Sonographer schools in Houston, TX

HEY!
ANOTHER QUESTION :-)
SO FOR ME TO START THIS I DO HAVE TO GO TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND GET MY BASIC DONE RIGHT OR CAN I JUST GO DIRECTLY TO SONOGRAPHER SCHOOL IF THEY HAVE SUCH A THING.. BUT I HAVE TO DO MY ASSOCIATE BEFOR GETTING MY BACHELOR'S RIGHT? ARE U A SONOGRAPHER? THANK U SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND BEING HELPFUL.. I JUST REALLY WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL AND GET OUT OF THIS JOB I HAVE NOW U KNOW WHAT I MEAN..I REALLY HOPE THEY HAVE NIGHT CLASSES FOR THIS CAREERS CAUSE I WORK FULL TIME AND HAVE BILLS TO PAY..:-) THANKS AGAIN

HEY I JUST CALLED THE ACADEMY OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS AND THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD GET A CERTIFICATE FIRST, THEN MOVE TO THE DEGREE ..DO U THINK THATS A GOOD IDEA..THE GUY WAS KIND OF RUDE SO I DIDNT WANTTO KEEP ASKING HIM QUESTION KNOW WHAT I MEAN

What are you able to do with a masters in US?

WWot said: What are you able to do with a masters in US?[/
I DONT KNOW MUCH I VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS JUST LIKE U..M COWAN HAS BEEN REAL HELPFUL

That doesnt make sense to me to get a certificate before a degree. You want to go to an accredited school so you can sit for the boards. Check to see if the schools you are looking at are accredited. If not, you are not elible to sit for the boards. Without your license it is much more difficult to get a job. You will need to take your prereqs first for most schools. Most accredited have strict requirements. Im not endorsing a school here, but check out lonestar college cyfairs requirements and that will help you get on the path you need to be heading. There prgram is very reasonable. Its only $3600 plus books and uniforms for the whole program ,because its through a community college and when you graduate you will be able to sit for your licensure. Hope this helps.

With that said it is a competitve program,but if you get all A's in you prereqs and complete all you coreqs before the application deadline, there's no reason you cant get in. They let 15 into their general program and 10 into the echocardiography(which will starting in the spring) program every year.

Lynn, you should get your basics done at a community college. The Academy as you mentioned, has 2 programs: The associates degree and the certificate. They are almost identical, the biggest difference is that the associtaes degree program has 4 semesters of externship and the certificate has 3.

I was an instructor for the academy for several years. They have a quality program, I liked the degreed program better because it usually admitted a better student. With the academy, all you basics are included in the program. The have local professors that teach college algebra, college physics, composition, psych, etc....The thing to remember is that the academy is not CAAHEP accredited so unless you already have a bachelors degree or a teo year patient care related program under your belt, you will have to work for 12 m,onths before being eligiable to sit for the registry.

Pammynell, is correct. Lone Star has a very solid program. I have known their director and one of thier instructors for many years. Both are wonderful professionals and they have created a great program.

To answer your question about me, I am a medical imaging professional by trade (Xray, CT, Ultrasound), but I have been an educator for several years. I created and implemented the hospital-based program at the Harris County Hospital District (Ben Taub). My program only accepts applicants with a bachelors degree or previous medical training (preferably radiography), thus CAAHEp accredition is optional for my program and not needed for my students to sit for the ARDMS.

WWot,
A masters in sonography is geared more towards: teaching, directing, and research. As a run of the mill sonographer it will not get you any more money.

hey Matt
thank you so much for your opinion . i will be checking out cyfair on tuesday so i can take my basic out of the way theres a lone star college near my house so ill be checking on that as well. if you dont mind i will keep you in mind if i have any questions..thank u so much...have a great weekend.lynn

Matt, do you mean a bachelors in a medical dicipline? I have a BA from UCLA, but it's in graphic design and it's REALLY old (1979). Will that help me at all? Do I still need an AA for a career in sonography or would a certificate be acceptable? I found 2 colleges in my area accredited by CAAHEP, Cypress College(certificate) and Orange Coast(AA), does that mean all these other schools advertising (Concorde, Everest, etc.) are basically bogus because they're not accredited? Thanks for any info.

