3 Tips to Becoming a Successful Sonography Technician

Sonography is one of the fastest-growing fields in health care, leading many people to consider a career as a sonography technician. However, going into this exciting and high-paying career requires education and work. Here are three tips that should help future sonography technicians achieve the career of their dreams.

1. Complete the prerequisites for sonography technician education. There are a variety of programs. Some require prerequisite college classes while other do not. However, all reputable programs require a high school diploma or GED. Thus, it is crucial to make sure you have completed these requirements before beginning to look into programs. These requirements are requirements for almost any health career, so it won’t be a waste of time.

2. Choose a sonography program that is right for you. There are many different types of sonography programs. There are very short ones, as little as eight weeks that will give you the minimum knowledge you need to work in the field. However, it can be harder to get higher paying jobs in the field or to go into a specialized type of sonography without an AA and a longer program. If you want to go into sonography as a lifelong career, you may want to look into these longer programs, as they give you more comprehensive training and more advancement opportunities.

3. Plan to take the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography exam. This exam is not required for some types of sonography technicians, but it is definitely an advantage. If you pass this test, you will become a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), a title that will help you find jobs in the field. The exam has two parts: one testing you on the physics and other science behind sonography, and one in the specialty of your choice. These specialties include OB-GYN, abdominal, and a variety of fields where medical sonography is used diagnostically. Don’t worry if you fail the test the first time; this is a very difficult exam and can be taken again later.

Although you can train quickly to be a sonography technician, it is best to take longer courses if you plan to make a lifelong career out of it. Further, the more training and qualifications you have, the more likely you will be to get a great job and to be promoted over the course of your career. Sonography is one of the fastest growing medical fields because it is safe and effective, so this is a career worth investing in.