DO NOT GO TO ULTRASOUND SCHOOL UNACCREDITED BY CAAHEP!!!!

Well, it's been about 5 months now since I finish my externship and all I am able to get is crappy per-diem jobs working for cheap doctors and imaging clinics. And believe me I have fax my resume and made calls to about 100 different facility,clinics, and hospitals. Right now, I am getting only about 15 hours of work a week since these cheap doctors and clinics can't afford to hire a full time tech. At the rate I am going it will take me close to 3 years to be eligible to sit for my ARDMS. I talk to them and they told me I have to document a full 1680 hours of work as an ultrasound tech, since the school I went to is not accredited and also because I don't have my bachelors. Don't let these fraudgelent schools fool you with the old "You just have to work a year first then you can sit for your ARDMS" prep talk to get you to enroll in their school because, NO HOSPITAL WILL HIRE YOU OR EVEN LOOK AT YOUR RESUME WITHOUT YOUR ARDMS!! Maybe 3 or 4 years ago it was different and you can get jobs in hospital without your ARDMS but times have change and pretty much every hospital I talk to requires it. Funny how the school never mention anything about this. Hope this helps someone before they get into the dilemma that I am in:(

If you don't mind me asking, but what school did you attend for your ultrasound program?

I also went to ATI in Miami. What a joke. Half of the instructors left during the program. Others were very incompetant to teach ultrasound. Only two people out of my class got a job. I was fortunate to get a job but it was in another state. I had to leave my husband and my daughter just to get a job. ATI will not tell you that 99% of the students do not get jobs after paying over $34,000 for an education. You also have to work full time for one year before you are eligible to sit for the ARDMS exam. That is if you can find a job first. I am warning anyone who is thinking of ATI because you will be wasting a ton of money not to mention you probably won't get a job. They also only do 300 plus hours of clinical time. The accredited schools do at least 1,000 hours and you are much more prepared to go out in the field. ATI is a scam and they should be shut down!!!!!

i was thinking about going to an ultrasound school close to my home, but it is not CAAHEP accredited. after hearing alot about problems finding a job after graduation i'm having serious second thoughts. if anyone has any extra info about this please let me know
thanks

thank you for your reply, i'm hearing this more and more

Sanford-Brown Institute is accredited by CAAHEP. Im thinking about going to be an Ultra Sound Tech....Any advice??

even if you have a bachelors you still need 12 months of full time clinical experience in order to take ARDMS. DO I understand it correctly?

Thank you very much, James! Do you have any recommendations on the sonography programs in the great LA area?

I also went to Sandford-Brown Institute formally UDS, then I went to college to get my bachlor's. And I still can't get any help getting to sit for my boards. I call the school to help me thru the paper work but they don't do that. Any information will be GREAT

Hi-- I went for an interview at Sanford Brown in Westchester, NY -- Those who haven't had experience with patients for 2 years MUST take their medical assistant class which is 12,000. Then you are eligible for the Ultrasound class which is another 33,000. RIP OFF. don't go there. I currently work in a hospital and spoke to an ultrasound technician that attended the school, she said it was horrible.

There is another school called the Institute of Allied Medical Professions. (www.iamp.edu). They have several different locations-- Westchester County, NY; New York, NY; Atlanta,Georgia. The program is 16 months and it costs $25,000. I will be starting in July. Go to the website and check out them out. I spoke to another Ultrasound technician here at the hospital and she recommends it!

Recently they changed the requirements to take the ARDMS. If you don't have a bachelors degree, you CANNOT sit for the registry exam until you work for a year as an ultrasound technician in a patient setting. This doesn't make a difference if the school is accredited or not!

ATI College of Health is the biggest scam around next to Sanford Brown. I believe their tuition is up to about $45,000 now. It is not even worth $1,000.
I wish I had done more research before attending that piece of crap school. When I finally realized how bad it was, it was too late. The other schools have a long waiting list to get into. I think that is why so many people ended up going to ATI. I only know two people out of almost 100 that have jobs in ultrasound. They are involved in a class action lawsuit to try to get their money back. It is really ashame that they can steal your money and give a you such a bad education. Not to mention the very limited hours of clinical time. Also, they do not have hospitals to use for clinicals. You either have to find your own site or they can put you at an abortion clinic to learn. It is an absolute joke!!!!!!! I am hoping they will be shut down soon before anyone else gets involved with that school.

ultrasound Diagnostic school in philadelphia

what about a hospital based ultrasound program? i'm trying to search for hospitals that offer the program; do you have any suggestions?