Kalika,

(origional post)
There are three main ways in which this can happen (actually there are more, but most people fall under these three)
1. Graduate from a CAAHEP accredited program
2. Possess a bachelors degree and graduate from any program(as long is it is at least a year)
3. Possess a two year degree (or diploma) in any patient care field and graduate from any program.

The bachelors can be in any field and there are no time limits on the degree. If you complete a program or OJT training that is a minimum of one year (defined as at least a minimum total of 1680 contact hours)then you can sit for the ARDMS under prereq: 3A.

If you go to a CAAHEP accredited program, the bachelors degree really wont matter because the accredited status of the program will allow you to sit under ARDMS prereq: 2.

The bachelors will help you if you do decide to go to a non-caahep accredited program.

If you have the option, you are better off going to an accredited program, or good hospital-based program rather than a career school. Not to say that those career schools are "bogus", its just that colleges and hospital based programs have better reputations and are usually a fraction of the price.

There are some really good career schools out there, however. Career schools can be a viable option depending on the circumstances.

Ok, so since I have my BA, I could get a 1 year certificate at Cypress and be qualified to sit for the ARDMS. What is your experience with hiring new grads? Even registered with ARDMS, it seems like most employers want a year of work experience. The 1680 contact hours, can you tell me what that is exactly? Does that count as work experience to an employer? Thanks for your informative posts!

Kalika,
You are correct about the education as long as the program is a minimum of 1680 hours and includes clinical training. The ARDMS also recommends that you be involved in a minimum of 800 cases during the training. The 1680 hours can either be through a school, hospital based training program or as OJT (on the job training) experience. If you get experience as a student then you will not count that as work experience but if you get it as OJT then you can, but this is very rare these days.

The hiring of new grads varies by region and specialty. In my area there are plenty of jobs and quality new grads have little to no trouble finding work. Some of the less then desirable new grads usually have trouble, and they always blame the school.

You are correct, the more experience an applicant has, the more marketable that applicant is. Such is life. Fortunatly there is enough of a demand in the field to cycle in fresh sonographers. (everybody starts somewhere).

Don't worry about the future job market, it is an uncontrollable factor, just like traffic or the weather. If your dream is to be a sonographer you just have to put your chips in, play your hand wisly, and believe in your success.

The key to being successful in sonography is to: study hard,work hard in the clinic and earn your way in. If you read my previous post you will see that I have discussed the attributes of a successful sonography student ad nauseum. Regardless about all the post you may read on this school and that school, it is the student themselves that is the most important factor to success.

Can anyone tell me the benefit of one concentration over the other (general sonography program over echocardiography program)? I tend to lean toward the general program but I want to make sure I am picking the right concentration.

Hi Matt,

I was advised on another forum that an ultrasound certificate program expects you to come into their program with a hefty amount of medical/radiology knowlege, e.g. AA in Radiologic Technology or a nursing degree. Is this true? If that is the case, then I would be looking at an AA, not a certificate program, since I have no medical background.

That is a common 'generality' misconception. The answer is some do and some don't.

Some certificate programs are modeled as an advanced imaging curricula, that is accelerated. I have seen posters on forums generalize that all certificate programs follow this model. This is simply not true.

It depends on the program and thier prerequisites for admission.

Here are the three most common admissions prereqs:

1. Posses an a patient care related diplome that is at least two years in length. (nursing, rad tech, PT, OT, etc...)

2. Posses the health care diploma OR a minimum of a bachelors degree in any displine, it does not have to be health care related. (this is the pre req for the program I manage)

3. Possess prerequisite classes that the program requires. (this varies from program to program, but at a minimum will include: physics, A&P, algebra, and communications)

BTW: all CAAHEP accredited programs require those four classes regardless of any other prerequisite requirement

All you have to do is go to the schools website or contact the school and you can find out what is required. However, do not just take somebody on a forums word. There are many people who post on forums that do know what they are talking about. I have spent far too much time rebutting bogus information.

