Sonogram Technician Education Curtis Bay MD - Become an Ultrasound Technician

How to Choose the Right Ultrasound Tech Degree Program near Curtis Bay Maryland

Curtis Bay MD ultrasound technician with patient Since you have made a decision to pursue an ultrasound technician degree near Curtis Bay MD, it’s time to begin the procedure of picking a school. To begin with, you need to find the right program that will provide the necessary education to become a skilled professional. And because some states do require that sonographers be either licensed or certified, depending on where you will practice you may also need preparation to pass a licensing or certification examination. So it’s very important that you research each program in order to assess and compare your alternatives. But just where does one start? A number of prospective students will start by searching for colleges that are within travelling distance of their residences and then by comparing tuition. Of course cost and location should be taken into account when making a decision, but there are additional significant factors as well. Such as, if the ultrasound technician schools are accredited or if they provide internship programs. These and other qualifications will be covered more in depth later in this post. But to start with, let’s discuss what a sonogram tech does and the credentials and online training options that are available.

Sonographer Occupation Description

Curtis Bay MD sonographer testing pregnant woman There are more than one professional titles for ultrasound techs (technicians). They are also called sonogram techs, diagnostic medical sonographers (or just sonographers) and ultrasound technologists. No matter what their title is, they all have the same primary job description, which is to carry out diagnostic ultrasound testing on patients. Although a number of techs work as generalists there are specializations within the field, for instance in pediatrics and cardiology. Most work in Curtis Bay MD clinics, hospitals, outpatient diagnostic imaging centers and even private practices. Routine daily job tasks of an ultrasound technician can include:

Maintaining records of patient case histories and details of each procedure
Counseling patients by explaining the procedures and answering questions
Readying the ultrasound machines for testing and then cleaning and recalibrating them
Escorting patients to treatment rooms and ensuring their comfort
Using equipment while minimizing patient exposure to sound waves
Assessing results and identifying need for further testing

Sonographers must routinely evaluate the safety and performance of their equipment. They also must adhere to a high ethical standard and code of conduct as health practitioners. In order to sustain that degree of professionalism and remain up to date with medical knowledge, they are required to complete continuing education training on a regular basis.

Sonogram Technician Degree Programs Available

Curtis Bay MD ultrasound tech testing pregnant woman Sonogram tech enrollees have the opportunity to acquire either an Associate Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree. An Associate Degree will typically involve about 18 months to 2 years to finish dependent on the course load and program. A Bachelor’s Degree will require more time at up to four years to complete. Another alternative for individuals who have previously earned a college degree is a post graduate certificate program. If you have received a Bachelor’s Degree in any major or an Associate Degree in a relevant medical sector, you can instead choose a certificate program that will require just 12 to 18 months to complete. Something to consider is that most ultrasound technician programs do have a practical training element as a portion of their course of study. It can often be fulfilled by taking part in an internship program which many colleges set up through Curtis Bay MD clinics and hospitals. After you have graduated from one of the certificate or degree programs, you will then have to comply with the licensing or certification prerequisites in Maryland or whichever state you choose to work in.

Online Sonographer Colleges

woman attending online sonography school in Curtis Bay MD As previously mentioned, virtually all ultrasound tech colleges have a clinical requirement to their programs. So although you can receive a certificate or degree online, a substantial part of the training will be either carried out in an on campus laboratory or at a sponsored off campus medical care provider. Clinical training can typically be fulfilled by means of an internship at a local Curtis Bay MD hospital, outpatient clinic or private practice. However the rest of the classes and training can be accessed online in your Curtis Bay home. This is particularly beneficial for those individuals that continue working while earning their degrees. Plus online schools are frequently less costly than on campus options. Costs for study materials and commuting can be lessened also. But similarly as with every sonography school you are considering, make sure that the online school you enroll in is accredited. One of the most highly respected accrediting organizations is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Accreditation is particularly important for certification, licensing and finding employment (more on accreditation later). So if you are disciplined enough to learn away from the classroom in the convenience of your own home, then online classes may be the right option for you.

Questions to Ask Sonography Colleges

Questions to ask Curtis Bay MD ultrasound tech schools After you have determined which certificate or degree that you would like to obtain, you can initiate the procedure of assessing and comparing ultrasound technician colleges. You will first probably want to choose whether you would rather access classes online or travel to a college campus in the Curtis Bay MD area. Clearly location will be critical if you choose the latter, and the price of tuition undoubtedly will be an initial qualifier as well. But there are additional things that you should also take into account, such as if the schools are accredited and if they sponsor internship programs. Therefore in order to carry out your due diligence so that you can arrive at your ultimate selection, following are some questions that you may want to ask each ultrasound tech college prior to making a decision.

Are the Ultrasound Technician Colleges Accredited? Most sonogram tech colleges have earned some form of accreditation, whether national or regional. Even so, it’s still imperative to verify that the school and program are accredited. Among the most highly regarded accrediting agencies in the field of sonography is the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS). Programs earning accreditation from the JRC-DMS have undergone an extensive review of their instructors and course materials. If the program is online it might also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which targets online or distance education. All accrediting organizations should be acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Besides ensuring a premium education, accreditation will also help in acquiring financial assistance and student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Accreditation may also be a pre-requisite for certification and licensing as required. And a number of Curtis Bay MD health facilities will only hire a graduate of an accredited program for entry level openings.