Im a radiologist(medical director) at a large LA hospital and my fiancee is a teacher at West Coast College in Ontario CA
(ARDMS and RCAVL); their program is new--they started last yr in Victorville-not yet
accredited but the curriculum is legitimate and clinical affiliations are starting--I have enrolled my son (for 30K tuition and books over a 21 mo course)-you can contact the director there (charlesm@wccollege.com)for more info.

Ben in Los Angeles, California said: Is this even after applying Footnote#3 for Prequsitite 3A?

Look on page 11 under "Notes about the Prequisites"

Note #3says:
"Clinical ultrasound/vascular experience may be obtained one two ways (1)being employed as a full-time ultrasound /vascular sonographer in a clinical setting for 12 months or (2)successfully completing a formal,full-time ultrasound program that is a mininum of 12 months in lengths and includes appropriate clinical and didactic hours. "

I though that fulfilled the Experience requirement for prerequisite 3A. I could be wrong,though.

I checked with ARDMS for my son (who has a B.A.) and was told the ARDMS allows ultrasound training (such as this kind of course) so long as it includes clinical experience--and they do NOT specify how much clinical experience it need to contain. You might want to call ARDMS-I had to go through three people to get to the gentleman who actually reviews the applications for their exam.

Kaiser school of allied health in Richmond California has quarterly enrollment (check their website), and good job prospects for graduates. Hospital programs are mostly through community colleges which have become
selective in California with long waiting lists and usually requiring an RT or nursing background and prerequites of their choosing before they will accept you. And you may not know for 2-3 years if you are accepted!
If you have a B.S. or B.A. already (as my son does) the private schools may meet the ARDMS requirement and can test eligible--if the course actually teaches you something, you can then be working as a certified sonographer in 1-2 yrs.You can also get a bachelors in ultrasound (online-check it out)
which would make you immediately available for the test, but you wouldnt have the clinical. On the east coast, the best ultrasound university course is historically considered to be at Thomas Jefferson U. Medical center in Philadelphia.Good luck!

hospitals are a great way to get the education only problem is they seem to only accept around 8 students every 2 years. and you need high grades in sciences and math i think i forget.... all i know is the whole reason I went the sbi route was cause i got turned down by every hospital that offered it and bucks community college has a radiology program (not ultrasound) and even that had a 6 year wait.

DA in Houston, Texas said: Sanford-Brown Institute is accredited by CAAHEP. Im thinking about going to be an Ultra Sound Tech....Any advice??

they are not accredited by caahep

DA in Houston, Texas said: Sanford-Brown Institute is accredited by CAAHEP. Im thinking about going to be an Ultra Sound Tech....Any advice??

sanford brown is not accredited by caaep and they tell you that on there web site well at least the 1 in md isn't

im thinking about attending medvance on sunset drive what do think about that school

Lisa said: Having a bachelor's and going to Sanford Brown formally UDS, I still can't sit for my boards.

I also went to Sanford Brown in Tampa (formerly UDS) There was a class action lawsuit against the school because they were not accredited. THEY REMAIN NOT ACCREDITED. I too have my BS and would like to find a refresher course since I never pursued a career when I graduated from there. I know they say you can come back at anytime for free however I just called them and the lady said she has to speak with the "dean". Does anyone know where to get a refresher course? Also why can't you sit for your boards? Just curious as I too will probably end up in the same situation.

I too attended Sanford Brown in Tampa,Florida when it was UDS. They are not accredited even though they state they are. After my class and the previous class graduated there was a class action lawsuit agains them for misrepresentation. I never pursued a career as a CVT and really wish to do so now. I have a BS degree as well and would like to know if anyone know where I can go for a refresher course so that I can relearn the machines and brush up on current test info. I know that Sanford Brown states they offer a free refresher class for any former graduates HOWEVER, I just spoke to them and the women I spoke with had NO IDEA what I was talking about (even though it is on the internet on their website)and said she must speak with the "dean" Does anyone know of a refresher class that is offered any where in the United States? Thank so much for any help you can provide