Can anyone tell me what the benefits are from becoming first, an RT and then a sonographer? I know that it will help you get into an ultrasound program, but will you make more in the end? What types of jobs do RT's do? Does anyone know of any good schools in Salem, OR for both and RT and sonographer? Thank you!

Becoming an RT first will not necessarily make you any better at sonography or get you more money.

Howvever, there is some benefit. Radiography is the foundation of imaging technology. By going to a radiography program you get exposed to the world of medical imaging and get a good foundation of the field. This allows you to see what you like and do not like, and where you want to specialize. I went to rad school first with the intention of being an MRI tech. But after two years I realized that I didnt like MRI, I liked US. Only the radiography background allowed me to explore my options. I started in surgical radiography, then cat scan, then learned to do nuc med HIDA scans, then finally went to ultrasound school.

If you go to US school, then you are stuck in US. Thats it. Although I am an educator now, one of my biggest comforts is that I can go back and do whatever I want. There were temporary assignments were I did xray, CT and US.

Other than that, having a radiography back ground will allow you more of a chance to attend an ultrasound program.

To find the closest schools look on the JRCERT website.

Hello all,

Can anyone tell me the reputation for HCC's general sonography program? I live to the south of Houston and want a general program, so Alvin CC is out of the question. I do not want to drive all the way to Cyfair... Anyone gone to HCC? How hard was it to get in?

HCC has an excellent program. You need to have either a bachelors degree or two years of previous health care training, such as radiology, nursing, etc...

The program is competetative, but many who want to get in will not have the background.

Previous health care experience is very helpful.

M. Cowan in Houston, Texas said: HCC has an excellent program. You need to have either a bachelors degree or two years of previous health care training, such as radiology, nursing, etc...

The program is competetative, but many who want to get in will not have the background.

Previous health care experience is very helpful.

can you tell me what school offers a masters in ultrasound??

Barrie, what is it?

Nova Southeastern University will begin offering a masters degree in medical sonography. I think there is one other program, but I am not sure.

There was a push by the profession to develope a hybrid profession called Ultrasound Practitioner. It was intended to be a cross between a sonographer and mid-level practitioner such as a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner. The idea was for these folks to read sonograms in liu of a radiologist. I believe a UP program was started in Arkansaw and it was a masters program, but I am not sure what happened with it.Last I had heard the UP profession was not taking off as expected, but it is a very interesting concept.

When it comes to having a masters degree in sonography, there is little uses for such a degree with the american model of imaging sciences. In america, radiographers, sonographers, mammo techs, etc... are only "techs", they do not have any diagnosing privledges. In other countries, the training for these profession maybe longer and include the ability to actual read the studies. I can see having a masters degree if you are an educator, resercher, or a practitioner that can read films. However, there are other degrees that are as applicable, such as a masters in PA.

Bottom line, there is not much uses for a masters degree in sonography or imaging unless you are teaching or researching.

M.Cowan in Houston, Texas said: I taught at the Academy for years. They do have a solid program. The Associates Degree program is beteer because it has 4 semesters of externship vs. 3 in the certificate. Study very hard because it is very tough. Get on Dr.Lalusi's good from the start. DONT EVER EVER EVER mess up at a clinic (extern site). Be on your best behavior and try to be uber helpful. The most important person in that school is the clinical coordinator, he has the power to send you to great site (if you earn it) or a terrible site (if you earn it). His name is Mr. Park and you do not want to tick him off for any reason.

M Cowan... I have a question for you. Im looking into enrolling at AHCP for the sonography program, once my two years are up, and if they find me a job... will I have to work there a year before I can sit for ARDMS? I also see you recommend taking the radiology program first... why is that and how long would it take if I choose to go that route?

