to spawn many new ultrasound procedures, such as 3D-ultrasonography for use in obstetric and ophthalmologic diagnosis. However, high costs may limit the rate at which some promising new technologies are adopted.

Hospitals will remain the principal employer of diagnostic medical sonographers. However, employment is expected to grow more rapidly in offices and clinics of physicians, including diagnostic imaging centers. Health facilities such as these are expected to grow very rapidly through 2010 due to the strong shift toward outpatient care, encouraged by third-party payers and made possible by technological advances that permit more procedures to be performed outside the hospital.

"Ultrasonography, commonly called sonography, is a diagnostic medical procedure that uses high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to produce dynamic visual images of organs, tissues, or blood flow inside the body. This type of procedure is often referred to as a sonogram or ultrasound scan. Sonography 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. It is also used to guide fine needle, tissue biopsy to assist in taking a sample of cells from an organ for lab testing (for example, a test for cancer in breast tissue). Unlike X-rays, sonography is a radiation-free imaging modality.

The non-physician professionals who perform these procedures are known as sonographers and vascular technologists (who are sonographers specializing in imaging and tests of blood vessels)." From www.sdms.org/career/career.asp

Offered by:

ffered by:

Springfield
Avis Vincensi
Avincensi@stcc.edu
413-755-4915

AS Degree

Related Fields: Nuclear Medicine and Radiography (X-ray)

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