Echo Cardiac Sonographer: Career, Outlook and Education Info
Echo cardiac sonographers, or echocardiographers, use ultrasound to measure the function of the heart. At minimum, completion of an associate's degree program is required for employment. If using a noninvasive procedure to help patients deal with heart disease or injury sound appealing, read on for more information. Schools offering Cardiovascular Sonography degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
What Does a Echo Cardiac Sonographer Do?
As a cardiac sonographer, you will operate the machine responsible for producing ultrasound waves used to examine the heart. Throughout this process, the sonographer works with the patient and interprets the reflected Doppler signals and echoes, creating the echocardiogram used by the patient's physician to come up with the appropriate diagnosis and plan for healing.
What Are the Education Requirements?
To be an echo cardiac sonographer, you must have at least an associate's degree in echocardiography or cardiovascular technology. You can expect to receive training particular to cardiac sonography in the second year of the program. Bachelor degree programs are also available. Coursework can include instruction in anatomy, human physiology and genetics, as well as echo procedures, ultrasounds physics, congenital abnormalities, echocardiogram waveforms and other topics. You may also have the chance to participate in an internship.
Should you choose to become certified as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer, it can be obtained from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. While not required in all states, gaining certification can provide you a leg up over non-certified professionals also looking for employment.
What is the Employment Outlook?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), you can expect a 24% employment growth for technicians in the cardiovascular health field from 2008-2018 (www.bls.gov). The major reasons for employment growth are centered on the prevalence of heart disease and a growing elderly populace. In addition, noninvasive cardiovascular diagnosing techniques like echocardiography are becoming preferential to using invasive surgery.
As technology advances in cardiovascular health, so too will related jobs, says the BLS. The majority of technicians in the field work in the cardiology departments of hospitals. Other job settings include doctor's offices, clinics and diagnostic laboratories.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
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