AHCP is not CAAHEP accredited, therefore you would have to have minimum of one year fulltime employment as a sonographer before qualifying to sit for the ARDMS exam, unless you already posses a bachelors degree or two years healthcare relateted degree.

When I say Radiology program, I am not referring to the LMRT program at places like AHCP. Those are a joke and do nothing for you.

I am referring to full RT programs that are two years in length. Radiography is the foundation of medical imaging. Specialties such as MRI, CT, mammo, etc....require you to have this first. During your training you will be exposed to all types of medical imaging and this will allow you the oppertunity to explore the imaging field and see where you want to be. Only having the radiography education can open up all these oppertunities.

If you still decide that you want to go w/ ultrasound, with a radiography degree your qualified to go to really good programs such as HCC or HCHD, and you don't have to settle for the uber expensive, unaccredited programs at career schools.

Thanks for feed back Cowan! I have just one more question... If I decided to go with AHCP, what is the pay range I would be expecting once I finish the 2 yr course and have to work the one year before qualifying to sit for ARDMS? Im really starting to lean towards just going back to Cy fair and taking my pre req classes, then go from there. Im just wondering... IF I decided to go to AHCP, how much will I be making (roughly) right of school and will it be harder for me to pass the test being that I had to wait a whole year before I can take it... or will I be working and actually DOING the things that are going to be on the test?

Thanks for your help!

first off, the ARDMS tests are very hard. The physics and the abdomen have only about a 50% pass rate. Even people who take the test right out of school have trouble passing and they have been in school preparing for it. Statisticaly, the longer you wait to take the tests, the worse you do. This is one of my main concerns about the AHCP programs. They do have pretty good programs, but so many of their graduates never get credentialed. I know people who graduated from their program 10 years ago and still can't pass the tests. They are good techs but their future in the industry is shakey because of the ARDMS factor. Most employers will require you to gain your credentials w/in one year, if you dont then you are gone.

I am unaware of the current starting pay scale, but I think it is around $20-$24/hr.

You are better off at CY Fair

Thanks again, you have really helped sway my desicion. The starting pay scale you are referring to... is that the start pay right out of AHCP or after passing the test? (This is my last question for you lol)

You can ask all the questions you want, I am happy to give my advice.

If you start out w/ the registry you are most likly looking at a dollar or two more. I don't really follow the pay trends too much, thus I more or less estimating. You can call some the HR dept. at some local hospitals and inquire about pay ranges to get a better idea.

I am noticing a decreasing trend in the new-hire of graduates w/o the registry. More and more places are requiring the registry for employment and because of the economy, directors can be more picky about who they interview and hire. I am seeing many un-reg techs not even get an interview latley. Will this trend continue, who knows. I do think that the job market in the gulf coast area is becoming flooded w/ sonographers as of late.

If you are going to enter this profession you should make the best possible name for yourself.

Thank you Cowan for all the information you have provided. I think I'm going to go ahead and knock my pre req's out and then go from there!

Okay, so which is better to get? An Advanced Technical Certificate in Diagnostic Medical Sonography or an Associate of Applied Science degree in diagnostic medical sonography?

I already have a BS in Community Health Education...

Here is what I am meaning to ask. How do HCC and Cyfair (Lonestar) compare: technical certificate versus associates degree?? I am leaning toward HCC because I live in Pearland, and Cyfair would be quite a commute every day...

Certificate vs. Associate degree.

For obvious reasons, it is preferable to have a degree rather than a certificate, at least on a personal level.

When it comes to hiring practices this will play almost no factor in the candidate selection process. Skills, experience, registry status, and work ethic are what hiring managers look at.

I would not give this factor tremendous weight when deciding on schools, especially if you already have a degree.

However, CAAHEP accreditation is important and carries far more weight than certificate vs. degree.

M.Cowan in Houston, Texas said: Certificate vs. Associate degree.

For obvious reasons, it is preferable to have a degree rather than a certificate, at least on a personal level.

When it comes to hiring practices this will play almost no factor in the candidate selection process. Skills, experience, registry status, and work ethic are what hiring managers look at.

