If your answer to the question was New York City, consider SUNY (State University of New York) Downstate Medical Center, located in Brooklyn, New York. Just like any program for ultrasound technician, you will have to meet the exacting admission criteria. First of all, you must have received a minimum of 60 semester credits from institutions that are accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Secondly, the cumulative GPA must be at least 3.0, and you must have attained this GPA by receiving C or higher in the prerequisites courses. The prerequisites are similar to many other programs like physics and English, but interestingly, this program requires General Chemistry 1 with Labs (requiring Chemistry is not that commonplace requirement) and two years of Anatomy and Physiology (many just require one year).

Once admitted to the program, there are total of 70 credits that the student must successfully finish. The courses are determined to foster the student’s understanding in the entire human system as well as the techniques for sonography. Examples of the courses include Human Physiology, Sonographic Physics II, and Cross-Sectional Anatomy of the Thorax and Head. This program is especially recommended for helping graduates to successfully land with solid jobs after the completion of the program.

For others, the school in the state of New York is the answer. A possible option is Trocaire College in Buffalo, New York. The program is merely one-year of certificate program and constitutes of 35 credit hours. Just like the requirements for SUNY Downstate Medical Center, the requirement to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program is very fastidious. The interested applicant must be a graduate of an A.A.S. (Associate in Applied
Science), B.S., or Diploma Radiologic Technology program. Minimum GPA of 3.0 is required although for the applicants with Diploma Radiologic Technology, the transcripts will be analyzed to determine the exact admission. Following this part of application is the interview. With the certificate program, minimum GPA of 2.0 in total of 36 credit hours must be met. The courses that the student will encounter include Physics of Ultrasound I, Obstetrical Sonography, and Sonography Clinical Practicum II. As you can guess, this program is different than that of the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in the sense that its focus is only on ultrasound physics, abdominal, and obstetrics/gynecological sonography. So, for students interested in other parts of the sonography or want to receive full exposure, then this program is not for you.

If you happen to reside in Florida, one possible option is Central Florida Institute (CFI), which has two branch campuses in Tampa and Orlando. In order to gather information about their programs, the interested applicant must visit their website for sonographer and request for more information (they do not provide that on their website). Or, you can choose to call them at 407-253-5354. Similarly, the ATI Career Training at Miami Gardens Campus offers a program called Diagnostic Ultrasound Technology. Under this program, the applicant will learn about general sonography, cardiovascular and thoracic sonography (heart and chest), abdomen sonography (belly), obstetrics sonography (fetus), and externships. Only problem is that even with this school, you will have to request the information by providing your information on their website or call and talk with the admissions representative at 1-888-209-8264 (this is a general number for all programs). It did provide, however, that for all general admissions, the applicant must have high school diploma or equivalent GED, undergo an interview, sign an enrollment agreement, and send in other information that is required. Overall, for both schools,
the interested applicant needs to contact them on his or her own.

On the other hand, if you just want to have a look on your options and are somewhat reluctant to call any school yet, look at the information provided by Keiser University, which has campuses all around Florida such as Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, and Miami, and more. To be sure, the interested student should find if the program is available in the Keiser University near his or her area. In terms of admission, the student must pass through the background check and drug screening and has maintained minimum of 3.0 out of 4.0 GPA with all the prerequisites (no course below C). As far as the program itself goes, 65.0 credit hours out of total required 91.0 credit hours are for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The core courses include Acoustic Physics and Instrumentation, Clinical Rotation III, and Superficial Structures and Neonatal Brain. By the look of their courses, the student will have to perform very well to succeed. Upon the completion of the program, the student will receive Keiser University’s Associated of Science Degree in
Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Making a big decision to go to college requires some preparation and forethought these days because of what is happening with the economy. The largest layoffs that have been happening in the US fall under the category mainly of industry but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be more layoffs in other fields in the future.

The Job Occupational Outlook Handbook may be a good resource for you in getting specifics on the sectors of jobs in the US that are expected to be needed more or less in the future. The job of Diagnostic Medical Sonographer is expected to grow “faster than average” through the year 2018. That is not all you need to consider, of course, when you make your decision to enter this field. How much time in schooling is needed?

