Ultrasound technicians typically study diagnostic medical sonography.
Students who wish to become ultrasound technicians should look for schools offering a program in diagnostic medical sonography (DMS), because this field of study teaches students operate equipment, read ultrasound images and interact with patients. Most students who graduate from a DMS program go on to take the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) exam, which can greatly enhance their career opportunities. Several schools in Michigan offer DMS programs that take two to four years to complete.
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University, located 15 minutes outside Grand Rapids, offers a bachelor's of science degree in diagnostic medical sonography. Each student chooses a concentration in general sonography or echocardiography, and there are also sub-specialties within these concentrations, such as abdominal or vascular sonography. Pediatric echocardiography is another sub-specialty, and GVSU is the only school in the U.S. that offers a bachelor's degree in this field.
Students complete a clinical component of the program that includes 1,680 contact hours with patients. The program has a good reputation for producing ARDMS-certified graduates; as of 2010, all students since 2007 were ARDMS-registered before graduation.
Grand Valley State University
1 North Campus Dr.
Allendale, MI 49401
616-331-5000
gvsu.edu
Sanford-Brown Institute
Located in Dearborn, 10 minutes from downtown Detroit, the Sanford-Brown Institute offers a diploma program for those who wish to gain entry-level employment as an ultrasound technician. The school's diagnostic medical sonography program includes the study of the abdomen, pelvis and superficial structures. Courses include anatomy, organ systems and physiology. The campus has an imaging laboratory for practice with the machines and equipment associated with this career, and an off-campus clinical course is also required.
Sanford-Brown Institute
5900 Mercury Dr.
Dearborn, MI 48126
877-257-6444
sbdearborn.com
Providence Hospital Allied Health School
Providence Hospital, located just north of Detroit in Southfield, offers its own Allied Health School with a program for diagnostic medical sonography. This full-time program includes classroom instruction and clinical training that is completed on a traditional 40-hour workweek schedule, Monday through Friday. The program takes 18 months to complete and starts in May of each year. Applicants must be practicing medical professionals, such as registered nurses or radiologic technicians, though individuals with bachelor's degrees in a related field may be considered.
Only four or five students are chosen each year for this selective program. Students who commit to work for the St. John Medical System for one year directly following their graduation and who pass a Pre-Employment Assessment Tool (PEAT) can have $2,400 of their $3,000 tuition waived.
Providence Hospital Allied Health School
16001 W. Nine Mile
Southfield, MI 48075
248-849-5385
Tags: diagnostic medical, medical sonography, Allied Health, Allied Health School, diagnostic medical sonography, Grand Valley, Grand Valley State
