Career Choices in Ultrasound

For those of you who don't have a clear understanding of what ultrasound is I will give a brief explanation of how it work and the types of professions involved in ultrasound. While performing a diagnostic ultrasound sound waves are produced and pulsed through a transducer into the human body. The transducer is placed with warm jell onto the patient at the region of interest. The waves are pulsed through the patient's biologic tissue and reflect on structures in the body which is then returned to the transducer and processed into an image. Sound waves can be very complicated. However, unlike other imaging modalities, it is not harmful to the patient in anyway. Ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure and should not cause any pain or harm to the patient.

Many people assume that Ultrasound is only used for obstetrics or pregnancy. However, this is not true. Ultrasound can be used for diagnostic testing on many different body parts. Ultrasound as a whole is becoming more and more popular due to convenience, low cost, and lack of biological harm it has on the patient.? As a student, there are three major categories that you can become certified in after graduating and taking board exams: Cardiac, General, and Vascular. All three modalities are very different and it really comes down to personal preferences when deciding which specialty you want to become certified in.

Cardiac ultrasound can be found in both a clinical and hospital setting. The Sonographer either works under the supervision of a cardiologist or a radiologist depending on the clinical setting. Their specialty is imaging the heart in different views. They can either view the heart through different scan windows externally on the chest, also known as a Transthoracic scan. The second way to image the heart in by placing a transducer down the esophagus and taking images internally closer to the heart, this method is known as a Transesophageal echocardiogram.

General Sonography has a broader spectrum of exams. Unlike Echocardiographers or Sonographers that image the heart a general Sonographer images several different body parts. Yes the most common and well known is obstetric imaging. However, as a Sonographer your days usually consist of a variety of exams from OB, pelvic, abdomen, thyroid, scrotal, and sometimes breast depending on your certification.

Lastly, vascular ultrasound is becoming more popular. It is sometimes seen in a general lab and many Sonographers are crossed-trained in both general and vascular Sonography. Vascular ultrasounds are used to look at the veins and arteries within the human body to determine the health of the vessels. The major exams used today are to image the carotid arteries, aorta for aneurysms, the arteries and veins in the upper extremities and the lower extremities.

Ultrasound as a profession is extremely rewarding and each modality has its differences. It is interesting as a student to be able to explore all three modalities and in the end make a decision based on experience which specialty fits your personality best.?

For more information on ultrasound careers and ultrasound technician schools go to radiology technician schools career guide.

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