Thursday, February 7, 2013

Online Sonographer Schools

Online sonography programs prepare students for careers in many diagnostic fields.


Sonographers, often called diagnostic medical sonographers, use high-frequency sound waves to produce sonograms of organs, tissues or blood flow, which are used by doctors to help diagnose patients’ problems, according to the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Sonography can branch off into gynecology, cardiology, gastro-intestinal, ophthalmology and neurology. According to the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, the average salary of a sonographer is $61,984 or $29 per hour. Many programs now offer online sonography bachelor's and associate's degrees and certificates.


Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences


Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences offers an online bachelor of science in diagnostic medial sonography with no campus visits, according to the college. The 61-credit program is designed for the sonographer who has already graduated from an accredited institution or who is registered with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists or Cardiovascular Credentialing International. Students will take 34 credits in imaging and sonography science courses and 27 general education credits. The program can be completed in as little as two years.


To be accepted to the online sonography program, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 with no grade below a C. Students must also send transcripts from former colleges and two letters of recommendation. Students who are not native English speakers must submit their TOFEL scores of no lower than 550. To graduate from Florida Hospital College of Health Science’s online sonography program, students must have a total of 120 credit hours.


Mountain State University


Offering a bachelor’s degree and associate’s degree and a certificate program in diagnostic medical sonography, students wishing to participate in Mountain State University’s online sonography program must have either graduated from an American Medical Association-approved health sciences program or be a registered nurse.


The bachelor of science in diagnostic medical sonography requires 98 credit hours and will take seven semesters to complete whereas the associates degree requires 64 credit hours and take five semesters to complete. To enter the program, requirements include a minimum of a 2.5 GPA and prerequisite courses set forth by Mountain State University.


Jackson Community College


Jackson Community College offers online associate's degrees in three disciplines of diagnostic medical sonography, including general, cardiac and vascular. To enter the program, applicants must submit high school and college transcripts.


The online general sonography degree requires a minimum of a 2.0 GPA and 12 credits from Jackson Community College. The student will also need to complete 1,350 supervised clinical hours from an approved clinical education affiliate. The cardiac program is a 68-credit program, requiring 1,936 supervised hours and 33 credits from the college, whereas the online vascular program requires 1,100 supervised hours and 67 credits.


Jackson Community College’s online sonography program is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

Tags: online sonography, diagnostic medical, Jackson Community, online sonography program, sonography program