How Do I Become a Sonographer?

Answer 1

A sonographer is a kind of medical technician. Specifically, a sonographer is a person who performs a kind medical scan on a person’s body most commonly known as an ultrasound.

To perform an ultrasound, a sonographer will first apply a certain kind of gel to a portion of a patient’s body. A device referred to as a transducer is then waved over that area of the body. The transducer will shoot sound waves into the patient’s body. These sound waves will hit organs inside and then bounce back out to the transducer. These sound waves are then used to produce detailed images of the inside of the patient’s body. Things ultrasounds can be used for include detecting cancer, determining whether or not an organ is operating properly, or determining the health of a fetus inside a mother’s womb.

Specialization with in this career field is quite common. Examples of fields a sonographer can specialize in include breast cancer screening, echocardiology, neurosonology, and obstetrics. Sonographers usually work in hospitals. However, there may be openings for this position in doctors’ offices, clinics, and laboratories. A sonographer can expect to make somewhere between $47,000 and $69,000 a year. A new sonographer can expect to make between fifteen and twenty three dollars an hour in his or her first year on the job.

Since sonographers are medical technicians and not doctors, the amount of education needed to obtain entrance into this career field is not nearly as intense. However, high school and college diplomas will certainly be required. The college curriculum needed to learn the trade of sonography varies based on the kind of sonography that person wishes to pursue. Depending on the curriculum, a college sonography program can taken one to four years to complete.

In addition to the educational requirements, a sonographer will also have to be accepted as a clinical intern at a facility that performs ultrasounds. During this internship, the intern will work under a licensed sonographer and gain practical experience. Finally, to become a fully certified sonographer, that person will have to pass a rigorous exam to test his or her medical knowledge as well as skills related to the correct performance of an ultrasound.