That is really the good news for you for the training in the sonography field. You can certainly expect a minimum of two years of schooling if you go with an accredited program, and that is after you have met the prerequisite classes.

You will be taking extensive classes in science, health and mathmatics so if you don’t like any of these subjects you may want to consider another field of study. The Indiana CNA, also known as the Indiana Nurses Aide offers large numbers of jobs with only a few weeks training, but the pay is alot lower. You may also want to consider the field of Indiana Dental Hygienist because there is still many jobs to be had in the future in that field as well.

The pay for the Medical Sonographer can be anywhere from $43,000 to $73,000 per year. The Dental Hygienist salary equates to about the same with people making up to $55 per hour in big cities in California.

I only found two ACCREDITED medical sonography programs in Indiana. If you live in Lafayett or Fort Wayne, you will have to do some commuting. If you live near Gary or Evansville it might be easier for you to attend a training program in another state.

Indiana Accredited Training Programs
Saint Anthony Medical Center – Crown Point
University of Southern Indiana – Evansville

Other colleges of interest which may offer full or partial credits and degree for those wanting to move forward with an ultrasound technician career include the following.

Brown Mackie College
Fort Wayne, Merrillville, Michigan City, South Bend, Indiana. Business, computers, education, paralegal, health care and more.

Harrison College
Anderson, Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lafayette, Muncie, Terre Haute, Indiana

TechSkills
Indianapolis, also other states. Computers, information technology, medical coding / billing, medical transcription, pharmacy, health services office administration.

Capella University Online
Business, technology, education, psychology, human services.

ITT Technical Institute (ITT Tech)
Fort Wayne, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Newburgh (Evansville), South Bend (South Bend/Mishawaka), Indiana; also campuses in other states.

Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana Tech
Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Elkhart

Indiana University
Bloomington

Indiana University
Kokomo

Indiana University
South Bend

Indiana University / Purdue University
Indianapolis

Indiana University / Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Indiana University East
Richmond

Indiana University Northwest
Gary

Indiana University Southeast
New Albany

Indiana University System
Bloomington

Marian College
Indianapolis

Martin University
Indianapolis

Oakland City University
Oakland City

Purdue University
West Lafayette

Purdue University Calumet
Calumet

Purdue University College of Technology
Columbus, Greensburg, Indiana

Purdue University North Central
Westville

Purdue University, College of Technology
Anderson, Muncie, Indiana

Anderson University
Anderson, Indiana

Bethel College
Mishawaka, Indiana

Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

Holy Cross College
Notre Dame, Indiana

Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Merrilville, Shelbyville, Kokomo, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Central Indiana
Indianapolis, IN

Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus
Columbus, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – East Central
Muncie, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Kokomo
Kokomo, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – North Central
South Bend, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Northeast
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Northwest
Gary, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – South Central
Sellersburg, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Southeast
Madison, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Southwest
Evansville, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Wabash Valley
Terre Haute, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College – Whitewater
Richmond, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana

Manchester College
North Manchester, Indiana

Saint Joseph’s College
Rensselaer, Indiana

Saint Mary’s College
Notre Dame, Indiana

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
St. Mary of the Woods (Terre Haute)

University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

Ancilla College
Donaldson

Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Calumet College of St. Joseph
Whiting, Merrillville, Chicago

Christian Theological Seminary
Indianapolis

College of Technology at Indianapolis
Indianapolis

College of Technology at Kokomo
Kokomo

College of Technology at New Albany
New Albany

College of Technology at Richmond
Richmond

College of Technology at South Bend/Elkhart
South Bend

Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne

DePauw University
Greencastle

Earlham College (Quaker)
Richmond

Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana

Huntington College
Huntington

If you have any other colleges to add to the Sonography and Ultrasound Tech training list, let us know by emailing us or by adding a comment below.

You may be wondering how much training you will have to take. The good news is that many of the training programs are Associate Degree programs of about two years. There are one year programs for those wanting to switch from another health field to this one if you meet all the criteria. There are also four year programs too.

