General/Vascular Diagnostic Medical Sonography

A general College guideline indicates that students taking 12 or more Hours (full-time) may find working while going to school challenging. The curriculum of this program is considered a high degree of difficulty, and it is suggested a student not be employed while taking this program. However, the student will have weekends free, and it is not the practice of the school to deny a student seeking employment as long as the student can complete the course requirements successfully, as stated in the Program Requirements for Graduation. Therefore, during the final semester of the program, if a clinical site wishes to hire a student and the work schedule is independent of the student's ability to complete their class work to obtain graduation successfully, it will be permitted.
Students may not take either the responsibility or the place of qualified staff. It is only permissible for a student to work as an entry-level sonographer with adequate training and competency.
 

The Pregnancy Policy states any restriction indicated by the student's physician must be provided in writing to the Program Director. After delivery, the physician must provide a release note identifying any activity restriction or stating when the student is permitted to resume regular activity.  Each student's pregnancy plan may differ depending on the baby's due date and whether the student would be in the clinical or classroom setting.

The length of course time before the first clinical rotation is eight weeks.

Yes. Students must refer to the re-entrance policy in the Allied Health Handbook.

The sonography program at CTCC has 10-15 clinical sites to employ all aspects of the program. These departments are in hospitals, medical imaging clinics, mobile ultrasound, and doctor's offices.

No. Students will receive adequate training in general and vascular clinical settings, changing every eight weeks, considering the student's needs.

Clinical rotations will be divided equally among all students based on the type of rotation needed and the experience available in different departments. It is the responsibility of the Program Director and/or the Clinical Coordinator to assign clinical rotations for all students. Students must expect to have a few rotations that require some distance to travel (approximately 3 hours one-way).

No. Students must provide their transportation.

It takes approximately 2-3 years to complete CCC's sonography program, considering prerequisites required before acceptance into the program. These courses include Anatomy and Physiology, College Mathematics, Physics, College English, and Medical Terminology.  Once the prerequisites are accomplished, the DMS program takes two (2) years.

CCTC's DMS Program offers study areas of general sonography and vascular sonography without the students needing to make a choice, providing a well rounded education. Students will gain both classroom and clinical experience in three areas and be eligible for the national ultrasound board exams in all three areas. This will make the student more marketable to area medical facilities.

The medical sonography scan lab at CCTC is state-of-the-art. Students have the unique opportunity to practice their skills on up-to-date ultrasound equipment. Actual hands-on scanning begins on the very first day of the sonography program. Under close supervision by faculty, students are instructed on how to begin the sonographic examination, proper imaging technique, and the ergonomics of scanning.

No. Unfortunately, the program requires a combination of classroom and lab instruction.

Approximately 10. The number of students depends mainly upon the number of clinical rotations available.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor has stated that imaging professionals are in great demand, and the need is increasing as medical imaging has seen a significant increase in examination volume, due to an aging population and preventative care. Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2023 as the population ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology. Collins Career Technical Center's job placement program will assist the student in any way they can. The student will also receive assistance in writing a resume and the interview process.

Starting salaries usually range from $50,000 to 85,000. Graduates find work with hospitals, mobile companies, outpatient centers, physician offices, private imaging centers, and research centers.  Job placement can also depend on what modalities the sonographer is registered with.