Frequently Asked Questions

Sections:

DMIS and AAS Sonography Degree

What is Diagnostic Medical Imaging Sonography (DMIS)?
Diagnostic Medical Imaging Sonography, or ultrasound, is a diagnostic procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce visual images of organs, tissues or blood flow inside the body.

What job responsibilities are required in this profession?
Job responsibilities for someone in this field will include obtaining medical histories; performing diagnostic procedures and obtaining diagnostic images; analyzing technical information; providing summaries of findings to physicians for medical diagnosis; and collaborating with physicians and other members of a health care team to ensure the best possible patient care.

What personal qualities should a person possess for this type of career?
Being able to communicate with patients and demonstrate compassion for patients who are sick or in pain is very important. In addition, sonographers must be able to "think on their feet" to obtain the highest-quality exam due to variances in every patient's anatomy. Lastly, people interested in sonography should enjoy being challenged, be able to stand for several hours a day, and be willing to complete required continuing education classes during the course of their career.

Where do sonographers work?
Imaging procedures are generally performed in hospitals, outpatient clinics and in private doctor's offices. There are also opportunities for technologists to become commercial application specialists for medical equipment companies, educators and hospital administrators.

What required prerequisites must a person complete for admission into the DMIS Certificate or AAS Sonography Degree programs at College of DuPage?
For the DMIS Advanced Certificate, applicants must have completed a two-year Allied Health science program and maintain a current license in that health care specialty. Examples of acceptable Allied Health specialties include: radiology (X-ray), nuclear medicine, medical technology, dental hygiene, physical therapy and nursing (RN) to name a few. A candidate must also have completed a higher-level math course – Math 1120 (Math for Sonographers) at College of DuPage. Those without an imaging background must also complete DMIS 1105 – Pathophysiology for Sonographers.

For the AAS Sonography Degree Program, applicants must have completed the 25 semester hours of general education credits before applying to the program.

What education and career training are required for this career?
College of DuPage offers three sonography programs.

The DMIS Advanced Certificate program is 15 months long. As mentioned above, COD requires that candidates complete a two-year Allied Health science program and hold a current license in a health-related field before being accepted into the DMIS program.
Just recently, College of DuPage introduced a two-year Associate Sonography Degree Program without the health care career prerequisite. This program requires a prior year of prerequisite courses, which are the general education courses for the degree. These courses must be completed prior to applying to the AAS Sonography Degree Program.
The third Sonography Program is a six-month Advanced Certificate in Vascular Sonography. This certificate is available to those students who have completed a general sonography program with licensure in one or more of the following specialties: abdomens and superficial structures, OB/GYN or echocardiography.

What is the job market like for DMIS graduates?
College of DuPage DMIS students have obtained employment after graduation in many of the community hospitals and clinics within the Chicago area as well as other states. In addition, several students were able to obtain part-time employment in area sonography departments while working toward their DMIS certificate.

What opportunities exist for continued education and training in sonography?
The sonography discipline has a total of eight specialties. At COD, students specialize in abdomen/superficial structures, obstetrics and gynecology, vascular imaging and physics instrumentation. Other training programs might include adult cardiac, pediatric cardiac, fetal cardiac, neurology, breast and ophthalmology disciplines. College of DuPage also offers the didactic courses and hands-on scanning labs for sonographers or physicians trying to enhance their skills or prepare for certification boards.

What is the salary range for a new graduate?
This profession has advanced significantly over the past 20 years. With continued developments in technology and an increased use of diagnostic ultrasound procedures, growth is projected to be moderately high rate in this career field. The overall salary range for sonographers finishing either the DMIS Certificate or AAS Sonography Degree Program at College of DuPage ranges between $50,000 and $70,000, dependent on the specialties the graduate completes and the specific registries from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) that the graduate successfully passes.

DMIV Frequently Asked Questions

What is Diagnostic Medical Imaging Vascular Sonography (DMIV)?
Diagnostic Medical Imaging Vascular Sonography is a medical imaging modality that specializes in the use of high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of the arteries and veins to diagnose arteriosclerosis, thromboses, plaque, and aneurysm problems to name a few.

What job responsibilities are required in this profession?
Job responsibilities for someone in this field include obtaining medical histories; performing diagnostic procedures and obtaining diagnostic images; analyzing technical information; providing summaries of findings to physicians for medical diagnosis; and collaborating with physicians and other members of a health care team to ensure the best possible patient care.

What personal qualities should a person possess for this type of career?
Being able to communicate with patients and demonstrate compassion for patients who are sick or in pain is very important. In addition, technologists must be able to "think on their feet" to obtain the highest-quality exam because of the variances in every patient's anatomy. Lastly, people interested in sonography should enjoy being challenged, be able to stand for several hours a day, and be willing to complete required continuing education classes during the course of their career.

Where do DMIV technologists work?
Imaging procedures are generally done in hospitals, outpatient clinics, private doctors' offices and independent laboratories. There are also opportunities for sonographers to become commercial application specialists for medical equipment companies, educators and hospital administrators.

What required prerequisites must a person complete for admission into the DMIV program at College of DuPage?
This advanced certificate program is designed to further enhance the careers of current registered sonographers in the areas of abdominal and superficial structures and/or OB/GYN and/or echocardiography.

What is the job market like for DMIV graduates?
According to a survey of Chicago-based hospitals in 2002, nearly 50 percent of laboratories had an open position for a vascular sonographer, attesting to the high demand for qualified professionals. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for this careers is expected to "grow faster than the average" of all occupations through 2012.

What is the salary range for vascular sonographers?
The overall salary range for vascular sonographers finishing the programs at College of DuPage ranges between $60,000 and $75,000, dependent on the specialties the graduate completes and the specific registries from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) that the graduate successfully passes.