We really need to make good decisions for college these days, as massive layoffs continue to occur in many sectors across the US.

A good source of information that verfies job growth and trends is the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook. None of us know exactly what will happen with the economy in the next few years, but we can’t afford to go for training/schooling and then not easily get a job. This source of guidance predicts job growth in Medical Sonography jobs through the year 2018. Why is this?

All of us know the difficulties of the health insurance situation in the US. In the last few years, there has been a trend toward popular HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) health plans. Many have no insurance at all.

The sonogram is a much less expensive alternative to diagnosing many health conditions and it is being chosen more and more over the expensive MRIs and CAT scans that need a detailed diagnosis.

There is good money to be made as a sonographer. You can make anywhere from $43,000 to $73,000 per year.

Below I have listed only the ACCREDITED programs in Minnesota, so if you live in Worthington or Marshall, it may be easier for you to attend in another state. The same can be said if you live in Moorhead or Montevideo. Some classes can probably be taken on-line.

Sonography and Ultrasound colleges and schools in Minnesota

Argosy University/Twin Cities Campus – Eagan
Mayo Clinic – Rochester
St Cloud Technical College – St Cloud
St Catherine University – Minneapolis
Alexandria Technical College located in Alexandria
Anoka Technical College in Anoka MN
Anoka-Ramsey Community College in 2 locations of Coon Rapids and Cambridge
Central Lakes College located in Staples and Brainerd
Century College in White Bear Lake
Dakota County Technical College‡ (Rosemount)
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (Cloquet)
Hennepin Technical College (Brooklyn Park, Eden Prairie)
Hibbing Community College‡ (Hibbing)
Inver Hills Community College (Inver Grove Heights)
Itasca Community College (Grand Rapids)
Lake Superior College (Duluth)
Mesabi Range Community & Technical College (Virginia, Eveleth)
Minneapolis Community and Technical College (Minneapolis)
Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical (Red Wing, Winona)
Minnesota State Community and Technical College‡ (Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead, Wadena)
Minnesota West Community & Technical College‡ (Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, Pipestone, Worthington)
Normandale Community College (Bloomington)
North Hennepin Community College (Brooklyn Park)
Northland Community & Technical College (East Grand Forks, Thief River Falls)
Pine Technical College (Pine City)
Rainy River Community College (International Falls)
Ridgewater College (Hutchinson, Willmar)
Riverland Community College, (Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna)
Rochester Community and Technical College (Rochester)
St. Cloud Technical College (St. Cloud)
Saint Paul College (St. Paul)
South Central Technical College (Faribault, North Mankato)
Vermilion Community College (Ely)

If you aware of any other schools or institutions to add to this list please let us know so we can add them on.

This review article will help you to understand what type of coursework you will be taking, how long it will take, the opportunities for the job after you have taken the coursework, and the pay you can expect to receive.

If you are going to college for the first time you must understand that even though the job of Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (ultrasound Technician) pays well, you will have to make up your mind to devote the time needed to at least a two year Associate degree program unless you just want to switch from a current health field you are already practicing in. In that case, you could possibly qualify for a one year training program.

The coursework will require some effort as you will be taking Algebra, Trigonometry, English, Anatomy and Physiology courses among many others.

In comparison to other health field jobs, the medical sonographer pays really well. The pay can range from $43,000 to $73,000 per year. Alot will depend on the city and state you want to practice in. An ultrasound tech in Sioux Falls, for instance, will certainly pay much more than an ultrasound tech in Huron or Watertown or Mitchell. Rapid City may have more of a demand for an ultrasound tech than Aberdeen or Pierre. This is because at least 59% of the jobs are located in hospitals. The bigger the city the more hospitals it has.

I could only find one listing for an accredited medical sonography program in South Dakota, (listed below) but there may be others. Contact this school for starters to find out where other schools are located that you may want to attend. You may also check some of my other state listings since I have included the accredited programs for each state at the end of each article.