James in Los Angeles, California said: Well, it's been about 5 months now since I finish my externship and all I am able to get is crappy per-diem jobs working for cheap doctors and imaging clinics. And believe me I have fax my resume and made calls to about 100 different facility,clinics, and hospitals. Right now, I am getting only about 15 hours of work a week since these cheap doctors and clinics can't afford to hire a full time tech. At the rate I am going it will take me close to 3 years to be eligible to sit for my ARDMS. I talk to them and they told me I have to document a full 1680 hours of work as an ultrasound tech, since the school I went to is not accredited and also because I don't have my bachelors. Don't let these fraudgelent schools fool you with the old "You just have to work a year first then you can sit for your ARDMS" prep talk to get you to enroll in their school because, NO HOSPITAL WILL HIRE YOU OR EVEN LOOK AT YOUR RESUME WITHOUT YOUR ARDMS!! Maybe 3 or 4 years ago it was different and you can get jobs in hospital without your ARDMS but times have change and pretty much every hospital I talk to requires it. Funny how the school never mention anything about this. Hope this helps someone before they get into the dilemma that I am in:(

Wow THANKS Alot! So where do you suggest I get my training for this field. Or how do I go about it?

G:)

Also check out health temp agencies/registries/or travel registries. I work for the county hospital in my state, and know for a fact that due to the shortage of Ultrasound Techs we often after to default to agencies. I have a friend who lives in the Los Angeles area, and was able to hook up with a good agency who had her working everywhere. My friend just nailed a permanent job, and she has not sit for the ARDM.

Tina in Dallas, Texas said: Ben,
I am in Arlington Texas too...What school did you go to?

Did Ben ever reply?

I'm in Dallas area too looking to do ultrasound and was curious which one he attended.

hi guys.. this is actually for my brother's sake.. im a caring and loving sister, so im tryin to help him out. here's his STUPID problem!!
my brother attended newbridge college in santa ana, ca. he was going for the medical sonographer/ultrasound technician course.. it was an 18 month course and he finished FEB, 2007!!! (one year and 4 months ago) he did all his externship/internship, but like some of you said, it won't count ~ meaning it won't count as 'experience' so he can take that stupid ARDM test. it just counts towards his clinical hours. so he's been telling me, that he can't get a job unless he's got that license... but he can't take that test without any experience!!!!???!! this is really confusing me.. its like, how can he gain experience if you're not even hiring him? whoever made that rule up, isn't very bright.
another thing, my brother was head to head with another student where they were doing their internship/externship, however the only reason why they hired his fellow classmate, was because he/she is bilingual... ugh.. HELLO!!! why make exceptions for some people who don't even have their license yet. BE FAIR!! another clinic wouldn't hire my brother, but hired a close family friends because she was a FEMALE? i thought jobs aren't allowed to discriminate with sex, color, religion, etc.?
one more, his school is accredited... he said they were in the process of getting accredited by CAAHEP.. does that make a differencE?

Erica-
I have an appointment with someone from that school next week but at the Long Beach one, do you know how much it was, and if it is a good school overall?

go to CAAHEP.com . there is a lot of information you need to know before you decide to spend your money and time. I'm so glad I went to the website it help me to make wise decision.

hjl, Ben never did reply, but i have been doing research. If you want ultrasound/sonograghy training from a licenced/accredited college you can go to two places in dallas...One is Sanford Brown the other is El Cento College. El Centro only accepts a few students a year so, it is harder to get in. You can check out the El Cento website to find out what you need to do to get accepted. Sanford Brown accepts anyone who wants to pay the $46,000 price tag. El Cento is only about $8000.00 paid over several semesters. I'm choosing El Centro....I have heard great things about there program, not so great things about Sanford Brown.

James in Los Angeles, California said: Well, it's been about 5 months now since I finish my externship and all I am able to get is crappy per-diem jobs working for cheap doctors and imaging clinics. And believe me I have fax my resume and made calls to about 100 different facility,clinics, and hospitals. Right now, I am getting only about 15 hours of work a week since these cheap doctors and clinics can't afford to hire a full time tech. At the rate I am going it will take me close to 3 years to be eligible to sit for my ARDMS. I talk to them and they told me I have to document a full 1680 hours of work as an ultrasound tech, since the school I went to is not accredited and also because I don't have my bachelors. Don't let these fraudgelent schools fool you with the old "You just have to work a year first then you can sit for your ARDMS" prep talk to get you to enroll in their school because, NO HOSPITAL WILL HIRE YOU OR EVEN LOOK AT YOUR RESUME WITHOUT YOUR ARDMS!! Maybe 3 or 4 years ago it was different and you can get jobs in hospital without your ARDMS but times have change and pretty much every hospital I talk to requires it. Funny how the school never mention anything about this. Hope this helps someone before they get into the dilemma that I am in:(

Hi james, i am the worst situation then u, i already have 2 years of experience, my problem is, school is not accredited like yours, but in Nj my school have to give the form to ardms to show them the school has approved from state to give me the credits, what i get after finishing school, and look like school don't have it, and i will never be able to sit for ardms, i a have to go to another school (?)