I would not give this factor tremendous weight when deciding on schools, especially if you already have a degree.

However, CAAHEP accreditation is important and carries far more weight than certificate vs. degree.

Thanks. They are both accredited, so all is good. THANKS!

is anyone aware of evening classes for an associates degree in radiography? prefer to go to a community college, not a tech school. I must maintain an income for my family.

I know of two schools which offer Associates in Radiography: Pima Healthcare on Bissonnet and Sanford Brown on the Northloop. Sanford Brown's program runs about 19 months and you must have 24 credits as pre-reqs. Pima has no pre-reqs, but you must pass their exam (fairly easy!) and pass the admissions interview; their program is 2 years and the hours are from 7am-3:45pm M-F. SBI's programs costs about $34K whereas Pima is $28.5K. I have more info on both schools so let me know if you have questions.

SBI won't have another Rad program starting until next Fall (the current one just started yesterday and is limited to 24 students) and Pima has another class starting in Feb 2010.

I'm sure there are more schools offering Assoc in Rad, but I know more about the two I've mentioned above.

ASA LOFTIN in Houston, Texas said: is anyone aware of evening classes for an associates degree in radiography? prefer to go to a community college, not a tech school. I must maintain an income for my family.

Oops, I just re-read your post and noticed you want evening classes. Scratch the two I've mentioned because it will be hard to work and attend school (plus, both programs require you to be in the hospital/clinical setting two days per week). Pima flat told me they did not recommend anyone taking their course who was trying to stay employed. I'm sorry.

Maybe someone else knows of something at HCC or San Jac...(I know both have Rad Tech programs and they are much cheaper).

You are better off attending a hospital-based or college radiography program. Programs such as San Jac College, HCC, and the Harris County Hosp. District have solid, well respected programs with excellent graduate outcomes. Also, these programs are not for profit, so they are a fraction of the price. MedVance has a local career school that had radiography and the program fell apart.

The only night radiography program that I know of is a limited radiography program at AHCP. The produce a tech known as an LMRT (limited medical radiologic technologist. LMRTs are more or less a joke in the imaging industy, stay away from it.

I went to San Jacs program almost 20 years ago, and it is very solid. I think the hospital districts program (Ben Taub)is one of the best I have ever seen. You can check out their program at hchdonline.com under the about us tab.

I appreciate your responses and that is what i figured. I have been interested in this field for a while now, but i must maintain somewhat of a income. Maybe I can try to get a part-time night job. I think that the help you offer on this forum is wonderful and it shows how professional your industry is. If I end up taking this path I might contact you with more questions. thank you.

hello, i already graduate from a diagnostic medical sonography program. can somebody help me finding where to get registered now in vascular. i saw plenty of studies in my clinical rotations. can somebody recomend a program or training in houston,tx??
thanks

Hi Doris,

You have a few options. Alvin has a vascular certificate program. Contact Jessica Murphy for more information or check thier website.

Lone Star College also has a vascular training program for sonographers. I think it is shorter than Alvin's training, but I am not sure.

Cardiotech offers vascular training, I think. I am not sure how long or the cost.

Advanced Health Education Center (AHEC)offers some really good, short ultrasound training courses, that range from a couple of days to a week long. They have a full lab with lots of hands on training, and Tom Whelan is one of the best vascular/cardiac instructor on the planet.

Vascular sonography is a must have skill for todays general sonographer. You should be able to at least perform Carotid Duplex Doppler, Venous Dopplers, and Abdominal Vasc. Doppler. Most labs expect these as minimal vascular skills.

Good Luck,
Matt

i have a question and it is this i have graduated from an accredited ultrasound school in California Sept 2008, i do not have the CAAHEP accreditation do i still have a chance if not how do i get this accredation after i have been out of school. i only have experience in my externship of scanning real patients, i have a AA degreee in liberal arts, i am a medical assistant(25 yrs) i am studying to take the SPI test. am i able to even be considered for an ultrasound

Matt,

I will be getting my bachelors in a little less than two years and am planning on going with prereq 3a to get registered. So I will be doing OJT part time for about the next two years also for my clinical experience.