South Dakota Accredited College Program
Southeast Technical Institute – Sioux Falls

An accurate location to find this information is the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook. They follow all job positions in the US and give percentages of increases or decreases in demand for any particular field. Ultrasound technician jobs are projected to increase faster than normal through the year 2018.

The training/schooling time for the ultrasound technician is relatively short considering the type of salary you will make. Again, the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook verifies that the average sonographer makes anywhere between $43,000 and $73,000 per year.

Are you up for the challenge of classes involved? You will take high level math classes like trigonometry as well as science and a number of English classes. Some of these classes can be taken on-line so check with the institution to make sure what ones you can take on-line and which ones you can’t.

I have only listed ACCREDITED training programs for Virginia. It is possible that training may be available elsewhere that is not accredited, or, please let me know if there are other schools we can add to the list. If you live in Blacksburg or Roanoke you may want to consider moving closer to the school if you get accepted. Otherwise, especially if you live in small towns like Galax or in a bigger town like Harrisburg, consider attending a training program in another state.

ACCREDITED Training Programs of Virginia
Southside Regional Medical Center – Petersburg
Tidewater Community College – Virginia Beach

Medical sonographers are continuing to be needed as may physicians are turning to them for tests that they used to get through MRIs and CAT scans. Why is this?

Health care costs are soaring. Many need diagnostic tests but cost containment by the now popular HMO plans requires doctors to keep costs down. Many today don’t even have insurance but still a diagnosis.

Sonographers are not just for unborn child images. They are being used for diagnosing heart conditions, breast exams, thyroid conditions, and neuro conditions.

The job rate for the sonographer technician is expected to grow faster that average through the year 2018 according to the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook. This may make college for this job a safe choice for training classes for the next two to four years.

Alabama is a big state and there may be other ways to get your training besides the schools I have listed below here since I only listed the ACCREDITED programs that I could find in the state. If you live in Jackson or Dothan, it might be easier for you to attend college in Florida or Georgia.

The best thing to do if you live in any of these small towns, call one of the schools listed below to get your required prerequisite classes you will need to get into the program and you will probably be able to take some of them on-line. Also, find out if there is a waiting list and check out this website for other school listings in other states.

Alabama Accredited Sonography Training Programs
H. Council Trenholm State Technical College – Montgomery
Institute of Ultrasound Diagnostics – Spanish Fort
Wallace State Community College – Hanceville

Significant Points:
Employment will grow as sonography becomes an increasingly attractive alternative to radiologic procedures.
Sonographers may receive education and training in hospitals, vocational-technical institutions, colleges or universities.

Diagnostic medical sonographers held about 50,300 jobs in 2008. About 59 percent of all sonographer jobs were in public and private hospitals. The remaining jobs were typically in offices of physicians, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and outpatient care centers.

EMPLOYMENT CHANGE
Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to increase by about 18 percent through 2018-faster than the average for all populations. Additional job growth is expected as healthcare prviders increasingly utilize ultrasound imaging as a safer and more cost effective alternative to other types of radiological procedures. Ultrasound imaging technology is expected to change rapidly and spawn many new sonography procedures.

Other High Paying Jobs With Short Training Time:
Another quick school program is the Michigan Dental Hygiene Training Program with pay ranging anywhere from $18-$55 per hour. If you need a job while working towards either one of these consider Michigan Certified Nursing Assistant, also known as the Michigan Nurses Aide.

MICHIGAN SCHOOLS/TRAINING PROGRAMS
1. Baker College of Auburn Hills – Auburn Hills
2. Baker College of Owosso – Owosso
3. Delta College – University Center
4. Ferris State University – Big Rapids
5. Grand Valley State University – Grand Rapids
6. Henry Ford Hospital – Detroit
7. Jackson Community College – Jackson, MI
8. Lansing Community College – Lansing
9. Oakland Community College – Soutfield
10 Providence Hospital and Medical Center – Southfield

Other schools to look at when getting started with a career in the Health field would also include,Bay de Noc Community College located in Escanaba Michigan, Alpena Community College (ACC) which is a public two-year college located in Alpena Michigan, Bay Mills Community College, Delta College located southwest of Bay City, Glen Oaks Community College located in Centreville Michigan, Gogebic Community College located in Ironwood Michigan, and Henry Ford Community College located in Dearborn Michigan.

