Medical space is growing in leaps and bounds leading to advanced ways of diagnosis and treatments for any kind of ailments that the human body is suffering from. Most of the diseases which were considered to be non-curable are being treated with great ease because of the advanced technology used in diagnosing the same at a very early stage. One of the predominantly used technologies by doctors in the field of medicine is the Ultrasound technology, also called as sonography. Ultrasound technician plays a crucial role in producing the images of the body for the doctors to diagnose the cause of the ailment and the need for cure. With the rise in speciality hospitals, there is high demand for these technicians.
A career as an ultrasound technician can be extremely fulfilling both in terms of personal satisfaction and financially. The annual salary can be in the range of $50000 to $ 70000 based on the kind of experience that these technicians have. In order to become a professional technician, an individual has to go through formal certifications that are accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). After completing the formal certification, the individual would have to undergo on the job training. Hospitals, community colleges, vocational schools, universities and armed forces offer programs for ultrasound technicians. It is necessary that an individual looking at completing this course should have a basic degree in science, mathematics and computers.
Along with the formal education, an ultrasound technician should look at building people skill, excellent verbal and interpersonal relationship skills, good nimbleness etc. The time required to complete the program and also have on the job training could be in the range of 2 to 3 years. The program would include lessons on patient care, physics, medical ethics, physiology and anatomy. There are many online courses that one can opt to become a professional in this field. It is however extremely necessary to look for programs that are accredited to either CAAHEP or ARRT (American registry in Radiologic Technologists.
The ultrasound technicianprogram will enable the students to read and diagnose scans, interact with patients in a manner understandable to the troubled patients, take X – rays, perform sonography etc. The individual would have to clear two exams to get certified. The general exam would be focused on the area of equipment’s used during the ultrasound procedure, sonography principles, and physics. The second exam would be on the normal anatomy.
The role of an ultrasound technician would involve recording patient’s history and medical information, performing diagnostic procedures and assisting the doctors in diagnosing the problem, analysing highly technical information, providing detailed report of the diagnostic procedures done to the doctors, easing the nerves of the patients by clearly explaining the situation etc. The career in this field is extremely demanding and equally rewarding. It offers opportunity to service the community along with diverse speciality opportunities with comfortable working environment and feeling of satisfaction. An ultrasound technician can enjoy opportunities to specialise in varied areas such as breast ultrasound, cardiac ultrasound, vascular ultrasound, gynaecology ultrasound, abdominal and can see growth as chief technologist, instructor, or program director etc. Individuals looking to pursue a career in sonography can take heart from the fact that the demand and salary for an ultrasound technicianis expected to have a consistent growth.
