Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program

CP in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

• Degree offered: Certificate of proficiency 
• Locations: Forest Park (Medical, cardiac and vascular), Wildwood (Medical and cardiac only)
• Hours to complete: 43
• Program contact name: Lauren Pellegrini, MHA, RDMS, RVT, RDCS
• Program contact email: dmsprogram@stlcc.edu
• Accreditation:
  Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS). 
  Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs 
  9355-113th St. N, #7709 
  Seminole, FL 33775 
  Phone: 727-210-2350 
  Fax: 727-210-2354 
• This program meets the educational requirements for state licensure in the following states: Missouri and Illinois. Students interested in pursuing licensure in a different state should contact the program coordinator for more information.

Additional Information

• Current CPR health care provider-level certification is required by the first day of class and must be maintained throughout the program.
• The hospitals used as clinical sites for the program and board examinations require a criminal background check and drug screening. Should the background check reveal prior felony criminal convictions, the hospital will be contacted to determine if the student is disqualified. If the drug screen is positive, the student will not be permitted to participate in any clinical rotation or internship. 

Tuition for district residents is $122 per credit hour for in-district students. Find out more about our straightforward and low-cost tuition structure.

Admission Requirements

• An associate degree from an accredited institution
• Completion of all program prerequisites prior to submitting an application. Must earn a “C” or higher in the following courses:
  • Anatomy and Physiology I w/ Lab (BIO 207) and Anatomy and Physiology II w/ Lab (BIO 208)
  • College Physics I (PHY 111) or Physical Science (PSI 101)
  • Precalculus Algebra (MTH 160 or MTH 160S) or Introductory Statistics (MTH 180 or MTH 180S)
  • Medical Terminology (HIM 101)
  • College Composition (ENG 101)
  • Oral Communication (COM 101) or Public Speaking (COM 107)
• Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or higher across all colleges attended or across the most recent 45 credit hours
• Cumulative GPA for math and sciences: 3.0 or higher in physics, anatomy and physiology, precalculus algebra or introductory statistics
• Only one repeat of a prerequisite course is allowed over a five-year period
• Complete four hours of job shadowing in a sonography department
• Work 40 hours in a patient care setting, which can be voluntary service within a hospital or nursing home
• Math and science prerequisite courses must have been completed within five years of applying to the program
• Students who have graduated within the last two years from a JRCERT accredited Radiologic Technology program are not required to retake math or science courses that are more than five years old. View full details: Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Admissions Requirements 

Program Goals

At the completion of the program (general concentration), students are expected to: 

• Perform sonographic examinations of the abdomen, superficial structures, non-cardiac chest and the gravid and nongravid pelvis.
• Identify the sonographic appearance of normal anatomic structures, including anatomic variants and normal Doppler patterns with vascular introduction.
• Identify and appropriately document the abnormal sonographic and Doppler patterns of disease processes, pathology and pathophysiology of the abdomen, superficial structures, non-cardiac chest, and gravid and nongravid pelvis.
• Discuss basic principles in ultrasound, vascular ultrasound and ultrasound physics and instrumentation.
• Identify sectional anatomy, hemodynamics, pathophysiologic principles and pattern recognition as it relates to vascular sonography.

At the completion of the program (cardiac concentration), students are expected to: 

• Demonstrate proficiency in the performance of M-mode, two-dimensional and Doppler (pulsed wave, continuous wave, color flow and power) echocardiographic studies.
• Identify the sonographic appearance of normal cardiac anatomy, including anatomic variants and normal Doppler patterns with vascular introduction.
• Identify and appropriately document the abnormal sonographic and Doppler patterns of cardiac disease, processes, pathology and pathophysiology.
• Discuss basic principles in ultrasound, vascular ultrasound and ultrasound physics and instrumentation.
• Identify sectional anatomy, hemodynamics, pathophysiologic principles and pattern recognition as it relates to vascular sonography. 

At the completion of the program (vascular concentration), students are expected to: 

• Identify sectional anatomy, hemodynamics, pathophysiologic principles, and pattern recognition as it relates to vascular sonography.
• Identify the sonographic appearance of normal vascular anatomy, including anatomic variants, and normal Doppler patterns
• Document the abnormal sonographic and Doppler patterns of vascular disease processes, pathology, and pathophysiology.
• Perform sonographic examinations of the vascular system including anatomical variants, hemodynamics, Doppler patterns, and pathology recognition. 

Program Outcomes

Program Effectiveness Data