So I will be basically learning US OJT and on my own.

Can you refer me to some good books/online tutorials to study from to be able to have a chance in passing the SPI and other ARDMS exams to become credentialed and get familiar with the lingo and how things should work?

Thanks for your help!

Hello I have had a wide variety of jobs and after hearing about sonography and the possibilities of money, traveling, and the opportunity to work anywhere, I am starting to start the process of school. I don't want to sit at a desk all day and see the same people everyday. I love the idea of doing a skilled craft. I'm just very particular about my environment at work. Case in point: I work as a receptionist for a while and it was pretty rough. I could not stand the people, especially the egomaniac lawyers. I felt like I was sort of trapped and honestly felt like a slave to them when I know that my smarts were not being used or commended.

I have a B.A. in Psychology and know that I will not have a problem getting into a community college in my area. I am aware of the cost and that I need to be in an accredited program. Got all of that.

I just have some basic questions that I am hoping to get answered from those who already work in this position.

What is the typical day like?

What is the schedule? Can you work a full 40 in 3 or 4 days? What about overtime/on-call?

What specialty makes the most money? I think that I would like to go into cardiac as that seems to interest me the most. But are the job prospects slim for that? What specialty has the most opportunity?

Can I specialize in more than 1 area? Or is that something I can conquer down the road?

Because I have a B.A., can I just go for the accredited certificate or will I need to do the 1.5 year Associates?

Is an accredited online degree a bad decision?

What level of patient interaction do you have?

Do you need to interpret the results or does the doctor do that?

What is working with the doctors like? Is it like any other job?

What is the stress level like?

What are the positive/negatives of working in a private practice as opposed to a hospital?

What is working in a hospital like? What type of person is best for that environment?

Any and all help would b

Response indicated by a ***

I have a B.A. in Psychology and know that I will not have a problem getting into a community college in my area.
***Dont be so sure, sonography school is hard to get into these days and a BA Psychology is almost worthless (no offense).

What is the typical day like?***Hectic

Can you work a full 40 in 3 or 4 days? ***Depends on the facility
What about overtime/on-call?***Plenty of both

What specialty makes the most money?***Multi-modality sonography
I think that I would like to go into cardiac as that seems to interest me the most. But are the job prospects slim for that?***no
What specialty has the most opportunity?****multi-modality sonography

Can I specialize in more than 1 area?***yes but not at first

Because I have a B.A., can I just go for the accredited certificate or will I need to do the 1.5 year Associates?***depends on the school, most likly the BA will do nothing for you

Is an accredited online degree a bad decision?***no but you may have to travel to get clinical training. Local facilities are saturated with sonography students

What level of patient interaction do you have?***sonographers perform vaginal and breast exams, so as about as intimate as you can get

Do you need to interpret the results or does the doctor do that?***sonographers report their findings to the doctors and he makes the final call.

What is working with the doctors like?***Doctors are among the worst people to work with.

What is the stress level like?***can be very high

"Hello I have had a wide variety of jobs and after hearing about sonography and the possibilities of money, traveling, and the opportunity to work anywhere, I am starting to start the process of school. I don't want to sit at a desk all day and see the same people everyday. I love the idea of doing a skilled craft. I'm just very particular about my environment at work. Case in point: I work as a receptionist for a while and it was pretty rough. I could not stand the people, especially the egomaniac lawyers. I felt like I was sort of trapped and honestly felt like a slave to them when I know that my smarts were not being used or commended."

If you couldn't handle egomaniacle lawyers then you will have problems w/the Doctors. They'll make the lawyers look like kittens. I'm in a Sonography program currently and I also have an undergraduate degree w/some grad work under my belt.
Sonography is more difficult than any grad program out there(at least my program is, I'm in a CC). You eat breath and sleep physics and A&P, aside from the physical demands. I love it when people think its a walk in the park because it's an associates. There's a reason the salaries are decent. It's a difficult profession. So if you have issues with dealing with people this is not the profession for you. If you genuinely care about people and enjoy the science and math of it then go for it...

