The aim of the following article is to explain the process of getting an ultrasound technician certification from a recognized certificate body in the US.
Medicine – one of those fields which require highly skilled professionals capable of carrying out the most suitable treatments for their patients, a discipline involving saving lives that it is. Almost all fields in medicine involve a validated process of certification, and every health care professional who wishes to shape a successful career in this phenomenal field is required to get certified.
While many people don’t understand the importance of medical certification, this article not only talks about the procedure of getting a certification in the domain of Ultrasound, but also explores the significance of the same. Find out how to get a certification of an ultrasound technician, and begin with a flourishing career in the field of sonography. There’s no looking back after you get certified, and that’s the ultimate truth.
The Importance of Certification in Ultrasound/Sonography
You know, there isn’t a need of a full-fledged, highly acclaimed set of degrees from a medical school to become an ultrasound technician. One can just kick-start their career with an associate’s degree, and for even better, a bachelor’s degree. However, an ultrasound certificate allows an aspirant have a clear understanding of the ultrasound examinations and physiology of the scanned organs.
While as a regular ultrasound technician, you might simply be asked to perform the ultrasound operation for a patient’s body and nothing more than that, as a certified ultrasound technician, having a complete hands-on ultrasound technician training in imaging labs, you can produce exact sonographic patterns of body organs with the help of the complete knowledge of sonography that you have.
You can diagnose, analyze, suggest treatments too, and this will show in your certificate. Certification as an ultrasound technician requires an aspirant to have clinical experience in image production and measurements for diagnoses, and for this very reason, aspirants are considered as much more adept and experienced in comparison to regular ultrasound technicians.
Steps to Get Certified as an Ultrasound Technician
Get an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree
To begin with, one must have an associate’s degree that requires 2-3 years of completion post high school, or a complete 4-year bachelor’s degree in biology or any other medical domain. This will ensure that you have a knowledge about the basics of human body, and can carry out an ultrasound process in the future. Your degrees should have ultrasound or sonography as major subjects.
Apply for the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Exam
Appearing in the exam conducted by ARDMS will award an aspirant the credential they need for certification. Know more about the organization through its website and apply online. Before applying for the exam, you might want to take up a vocational course or training program in ultrasound, so that you can score maximum marks in the exam, and get certified thereafter.
Supply ARDMS with a Clinical Experience Letter
After registering for the exam, the final step is to submit a letter to ARDMS that talks about your clinical experience. This will involve information about the completion of your clinical program, and a proof of your medical degrees. This will ensure that you have entered the list of registered ultrasound practitioners. Note that, you cannot take the exam without submitting this letter to the supervisor of the organization, and hence, this should top the priority list of your chores before you take the exam.
After successful completion of all the three steps, you can start applying in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. You see, the certification is a proof of your skills and proficiencies. It will prove that you have learned all the fundamentals of sonography instrumentation, and are fully aware of the medical ethics. Well, that also confirms a much higher salary package for you in comparison to other ultrasound technicians who are not certified. It does take a little more hard work and some patience, but the results (even if they’re in the form of a hefty salary) are definitely lucrative.