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General Information

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Who is a Sonographer?

• A professional who works directly with patients in performing sonographic diagnostic procedures.
• A professional who performs diagnostic procedures/tests (tests that are non-invasive, without puncturing or performing incisions on a patient).
• A professional who provides physicians with medical diagnostic information on the structure and function of the area of the body in question.

What is the nature of their work, what do they do?

• Perform diagnostic tests such as ultrasounds, and imaging.
• Work with sophisticated, manually operated equipment outside of a patient's body to discover what is happening inside their body.

Where do they work? Where are job opportunities available?

• Many opportunities are available throughout the United States for experienced and qualified individuals.
• Clinics, mobile health services, physician's offices, and hospitals have open positions.
• Medical industry companies also offer work in research and development, sales and marketing, which provide opportunities for international travel.

What is the basic curriculum for a degree in Sonography?

• A college level diploma in the applied science field.
• On year pre-requisites with curriculum focus in anatomy, physiology, and math.
• Advanced courses on specific methods of diagnostic procedures, and disease entities.

How would I learn this? What methods are used to teach students?

• Accredited schools that offer Associate or Bachelor Degrees require you to participate in lecture, lab, clinical and didactic settings.
• Normal course work includes a minimum of one year of didactic lectures and class work, followed by an internship in the different diagnostic procedure settings.
• Be careful choosing your school. CAAHEP accredited programs may be required for certification. Jackson Community College Sonography programs are accredited and listed on CAAHEP. For more information, go to www.caahep.org or the website for ARDMS at www.ardms.org.

What could I make in this line of work?

• The median salary for a sonographer in the U.S. in 2004 was $50,000-$80,000 (depending on geographic location).

Where can I do clinicals at?

•  A clinical site must be arranged and approved for each applicant before final acceptance into the program.  The clinical site is a third party entity into which students are placed for practical experience.  JCC cannot guarantee that a clinical site will always be available.  Arrangement for such a site depends upon the college’s ability to enter into a formal agreement with a proposed site.  Students should not rely upon the availability of a clinical site in particular geographical location.

• While JCC uses its best efforts to negotiate clinical sites, even after they become available they can become unavailable for reasons beyond the control of JCC and in that event JCC has no liability

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Radiography

When does enrollment for the Radiography Program take place?

Applications are due by January 31st each year. Program interviews are in March, accepted students will be notified in April, and would begin the Radiography program in May.

What are the pre-requisites for the program?

Students must have completed all prerequisite course work with a final grade of 3.0 or better in each course.

• DMS 100 – Introduction to Diagnostic Imaging
• BIO 155 - Anatomy and Physiology
• MOA 120 – Medical Terminology
• HOC 130 – Introduction to Health Occupations

I understand that the acceptance is based on a point system.
What are the criteria to earn points?

• GPA
• Previous Allied Health Experience
• Grades received in pre-requisite classes
• Job Shadow Experience
• Previous degrees earned (Associate, Bachelor, or Masters)
• Interview Scores

How long is the Program?

After completion of the pre-requisites, the program is a two year program. This includes 1,672 hours of Clinical Practicum.

What is the admission process for entrance into the Radiography Program?

The first step is to submit an application to Jackson Community College (this can be done on-line). Once accepted, you will want to have official transcripts from other colleges sent to Jackson Community College for evaluation. You are encouraged to contact a Jackson Community College Advisor who will assess what prerequisites courses you will need. Applications for the Radiography program must be turned in before January 31, along with a $40.00 application fee. (Keep in mind that all of your pre-requisites must be completed or in process before you can submit your application!) Once applications are received and evaluated, qualified students will be sent a questionnaire. After the questionnaire is completed and returned, applicants are evaluated once again to determine if they qualify for an interview. Interviews take place in March, and qualified applicants are offered acceptance in the program in April. The Radiography program begins in May.

If I were to complete the Radiography Program, would I be eligible to become registered?

YES! Completion of the Radiography Program at Jackson Community College would prepare you to sit for the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists) board exam, which, if passed, would render you a RT (R). (Registered Technologist, Radiography)

Would I be allowed to work while I am in the program?

Most students work part-time while in the radiography program. The program does require approximately four (4) days per week of a student’s time on average, which makes it impossible to work full-time and be in the program.

Jackson Community College has published the contents of this web site for information purposes only. The information contained herein reflects the current curricula, policies, tuition and fees, and regulations of the College. However, these are subject to change at any time by action of the Board of Trustees or the administration. The information is generally believed to be accurate but the College disclaims liability for any inadvertent errors or omissions.