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Test your interest in medicine by learning about what keeps the human body running. Choose one of these topics from Khan Academy to learn more and watch videos about how the systems in your body work.

Learn about the major organ systems of the body.

Empathy is an integral part of our human nature. It is a skill ingrained in us, but it can also be learned and improved upon. Explore ways to develop your empathy and be more successful in life.

Watch a TED Talk about empathy.

Check out this article to learn more about accreditation and find a diagnostic medical sonography program that works best for you.

Research the best schools for sonography.

Doctors may order ultrasounds for patients for a variety of reasons. Learn more about why ultrasound is used and how it works. Is this something you'd be interested in performing?

Discover how ultrasound works.

Read about what a typical day may look like for a cardiac sonographer. Is this a career you're interested in?

Learn about a day in the life of a sonographer.

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Diagnostic Related Technologists and Technicians

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Health Technologists and Technicians

Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required.

Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort.

Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis.

Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles.

Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations.

Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas.

Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly.

Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings.

Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations.

Maintain records that include patient information, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records, such as pathology, biopsy, or post-operative reports.

eClinicalWorks EHR software

Medical procedure coding software

MEDITECH software

Patient medical record software

Microsoft Excel

Email software

Microsoft Office software

Database software

A-Mode ultrasound machines

M-mode ultrasound machines

Pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound units

Two-dimensional doppler ultrasound equipment

High frequency transducers

Transducers

Immobilization and positioning devices

Sandbags

Ultrasound monitors

Ultrasound video equipment

Sphygmomanometers

Medical ultrasound printers

Plethysmographs

Picture archiving and communication systems PACS

3D sonography equipment

Venipuncture needles

Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Extremely important

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Constant contact with others

To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?

Very close (near touching)

Moderately close (at arm's length)

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

Continually or almost continually

More than half the time

How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?

Every day

How much does this job require making repetitive motions?

How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?

Very important

How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

Once a week or more but not every day

Once a month or more but not every week

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Overview

Career

What Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do

Other Job Titles Diagnostic Medical Sonographers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Overview

Career

What Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Do

Other Job Titles Diagnostic Medical Sonographers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Majors Related to Career

Related Leaders