I live in NJ, i finished unaccredited school for u/s tech 2 years ago, have a job, want to go for ARDMS, send my documents, and get an answer, that my school need to submit a form for ARDMS with the alegable from the state, that they have a promotion to give there students credits, (i got 60 credits after finished school), and the director of the school is taking his time, or can get this form. Now i don't know what i need to do. Go to other school and start all over. if any body have any solution and can help me out.
thank you

annak in bloomfield, New Jersey said: I live in NJ, i finished unaccredited school for u/s tech 2 years ago, have a job, want to go for ARDMS, send my documents, and get an answer, that my school need to submit a form for ARDMS with the alegable from the state, that they have a promotion to give there students credits, (i got 60 credits after finished school), and the director of the school is taking his time, or can get this form. Now i don't know what i need to do. Go to other school and start all over. if any body have any solution and can help me out.
thank you

You could try this school www.burwin.com./index.html. They provide online correspondance courses, that will enable you to continue working, and study. Each module takes 3-4months, then you could sit that exam. You only need to do physics and 1 speciality to get registered

Hi Anna...If you don't mind me asking...what school did you go to? THere's a school in Paramus that's accredited that you may want to check out. It's Bergen Community College. NJ appears to have many different accredited programs. Here are a few more: Gloucester County College in Sewell, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield, University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ North, in Scotch Plains. Oh..there's also Sanford Brown Institute in Iselin. Since there are so many accredited schools available, I would avoid SBI since they have a bad rep overall, although the one in Iselin is accredited. But why pay the big tuition when you could go to a community college or a County College and pay virtually nothing in comparision. I wish you the best of luck. I'm sorry that you are having such problems getting a chance to sit for the boards.

thank u for very helpful information

Gina in El Cerrito, California said: There is an ultrasound school at Kaiser allied school of health in Richmond, CA. Alameda college offers some short term prerequiste classes in medical terminology.

People who are interested in attending a state community college ultrasound program in California should check out Santa Barbara City College. They have an 18 month program and the tuition is a whole lot less than the private schools. The hitch is that you have to already have a Bachelors degree or have graduated from a two year allied health care program before they'll take you. I graduated from the SBCC program, passed the ARDMS exam, and got a great job. I think they still have openings for the fall class.

thank u for your response, i live in New Jersey

James in Los Angeles, California said: Well, it's been about 5 months now since I finish my externship and all I am able to get is crappy per-diem jobs working for cheap doctors and imaging clinics. And believe me I have fax my resume and made calls to about 100 different facility,clinics, and hospitals. Right now, I am getting only about 15 hours of work a week since these cheap doctors and clinics can't afford to hire a full time tech. At the rate I am going it will take me close to 3 years to be eligible to sit for my ARDMS. I talk to them and they told me I have to document a full 1680 hours of work as an ultrasound tech, since the school I went to is not accredited and also because I don't have my bachelors. Don't let these fraudgelent schools fool you with the old "You just have to work a year first then you can sit for your ARDMS" prep talk to get you to enroll in their school because, NO HOSPITAL WILL HIRE YOU OR EVEN LOOK AT YOUR RESUME WITHOUT YOUR ARDMS!! Maybe 3 or 4 years ago it was different and you can get jobs in hospital without your ARDMS but times have change and pretty much every hospital I talk to requires it. Funny how the school never mention anything about this. Hope this helps someone before they get into the dilemma that I am in:(

So what school do you recommend? Los angeles

does anyone know of a x-ray tech school in miami florida??

sorry i don't, live in NJ

Go to the WWW.ARRT.Com, go to education section and look up radiograhy schools, i know that there are many schools in miami that offer x-ray education, miami-dade community college, broward community college and so on all so keiser univerity to broward county also offer it. there lots of programs in florida also go to floride health careers and look under radiology for schools only in florida. good look u will love the field of radiology.

rosalyn.. i have no idea.. im only posting to see whats going on.. and what the freakin BIG deal is that my brother can't take that darn test...

anyone know or could hook him up with a job to gain experience so that he can FINALLY take the test?

erica in Carson, California said: rosalyn.. i have no idea.. im only posting to see whats going on.. and what the freakin BIG deal is that my brother can't take that darn test...

anyone know or could hook him up with a job to gain experience so that he can FINALLY take the test?

