Sonography is a very familiar term among health care professionals today and in health care institutions. It is important to know exactly what sonography is, what it entails, qualifications to become one, and more importantly the job description of a sonographer. Basically, sonography is a medical diagnostic procedure whereby very High Frequency Sound Waves are directed to a targeted body part or internal organ in an effort to create dynamic visual images of the targeted organs.
This is mainly with an aim to diagnose underlying hidden medical conditions or simply checking the status of what is beneath the human skin, so to speak. Sonography is applicable in nearly all fields of medicine today unlike before when it was strictly used for obstetrics and gynecological purposes only.
Sonography is similar to X-RAY in that they both scan and give detailed images of the scanned body parts, however there is a significant difference in that sonography is a safer non-invasive medical procedure unlike an X-RAY. Professionals who perform sonography are known as ultrasound technicians, sonographers, sonography technicians, or simply Ultrasonographers. Their job description is simple:
- First and foremost, and mentioned above, they generate images of internal parts of the human body by using specialized equipments. These images are then forwarded to a physician who then decodes, (sometimes with the help of a sonographer), to be able to make accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment. A sonographer uses specialized equipment known as a transducer to send these high frequency sound waves, which is placed directly against the skin. This transducer in a simple explanation is more or less like a loudspeaker and a microphone in that it can transmit and at the same time receive sounds. Generally, it sends very high frequency sound waves in the human body and upon reaching the targeted organ it retracts in form of echoes. These waves and echoes are monitored by a specialized computer monitor. Due to advancement in technology, these echoes which are transformed into decodable images can now be saved as videos for future reference.
- A sonography technician communicates with the patient directly therefore, they have, or rather, derive detailed history of the patient prior to an ultrasound procedure. The technician then performs the diagnostic procedure to obtain diagnostic images, analyzes the information and prepares it for the doctor.
Sonography is now a rapidly growing field, and the profession has a very positive outlook. With advancement of technology, the need for qualified and up-to-date technicians who can be able to operate this new sonography equipment in on the highest demand and is projected to continue to grow. Job opportunities for qualified sonographers are at a record high and if the current statistics are anything to go by, opportunities in hospitals, clinics, and such like health facilities will grow immensely.
Sonography training is the determining factor as to the amount of salary you should expect and your job description. What this means is that the job description of an associate’s degree holder will be different from that of a bachelor’s degree, and so will be the salary.
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