Ultrasound technologists are medical professionals trained to use sound waves on patients' bodies to diagnose diseases or medical conditions. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to with the more general term: diagnostic medical sonographers. As of February 2011, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs has approved 185 programs in the United States dedicated to train people for such a profession, which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts will swell by 18 percent by 2018.
The George Washington University Medical Center
George Washington University at the nation's capital offers a bachelor of science degree in sonography as one of its health sciences programs via its Medical Center. The program consists of 68 or 72 credits, depending on whether the student goes for the four-credit dual clinical practice choice. Courses at GWU include Multiplanar Sectional Anatomy, Echocardiography and Psychosocial Aspects of Health and Illness. GWU's sonography program is designed to take up to two years for completion.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College
At its campus in Rome, Georgia, Georgia Northwestern Technical College offers an associate of applied science degree in diagnostic medical sonography. The program consists of general education and core courses, which the institution labels as the preoccupational and occupational curriculum, respectively. The former is comprised of classes in subjects such as algebra, medical terminology and microcomputers; the latter offers courses such as Pelvic Sonography and Pathology, Normal Obstetric Sonography, Cross Sectional Anatomy and High Resolution Imaging. A stripped-down, less intense diploma version of the program is also available.
Sanford-Brown College
Sanford-Brown College has some advantages over other schools in the U.S. with ultrasound technologist-focused programs. For starters, it has several campuses throughout the country, which include Houston, Texas; Middleburg Heights, Ohio, and New York City. Students can get a diploma, certificate or associate degree at Sanford-Brown, with courses in subject areas such as the sonographic patterns of organs, proper protocols to survey organs and technical impressions. The college also offers a concentration in cardiovascular sonography, which allows students to specialize in detecting heart-related diseases.
University of Missouri
As of February 2011, the University of Missouri of Columbia is the only educational institution in the U.S. with a master's program in diagnostic medical sonography -- the highest level of training available for this profession. The Master of Health Science (MHS) in Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound is available through the university's School of Health Professions. The program consists of two years of prerequisites and three years of core courses in sonography. The prerequisites are in subjects such as sociology, speech, physics and biology. Sonography courses include Vascular Sonography, Cardiac Principles, Superficial Organs and Abdominal Sonography.
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