Erica, your brother finished his clinical hours after his sonography school is over correct? So he did one year intersnhip right in a clinical site? He should be able to sit for the ARDMS registry right now and apply for the registry but he needs documents to prove that he did complete the clinical hours. The problem is will he be able to pass the ARDMS registry? As of right now with the regulations of the ARDMS, he should be able to sit for the registry regardless if his school is not accredited by CAAHEP as long as he completed his hours of one year.

How important that test is? Would you trust a nurse who didn't pass the NCLEX to be your nurse? Anyway, yeah there is discrimination in the radiology field because ultrasound has exams that pertains to the reproductive area that consists of the pelvic area or the breasts.

FYI, how can he send his documents, simple just go to ardms.org and have his former clinical site who is a sonographer who supervised him fill out the form. The forms are in the site. Then, he should be able to sit for the registry and hopefully he will pass but he better study everything he was taught from physics to anatomy to pathology. He should already known this by now after he finished his clinical hours regardless if he didn't get the job or not.

Hi,
So, does anyone know anything about the Mainz school in Canada? I have a BA (as well as an MA, actually). I'd like to pursue the 3A requirement somehow.

I started an xray program 12 yrs ago, with the intention of doing US afterwards, but then decided to go a different direction. Now, I'm thinking I should go back into US.

Any thoughts?

There is a school in Maine. KVCC in Fairfield Maine. Great school for Ultrasound!

Does anyone have any information on Micro Tech in Jersey City, NJ? They also have a school in Belleville, NJ.
They are ACCSCT accredited. I did asked if after completing the program and externship if I would have work a certain amount of hours before I can sit for the ARDMS. They said no. They said as soon as you graduate you can sit for the test. Which you can take there since it's an approved testing site. Don't know how true this is. Since I know some schools will tell you anything so you can sign up.

vane said: JAMES, DO YOU KNOW ANY ''COLLEGE'' WITH CAAHEP ?

check out CAAHEP web site. ALL schools are listed...Good luck

Cin in Jersey City, New Jersey said: Does anyone have any information on Micro Tech in Jersey City, NJ? They also have a school in Belleville, NJ.
They are ACCSCT accredited. I did asked if after completing the program and externship if I would have work a certain amount of hours before I can sit for the ARDMS. They said no. They said as soon as you graduate you can sit for the test. Which you can take there since it's an approved testing site. Don't know how true this is. Since I know some schools will tell you anything so you can sign up.

I wouldn't go there. How much is it by the way, 30 k like any other private school. Did you decide to go there because it's quicker or is it just in your city and a few miles away? Honestly, I recommend you not to go there unless you really want to waste money and education. I know the sonography depts in NY or NJ wouldn't hire anyone who is not a graduate from a CAAHEP sonography school and that includes imaging centers. FYI, you can take the ARDMS test from that school only if you finish the externship and even that is not a guarantee hospitals will hire you just because you graduate from a non-CAAHEP school. The schools I would recommend regardless it is quite competitive to get into but they have good reputations in NJ is Bergen Community College (very affordable), UMDNJ, Gloucouster Community College, and Muhlenberg Medical Center affiliated with Union Community College. I might have a miss school so you can find them in www.caahep.org and I left out Sanford Brown in Iselin because Sanford Brown Ultrasound programs across the country does have a bad reputation from snographers regardless it is CAAHEP accredited. Good Luck. If somehow you choose BCC's sonography program, they do have a very few preequisites to finish but I recommend you get a gpa of a 4 and recommendation letters from your science teacheres to get a chance to get picked out of 10 students or 15 at least.

Hi
Im currently in the DMS program at a County College in New Jersey. Im doing my clinicals in Philly.
I saw your comment & would like to ask you where in New Jersey did you go to school. Also, when are you taking the boards and could you share any books, info, or other with me, to help me prepare for the boards as well? I will be finished next May..
Thanks

Hi Cin...go to some of the hospitals by you and find out if they accept people from that school as well as ACCSCT. If they do not then you know that there's a good chance that most of the hospitals won't. Do some more investigating before handing over the money. As you stated...some places will tell you everything you want to hear only to find out AFTER you signed the papers for loans and started school that you won't be able to get a job. It may take a few days to find out but better now than after you're in school paying those tuitions. Good Luck!!