Ultrasound Imaging
Ultrasound technicians, also known as sonographers, are in increasing demand in the medical field. Since ultrasound imaging is generally preferred over other medical diagnostic tools, ultrasound technicians are beginning to have a more dominant role in diagnosing and treating patients. Ultrasounds are typically painless and noninvasive with little to no risk involved during the imaging, making it popular amongst patients and doctors alike. Hospitals, labs, clinics, private practice offices, and public health facilities are just a few examples of the settings in which ultrasounds are utilized. Most sonographers, however, work in hospitals because of the variety of cases and the flexibility of the hours. By using the ultrasound machine on many patients with varying conditions, sonographers get the advantage helping more people and the bonus of gaining priceless on the job training.
These non-physician professionals are extremely versatile, exhibiting a wide array of skills, the most important of which is patient care. An ultrasound technician is a people person who looks forward to the chance to learn something new every day. He or she has a good bedside manner and is strong when the patient cannot be. The ultrasound technician must have endless compassion and understanding when imaging for the tragedy of breast cancer. He or she should also feel excitement when showing a new mom the first image of her unborn child. Successful sonographers treat each patient like an individual, making him or her feel safe and welcome, no matter the reason for the procedure. Diagnostic tests can be frightening, and more often than not, unfortunately, the sonographer is responsible for finding bad news. The most important quality is having the grace to deliver that news in a calm and reassuring manner.
The career opportunities for an ultrasound technician are bountiful, and as technology surges ever forward in the medical and diagnostic field, the demand for sonographers is rapidly increasing. Again, this is because more and more patients are requesting safer alternatives to MRI’s and X-Rays for diagnosing. Unlike its predecessors, the ultrasound does not use radiation which can be harmful to the delicate cells in children and in adult reproductive organs. Instead, it basically works like echolocation, the method by which bats and some underwater creatures “see” in the dark.
A sound wave is sent through the skin, and then a super-sensitive microphone records how long it takes for the sound to travel back, or, to echo. Depending upon when and how the echo sounds, a picture image is created which reflects the shapes that created the initial echo. Ultrasound images are created in real time since the sound waves are constantly pulsing. This is how we can see a fetus’ heart beating, or blood flowing through an artery. This is useful if the sonographer is specifically looking for a problem with how blood is flowing to the heart. Sometimes a sonogram can pick up a leak that an MRI or an X-Ray would miss altogether. Again, this procedure is painless, with the only discomfort sometimes caused by the transducer. The transducer is the small handheld device that is pressed against the skin in order to send out the sound waves and create the image. Ultrasound technicians use a jelly on the skin to prevent air bubbles from clouding the image. The pressure placed upon the transducer can cause mild discomfort if a sonographer is using the ultrasound to image a part of the body that is already sore, but this is very rare.
Since ultrasounds work without a magnet, they are also preferable when dealing with patients with preexisting medical conditions. Some patients have pins and rods in their bodies to hold together broken bones and spinal injuries. If someone with surgical pins from a broken arm in adolescence was experiencing stomach pains as an adult, the doctor would have to rule out the possibility of an MRI for fear of ripping his patient’s arm apart. An ultrasound would be much safer in diagnosing the stomach pains, and would also be almost as accurate.
Sonographers have many methods of ultrasound technology at their disposal. Specifically, there is the conventional use of the ultrasound machine, as well as the three types of Doppler ultrasound. Conventional ultrasounds are more focused on certain parts of the body, displaying muscle and tissue images with staggering accuracy, whereas Doppler ultrasounds focus on the blood flow thru the arteries and veins. Color and power ultrasounds are used to display images of blood flow; color ultrasounds are more accurate in demonstrating flow direction, and power ultrasounds are more accurate in flow detail. Spectral ultrasounds show the flow rate graphically. These different types of ultrasound each yield their own value to the medical field by allowing technicians and physicians the ability to make multiple diagnoses with one test. Professional technicians are responsible for mastering the art of interpreting all four.
Along with the four different types of ultrasound technology come the various medical fields in which technicians can choose to practice. By choosing a particular practice, sonographers become more experienced and reputable, furthering their careers and upping the level of patient comfort and care. Specializing typically allows for more flexibility with a technician’s work week, and may also aid in moving up a pay scale.
Sonographers have the option of specializing in abdominal imaging, vascular, neurological, obstetrical/gynecologic, and ophthalmic, or eye, ultrasound, the most common of which is the OB/GYN. Sonographers play a key role in keeping unborn infants alive and well during a woman’s pregnancy. They are trained to identify the sex of an infant, and to make sure that the baby is healthy and safe. As a sonographer, one can help bring future generations of healthy children into the world.
Training to become a sonographer is not quite the trying process that is training to become a physician. Certificates in ultrasound technology can be achieved in as little as eighteen months, and some bachelor degree programs can be completed in just three short years. There are many higher education options available to the aspiring sonographer. He or she can go the certificate route, can complete an Associate’s degree, or even finish an entire Bachelor’s degree program. Many teaching hospitals allow for tuition reimbursement depending upon the level of academic achievement by a training technician. Associate’s programs prepare sonographers for entry level positions with the opportunity to gain on the job insight, whereas Bachelor’s degree candidates can start in higher paid, more specialized positions. Each type of certification impacts the specialization and pay scale of the ultrasound technician. The more education, the more money one can earn and the more flexibility in hours. This field is recommended for people who love to learn since ultrasound technicians never really finish their education. Every patient is a new experience to learn more about the profession.
All ultrasound technician programs require a high school diploma or GED, and some programs require entrance exams, interviews and professional references. If a technician expects to be successful, he or she should attend a school that is affiliated with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) since the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), the official credential registry, only recognizes technicians who have gone through CAAHEP’s channels. Students who do not attend an affiliated school will have to work for year and then sit for a test to gain membership to the ARDMS. It is much easier to find work overall once a sonographer is already a member of ARDMS, so it’s definitely better to avoid the middle man entirely.
The coursework for an ultrasound student is very hands-on because schools with certification programs want to be sure that they are only sending qualified professionals into the medical field. Students will learn to identify the parts of the ultrasound machine, operate the machine, as well as interpret the images onscreen. Classes include anatomy and physiology, human biology, medical terminology and ethics, and Doppler sonography. Just like doctors must complete field hours, most sonographer certification programs also require an unpaid internship in a professional ultrasound setting.
Becoming an ultrasound technician is a rewarding and lucrative field. Working directly with patients to help them lead better, healthier lives is more fulfilling than one could imagine. Add in the fact that there is a lot of room for advancement, and the attractiveness of a career in sonography increases twofold. Experienced sonographers can move on to become chief ultrasound technologists and technical directors. Most sonographers average about a $50,000 annual salary and have a forty hour work week. Many sonographers are paid an additional on-call rate and work weekends as well, if they desire. There are also many career opportunities available in education and research since ultrasound technology is becoming ever more sophisticated and wide-spread by the day. Teaching future ultrasound technicians is just as important as becoming one, and more and more lives are saved every day thru the continuing research in advanced ultrasound imaging. Whether one chooses to go into teaching, researching, or patient care, the ultrasound technician is a very important part of the medical field.