Diagnostic sonographers use a number of different procedures to diagnose ailment. We all know about the sonographer that works with obstetrics in providing sonograms for expectant mothers, but did you know that this technology is used to diagnose medical conditions throughout the body? In fact, as medical procedures like MRIs and CAT scans continue to escalate in cost, the much less expensive sonogram is increasing in need and popularity with many physicians to keep costs down.

The Job Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good guide to follow to know which professions are good choices to choose for college in a difficult economy. The Diagnostic Medical Sonographer need is expected to grow through the year 2018 according to its 2010-2011 edition.

You need to know that you will do very detailed work with this job as sonographers take measurements, calculate values, and analyze results in preliminary findings for doctors. You will also need to keep records and adjust and maintain equipment. You may also need to prepare your own work schedule.

There are several avenues for entry into this field, however most people go through an accredited college or university for 2 to 4 years. There are one year certificate programs available but these are usually for people that are already in a health care field and want additional training. A list of accredited programs is at the end of this article.

The best way to prepare in high school is to take extra classes in mathematics, health, and science. Otherwise, check with the head of the sonography department at the schools listed below to prepare yourself for entry into the program.

Some states have long lists of schools that offer this program. I was only able to locate two accredited programs in Iowa. If you live in the Quad Cities, you may need to travel to Iowa City for your classes. Check to see if you can take some on-line. If you live in Mason City or Sioux City, it may be easier to attend classes in a neighboring state. Indianola, Oskaloosa, and Pella may be in your driving distance for the Des Moines Program.

Accredited Diagnostic Medical Sonography Training in Iowa and Ultrasound Tech Training:
Mercy College of Health Sciences – Des Moines
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics – Iowa City

The city of Dallas, Texas boasts the highest paid Sonographers compared to other cities throughout the country. Houston, Texas also ranks near the top for highest paid hourly rates as well. This makes the pursuit of this career very attractive in the state of Texas.

Students looking for the largest ultrasound school in Texas will find it at the Austin Community College in Austin. They offer several degree programs for those interested in ultrasound technology. Some of these are an Associate of Applied Science degree in Diagnositc Cardiac Sonography, which has the highest paid hourly workers for graduates of any of the Sonography fields. Each related ultrasound degree program requires a completion of at least 72 credit hours involving clinical lab experience, classroom lectures and college lab time.

LIST OF TECHNICAL SCHOOLS IN TEXAS:
PLEASE CHECK THE SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE:

Austin Community College – Austin
5930 Middle Fiskville RD., Austin, TX 78752

Sanford-Brown Institute
Houston, Texas

Sanford-Brown Institute
Dallas-Texas

Amarillo Texas Tech

Arlington Texas Tech

Austin Texas Tech

Baytown Texas Tech

Beaumont Texas Tech

Brenham texas Tech

Brownsville Texas Tech

Canyon Texas Tech

College Station Texas Tech

Commerce Texas Tech

Corpus Christi Texas Tech

Dallas Texas Tech

Denton Texas Tech

Edinburg Texas Tech

El Paso Texas Tech

Farmers Branch Texas Tech

Fort Worth Texas Tech

Houston Texas Tech

Huntsville Texas Tech

Irving Texas Tech

Killeen Texas Tech

Kingsville Texas Tech

Laredo Texas Tech

Levelland Texas Tech

Lubbock Texas Tech

Mcallen Texas Tech

Mckinney Texas Tech

Mesquite Texas Tech

Nacogdoches Texas Tech

Pasadena Texas Tech

Plainview Texas Tech

Richardson Texas Tech

San Angelo Texas Tech

San Antonio Texas Tech

San Marcos Texas Tech

Stephenville Texas Tech

Tyler Texas Tech

Waco Texas Tech

Wichita Falls Texas Tech

Beaumont Texas Technical