Are Internships Sponsored? Inquire if the sonogram tech programs you are evaluating have associations with Curtis Bay MD hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Internships are not only a great way to obtain practical experience in a clinical environment, they are additionally a means to fulfill the practical training requirement for the majority of programs. As a supplemental benefit, they can help graduates and students form professional connections in the Curtis Bay healthcare community and help with obtaining employment.

Is Job Placement Help available? You will most likely want to secure employment quickly after graduating, but getting that initial job in a new profession can be difficult without assistance. Ask if the sonographer programs you are interviewing have job assistance programs and what their placement rates are. Rapid and high placement rates are an excellent indication that the schools have substantial networks and good relationships with Maryland healthcare employers. It also corroborates that their students are well regarded and in demand.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the college they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Curtis Bay MD residence. Those who have decided to attend classes online naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the ultrasound technician program also.

Does the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the sonographer program you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Curtis Bay MD area, check that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in an Ultrasound Tech Program near Curtis Bay MD?

If you are considering a Sonography Tech School near Curtis Bay Maryland, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new school campus.

Maryland Route 173

Maryland Route 173 (MD 173) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Fort Smallwood Road, the state highway runs 13.78 miles (22.18 km) from Fort Smallwood Park near Jacobsville north to MD 2 in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Baltimore. MD 173 connects the beach communities of Riviera Beach and Orchard Beach in northeastern Anne Arundel County and Interstate 695 (I-695) with industrial areas in the Baltimore neighborhoods of Hawkins Point and Curtis Bay, including the United States Coast Guard Yard. MD 173 was mostly constructed in the 1920s and early 1930s. The state highway was put in its modern form with the completion of the bridge over Stony Creek in the late 1940s and expansion to a divided highway between Orchard Beach and Curtis Bay in the late 1970s.

MD 173 begins at the entrance to Fort Smallwood Park northeast of Jacobsville. The state highway heads south as Fort Smallwood Road, a two-lane road that passes by several small beach communities on the Hog Neck peninsula. After intersecting Bayside Beach Road, MD 173 turns southwest and passes along the northern edge of Jacobsville, where the highway meets the northern end of MD 607 (Hog Neck Road). The state highway crosses Rock Creek and meets the northern end of Edwin Raynor Boulevard, where the highway turns north onto a four-lane road with center turn lane. MD 173 passes Northeast Senior High School in Riviera Beach before the highway reduces to a two-lane road with center turn lane at its intersection with Duvall Highway.[1][3]

MD 173 continues north into Riviera Beach. At its intersection with Riviera Drive and Bar Harbor Road, the state highway turns west and crosses Stony Creek on a drawbridge. In Orchard Beach, MD 173 intersects the western end of its old alignment, MD 642 (Greenland Beach Road), then expands to a four-lane road with center turn lane. Passing Cox Creek, the state highway becomes a four-lane divided highway and passes the Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station and the adjacent Brandon Shores Generating Station. MD 173 turns north at Solley Road and passes Marley Neck Boulevard before entering the city of Baltimore.[1][3] Upon entering the Hawkins Point area, the state highway meets Fort Armistead Road, which leads to Fort Armistead Park and an entrance ramp to eastbound I-695 (Baltimore Beltway). MD 173 turns west and its name changes to Hawkins Point Road before the highway intersects Quarantine Road, which leads to a three-quarter diamond interchange with I-695.[2][3]

MD 173 continues west as a four-lane undivided highway through the industrial area of Hawkins Point. The state highway passes MD 172 (Arundel Cove Road) and then the access road to the U.S. Coast Guard Yard. MD 173 crosses a CSX railroad line and expands to a divided highway. The state highway, now named Pennington Avenue, passes under I-695 and then over Curtis Creek on a drawbridge. The state highway meets MD 710 (Ordnance Road) before reducing to an undivided highway and crossing Cabin Branch on twin bridges. MD 173 intersects a CSX rail line at-grade and enters the neighborhood of Curtis Bay. The northbound direction of MD 173 makes a pair of right-angle turns, east onto Birch Street and then north onto Curtis Avenue; the southbound direction uses Pennington Avenue through the neighborhood. Curtis Avenue divides the residential and industrial portions of the neighborhood. MD 173 meets MD 171 (Church Street) within Curtis Bay. At the northern end of the neighborhood, the one-way pair ends and MD 173 turns west onto Patapsco Avenue to pass through Brooklyn as a four-lane undivided street. The westbound highway has an entrance ramp to I-895 (Harbor Tunnel Thruway) immediately before reaching its northern terminus at MD 2 (Potee Street). Patapsco Avenue continues as a municipal highway across the Patapsco River toward Southwest Baltimore.[2][3]

Find the Right Sonogram Technician Education Curtis Bay MD

Selecting the right sonographer degree or certificate program is an important first step to embarking on a gratifying new profession delivering diagnostic services to patients. Ultrasound technician schools require that you have earned a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition to meeting academic standards, you should be in at least fairly good physical health, capable of standing for prolonged durations with the ability to routinely lift weights of fifty pounds or more, as is it frequently necessary to position patients and move heavy equipment. Other desirable talents include technical aptitude, the ability to remain collected when faced with an anxious or angry patient and the ability to converse in a clear and compassionate manner. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Sonogram Technician Education. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are multiple questions that you should ask each college you are considering. This is true whether you select an online program or travel to the college campus to attend classes. And by asking the right questions so that you can compare each program, you can narrow down your choices until you are left with the ideal school for your education. And with the right training, discipline and determination to succeed, you can accomplish your goal to work as an ultrasound technologist in Curtis Bay MD.