The medical industry is filled with different areas of study, from surgery to phlebotomy and beyond. It also happens to be one of the best job markets to enter thanks to high pay and solid job stability. There are many different career paths that focus on medicine and finding the right one for you can be difficult. One option is digital medical sonography. This field of medicine will provide you with numerous benefits and help you assume a career that is well worth the effort needed to qualify for a job in it. Whether you know a bit about it or have no clue what it is, there’s a good chance that you have some questions about digital medical sonography. Here are some answers.
- What is Sonography? – Digital medical sonography is a diagnostic procedure that uses sound waves to create images. It’s the most commonly used diagnostic tool in medicine and is utilized by virtually every branch of medicine in one form or another. It works by sending high frequency sound waves into the body. They bounce off of tissue, fluid, and organs and those echoes are then picked up by the machine and turned into images. The sonography technician then captures the images and prints them out for review by a physician.
- What is the Salary Level? – You’ll earn a good amount of money as a sonography technician. In most cases hourly wages average out to around thirty two dollars per hour but can reach much higher limits. Salary based pay averages at around sixty thousand dollars annually.
- What’s Required? – You’ll have to begin with a high school diploma or GED. That is followed up with a two year program in sonography school, which awards you an Associate’s Degree. After you graduate you’ll need to pass a certification exam from the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. While it isn’t technically required, certification makes you much more likely to gain employment.
- Will I Only Be Working With Pregnant Women? – No. There are countless different uses for sonography and while obstetrics is the most commonly associated form of it, you could work in many different fields including cardiology, neurology, and more.
- What’s the Outlook? – Sonography jobs will grow by around eighteen percent over the next several years, well above the national average but slightly lower than some other medical professions.
- Who Hires Sonography Technicians? – Hospitals, private practices, clinics – virtually any medical institution uses digital medical sonography. The most common employers are hospitals, but you’ll have numerous options.
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