What Does a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Do: Earning a Degree in Orlando
Did you know that at last count 9.1% of Americans were employed in the healthcare industry? That's a significant portion of the population and goes to show how essential this industry is to our society. Of course, that number doesn't just reflect doctors and surgeons, a large portion of healthcare employees are registered nurses and technicians with titles like diagnostic medical sonographer.
Diagnostic medical sonographers and similar professionals are an essential healthcare asset. However, do not require the decade or more of schooling that doctors and surgeons often do. In fact, earning a degree through accelerated learning has never been easier! Here's how this important profession assists in healthcare organizations. Additionally, learn how you could become a part of this exciting field.
The Basics of Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
A diagnostic medical sonographer, often abbreviated as DMS, is trained to operate specialized equipment that is used to capture patient images or tests for use during the diagnostic process. The most popular example of this is the use of ultrasound over the scope of a pregnancy, but this isn't the only area of expertise a graduate of a diagnostic medical sonography degree might pursue.
Graduates may also expect to work with MRIs, CAT scans, X-rays, and other types of diagnostic nuclear medicine. The primary goal of a DMS professional is to use such technologies to assist other healthcare professionals in detecting and determining a wide range of internal health issues. Sonography technology is also useful during certain surgical procedures to help show surgeons the outlay of a patient's internal body before and during their operations.
The Day-to-Day Responsibilities of a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
A few of the daily responsibilities and tasks a diagnostic medical sonographer can expect to perform include:
- Preparing patients. As with most healthcare professionals, being a diagnostic medical sonographer means interacting with patients every day and helping them understand the medical procedures they are about to undergo. This includes taking and reading patient histories and answering any questions they or their family might have regarding an upcoming medical procedure.
- Prepping and maintaining imaging equipment. As a diagnostic medical sonographer, it could be your job to prepare imaging equipment before a procedure. Additionally, particularly in small offices and medical wings, maintaining this equipment and ordering any necessary replacement parts or repairs is often the sole responsibility of the in-house diagnostic medical sonographer.
- Operating and analyzing imaging. The diagnostic medical sonographer is responsible for the operations of any sonography equipment during the full course of most procedures. They are also often the first person to see and analyze the images, are thus responsibility for checking for quality, and correct coverage before offering them to the head nurse, doctor, or surgeon for a complete diagnosis. This makes it highly important for the onsite diagnostic medical sonographer to be adept at recognizing whether or not an image is normal and being able to resolve issues should there be abnormal imaging results with the equipment. In small offices, the diagnostic medical sonographer may also be responsible for analyzing the images to determine preliminary findings for physicians.
Type of Work a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Might Specialize In
A few areas of specialization DMS students might choose include:
- Abdominal sonography, which specializes in the imaging done on a patient's abdominal area. This includes organs like the liver, kidney, pancreas, and gallbladder.
- Breast sonography which specializes in the imaging a patient's breast tissues. This type of sonography is a big asset during mammography. Where it will help detect and track breast cancer.
- Cardiovascular and vascular sonography, which specialize in the imaging of a patient's arteries, heart, and veins and helps in detecting abnormalities in blood flow.
- Neurosonography, which specializes in the imaging of a patient's nervous system. This includes the brain and is frequently used to analyze intracranial pathology in infants and newborns.
- Obstetric and gynecological sonography, which specialize in the imaging of female patients reproductive system -- most notably ultrasounds performed on pregnant women which are done to track the growth and health of a fetus.
Start a Career as a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Right By Pursing a Formal Education Program in Orlando
If you want to work as a DMS, you'll need the right education to get you started. If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, ECPI University Orlando offers this program. For more information on this exciting degree, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Sonography - Associate’s
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