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Diagnostic Medical Sonography

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Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Certificate of Proficiency (CP)

Offered through Health Professions

@ Forest Park

This Diagnostic Medical Sonography program provides a specialty in ultrasound technology for graduates with an associate degree or two-year hospital-based program in another allied health area. You attend full-time and complete classroom work and clinical education in an affiliated ultrasound department. You acquire skills in record keeping, reviewing and recording pertinent clinical patient history, performing the sonographic examination, providing for the comforts and needs of the patient during the examination, and recording the anatomic, pathologic and physiologic data for interpretation by the supervising physician. Students interested in this program should possess effective oral communication skills with patients and all members of the health care team, thoroughness, accuracy, empathy, versatility and the ability to follow precise and detailed instructions.

Required Courses

The recommended academic plan blends general education requirements with options for areas of concentration to ensure students get the most out of their certificate or degree.

Program Contact

Lauren Pellegrini, MHA, RDMS, RVT, RDCS

Email

dmsprogram@stlcc.edu

Phone

314-644-9399

Certification

Graduates are eligible to take the certification examinations offered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Cardiovascular Credentialing International for their curriculum options – Abdomen and OB/GYN for Medical Sonography and Adult Echocardiography for Cardiac Sonography and Vascular Technology for Vascular Sonography.

Job Outlook

Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians, including vascular technologists, is projected to grow 10 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median salary nationwide for diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians in May 2022 is $81,350.  As imaging technology evolves, medical facilities will continue to use ultrasound to replace more invasive, costly procedures. For information on the job outlook in the diagnostic medical sonography profession, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and search specific job titles.

 

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 according to protocol guidelines established by national professional organizations.
  • 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.

Program Minimum Expectations (According to the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography).

The primary goal of a Diagnostic Medical Sonography Education program is to prepare the graduate to function as a competent ENTRY-LEVEL sonographer.

  • To prepare competent entry-level general sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains and/or
  • To prepare competent entry-level adult cardiac sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

Medical and Cardiac Sonography curriculum options are accredited by the 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

  • 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 with lab (usually two semester course sequence of at least 8 credit hours)
    • Physics (PHY 111) or Physical Science (PSI 101)
    • Precalculus algebra or introductory statistics
    • Medical terminology
    • English composition
    • Oral communications (COM 101) or Public speaking (COM 107)
  • Cumulative GPA: 3.0 (across all colleges attended or across the most recent 45 credit hours)
  • Cumulative GPA for math and sciences: 3.0 (physics, anatomy and physiology, precalculus algebra or introductory statistics)
  • Only one repeat of a course prerequisite is allowed over a five-year period
  • Complete 4 hours of job shadowing
  • 40 hours in a patient care setting (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 ae more than five years old. (See link below.)

View full details: Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program Admissions Requirements

Applications for the program are accepted on a continuing basis from eligible applicants. The program only accepts one class a year starting in the fall semester.

Admission offers will be emailed by the end of March. Eligible applicants not admitted due to space limitations will remain on the alternate list. Keep all contact information current with the college and check STLCC student email regularly.

Students who wish to be considered for the program MUST do the following:

  • Complete all admission requirements
  • Apply to the college
  • Send official high school and college transcripts to the Admissions office
  • Submit the program application when all the above has been completed

Prior to application, we recommend that you meet with an STLCC academic advisor. The advisor can help you plan your courses, clarify program requirements, and review your academic history as it relates to this program. Visit the STLCC academic advising page.

Cardiac

Year Retention Job Placement Credential
2021 91% 100% 100%
2020 100% 100% 100%
2019 88% 100% 100%
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Medical

Year Retention Job Placement Credential
2021 100% 75% 92%
2020 100% 83% 83%
2019 83% 90% 100%
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Lauren Pellegrini, MHA, RDMS, RVT, RDCS
Program Coordinator
lpellegrini2@stlcc.edu
314-644-9399

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Applicants Be Advised

  • 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 require a criminal background check and drug screen. Should the background check reveal prior felony criminal convictions, the hospital will be contacted to determine if the individual will be disqualified. If the drug screen is positive, the individual will not be permitted to participate in any clinical rotation or internship.
  • Successful completion of the program makes you eligible to sit for the ARDMS certification examinations. The application includes questions regarding crime directly related to public health. Discovery of relevant criminal history or false information may result in the denial of your application or the filing of a disciplinary action against you.

Cost of Attendance

For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES.

Program Career and Salary Information

Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at https://scorecard.mo.gov/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest.

The following limitations to the data apply - Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.

Contact Us

Hours for all campuses: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

All Locations

314-539-5004
askus@stlcc.edu

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