Professor in Ravenna, Ohio said: "Hello I have had a wide variety of jobs and after hearing about sonography and the possibilities of money, traveling, and the opportunity to work anywhere, I am starting to start the process of school. I don't want to sit at a desk all day and see the same people everyday. I love the idea of doing a skilled craft. I'm just very particular about my environment at work. Case in point: I work as a receptionist for a while and it was pretty rough. I could not stand the people, especially the egomaniac lawyers. I felt like I was sort of trapped and honestly felt like a slave to them when I know that my smarts were not being used or commended."

If you couldn't handle egomaniacle lawyers then you will have problems w/the Doctors. They'll make the lawyers look like kittens. I'm in a Sonography program currently and I also have an undergraduate degree w/some grad work under my belt.
Sonography is more difficult than any grad program out there(at least my program is, I'm in a CC). You eat breath and sleep physics and A&P, aside from the physical demands. I love it when people think its a walk in the park because it's an associates. There's a reason the salaries are decent. It's a difficult profession. So if you have issues with dealing with people this is not the profession for you. If you genuinely care about people and enjoy the science and math of it then go for it...

Also very competitive to get in. 3.0 GPA for my program and to stay in. If you screw up a class your out. Many prereqs also, so in reality it's more like a 3 year degree.

Hey cowan I have a question what's the a fast field to finish that's in medical . Like 1 -2 year that's pays good once ur finish w college thanks

There are two healthcare programs that can be finished in a year and pay around $20/hr

-Surgical Technologist
-LVN

There are many two year programs that range in pay. The best paying two year program (I could be a little off)

-Ultrasound
-Nuclear Med.
-RN
-Perfusion Tech (if you have the back ground)

M.Cowan, BHSc, RT, RDMS, RVT, RDCS in Houston, Texas said: Response indicated by a ***

I have a B.A. in Psychology and know that I will not have a problem getting into a community college in my area.
***Dont be so sure, sonography school is hard to get into these days and a BA Psychology is almost worthless (no offense).

What is the typical day like?***Hectic

Can you work a full 40 in 3 or 4 days? ***Depends on the facility
What about overtime/on-call?***Plenty of both

What specialty makes the most money?***Multi-modality sonography
I think that I would like to go into cardiac as that seems to interest me the most. But are the job prospects slim for that?***no
What specialty has the most opportunity?****multi-modality sonography

Can I specialize in more than 1 area?***yes but not at first

Because I have a B.A., can I just go for the accredited certificate or will I need to do the 1.5 year Associates?***depends on the school, most likly the BA will do nothing for you

Is an accredited online degree a bad decision?***no but you may have to travel to get clinical training. Local facilities are saturated with sonography students

What level of patient interaction do you have?***sonographers perform vaginal and breast exams, so as about as intimate as you can get

Do you need to interpret the results or does the doctor do that?***sonographers report their findings to the doctors and he makes the final call.

What is working with the doctors like?***Doctors are among the worst people to work with.

What is the stress level like?***can be very high

Thank you M.Cowan for anwering these very important questions & honestly! Greatly appreciate your comments.

M.Cowan, thank you and others for your post, it has helped me a great deal. I have been desiring to become a sonographer for over 10 years, but "LIFE" happened. I am finally at a point were I am ready and able to make this happen. I am a single mother with little support, but my children are up in age..all but one. I have been researching schools for over 2 months now and am still somewhat confused. I have visited with both AHCP and SB and noticed pros and cons from both. I currently have 42 college hours, but SB will only accept about 36. I know that going the Cyfair route is discouraging for me at this point considering the competitive nature and my being 38 don't feel as though I have time to hold my breath to see if I'm excepted. But I guess one question that I have is which is more sought after..DMS or Echo? From my understanding the certs for Echo are more easily attainable..is this true..please advise...I truely value honest oppinions. Thanks!