Careers > Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

$81.35K Median Salary 7.3K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 19% Job Growth

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About This Career

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

Reported Job Titles

Cardiac Sonographer, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Medical Sonographer, Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), Sonographer, Staff Sonographer, Ultrasonographer, Ultrasound Technician (Ultrasound Tech), Ultrasound Technologist (Ultrasound Tech)

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Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension

Near Vision

Oral Expression

Problem Sensitivity

Written Comprehension

Written Expression

Speech Clarity

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Control Precision

Inductive Reasoning

Speech Recognition

Deductive Reasoning

Flexibility of Closure

Category Flexibility

Information Ordering

Finger Dexterity

Fluency of Ideas

Manual Dexterity

Multilimb Coordination

Originality

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Speed of Closure

Visualization

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service

English Language

Physics

Medicine and Dentistry

Administrative

Computers and Electronics

Psychology

Education and Training

Skills

Active Listening

Reading Comprehension

Social Perceptiveness

Speaking

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Active Learning

Time Management

Coordination

Science

Writing

Complex Problem Solving

Judgment and Decision Making

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Service Orientation

Instructing

Learning Strategies

Persuasion

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Medical software

Electronic mail software

Office suite software

Data base user interface and query software

Word processing software

Calendar and scheduling software

Tools

Medical ultrasound or doppler or pulse echocardiograph or echocardiograph units for general diagnostic use

Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer

Medical radiological positioning aids for general radiological use

Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph monitors

Blood pressure cuff kits

Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph printers

Body plethysmographs

Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS

Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph three dimensional components

Hypodermic needle

Protective gloves

Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits

Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer accessories

Medical radiological shielding freestanding or portable screens or curtains

Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers

Medical x ray apparatus filters

Hazardous material protective apparel

Lancets

Safety glasses

Notebook computers

Tourniquets

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Tablet computers

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: 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.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: 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.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Physics: 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.
Medicine and Dentistry: 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.
Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Psychology: 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.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills

Active Listening: 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.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Medical software: Henry Schein Dentrix; Medical condition coding software; Medical procedure coding software; MEDITECH software
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software

Tools

Medical ultrasound or doppler or pulse echocardiograph or echocardiograph units for general diagnostic use: Ultrasound imaging scanners
Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer: Ultrasound transducers
Medical radiological positioning aids for general radiological use: Patient positioning blocks
Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph monitors: Bladder ultrasound equipment
Blood pressure cuff kits: Sphygmomanometers
Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph printers: Medical ultrasound printers
Body plethysmographs: Whole body air plethysmography systems
Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS:
Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph three dimensional components: 3D sonography equipment
Hypodermic needle: Intramuscular hypodermic needles; Subcutaneous hypodermic needles
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits: Intravenous IV equipment
Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer accessories: Fetal doppler units
Medical radiological shielding freestanding or portable screens or curtains: Lead alloy shielding blocks
Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers: Evacuated blood collection tubes
Medical x ray apparatus filters: Medical x ray filters
Hazardous material protective apparel: Personal protective suits
Lancets: Lancet needles
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Tourniquets:
Desktop computers:
Personal computers:
Tablet computers:

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