Admission Process

Application Deadline Reminders

September 15 –  for the next Spring Term (January)

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Application Procedure

All students must:

1. Be a high school graduate or successfully complete the G.E.D. test.
2. Submit a Jackson College application.
3. Forward to the Jackson College Admissions Office ALL transcripts from colleges previously attended. It is your responsibility to confirm that your transcripts are on file. (Allow 8–10 weeks for transcripts to be processed. All transcripts MUST be received by the application deadline. Failure to have all transcripts submitted timely to Jackson College may result in an incomplete Cardiac Sonography application).
4. Submit a completed DMS Advising Fact Sheet.
5. Submit a completed Jackson College Cardiac Sonography Application Form and include any job shadowing experience, prior education/work experience documentation. Submit the application directly to your Student Success Navigator.
6. All cardiac sonography applicants are required to meet the Technical Standards for Admission of the Allied Health Department and Technical Standards and Essential Functions required for the Cardiac Sonography Program.

Complete application procedure and detailed information can be found in the application forms.

Due to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), at this time we cannot offer online courses and/or clinical externships in California.  If you can only attend a clinical externship (a requirement of all DMS programs) in the states listed above, and you are unable to relocate to a participating SARA state, you will be unable to complete a degree in any of our DMS program offerings. If you are willing to relocate to a SARA member state, please contact the Allied Health office at 517.768.7007.

Clinical opportunities are limited to the United States and we cannot serve international clinical placements at this time.

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Technical Standards for Admission

The Allied Health Department faculty has specified the following non-academic criteria which applicants generally are expected to meet in order to participate in the Department of Allied Health Sciences programs and professional practice. These technical standards are necessary and essential and have been developed to provide for the health and safety of the patients receiving care from the Allied Health Department program students.

Sensory Abilities

• Ability to actively engage in all demonstrations, lab exercises, and clinical experiences.
• Recognize, interpret, and respond to facial expressions, body language, and monitor patient’s physical and mental status during the scan.
• Hear soft or muffled voices under personal protective equipment (PPE) and monitor Doppler signals for diagnosing abnormal blood flow.
• Work in a semi-darkened room for up to 8-12 hours.
• Scan using real-time sonography to differentiate normal anatomy from abnormal pathology.
• Vision sufficient to distinguish shades of gray, color, and observe real-time diagnostic images.
• Detect changes in patient condition and respond accordingly.
• Monitor vital signs and physical responses while conducting examinations.

Communication Skills

• Communicate effectively in English through verbal, non-verbal, and written means with faculty, peers, patients, families, and the healthcare team.
• Gather relevant patient information, respond to questions, and interpret physician orders.
• Provide clear instructions to patients and relay sonographic findings accurately.
• Speech must be clear and understandable by faculty, clinical staff, and patients.

Motor Skills & Coordination

• Stamina and strength to push, pull, bend, and stoop routinely.
• Sufficient strength to lift and carry up to 40 lbs., including positioning patients and moving heavy ultrasound equipment.
• Ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time, including walking, standing, or remaining upright for 8-12 hours.
• Demonstrate manual dexterity and fine motor movements to manipulate the ultrasound transducer and control panel.
• Maintain prolonged arm positions needed for scanning while ensuring patient safety and comfort.

Intellectual & Decision-Making Abilities

• Ability to gather, interpret, and integrate information for informed decision-making.
• Collect and assess patient data to determine its significance for the requested sonographic scan.
• Apply professional judgment to modify protocols as needed based on patient condition.
• Successfully complete all academic and clinical components of the program, which requires learning technical, medical, and pathophysiological information.
• Analyze, synthesize, and apply sonographic data in real-time.

Behavioral & Social Attributes

• Maintain emotional stability and sound judgment in high-pressure environments.
• Foster professional and empathetic relationships with patients and healthcare team members.
• Adapt to evolving clinical settings and handle stress effectively.
• Demonstrate integrity, compassion, and professional behaviors at all times.
• Receive and apply constructive feedback to improve sonographic skills.
• Adhere to ethical standards outlined in the Sonographer Scope of Practice and Clinical Practice Standards by the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS). https://www.sdms.org/about/who-we-are/code-of-ethics

Accommodation Policy

• You must be able to perform each of these tasks with or without reasonable accommodations.
• If you require an accommodation due to a disability, it is your responsibility to provide appropriate documentation and formally request the accommodation through the Center for Student S.
• Jackson College is committed to ensuring equal access to its programs and services for qualified students with disabilities and will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
• Students needing accommodations should contact the Center for Student Success as early as possible to begin the interactive process of documenting eligibility and appropriate accommodations.
• DMS students with disabilities are expected to meet all essential functions of the program with or without reasonable accommodations.
• While the DMS program strives to assist students requiring accommodations, the Program Director, faculty, and affiliated clinical facilities may review accommodation request to ensure they do not fundamentally alter course objectives, essential competencies or clinical requirements.

Admission is not Guaranteed.

Technical Standards and Functions that are Required to Successfully Complete a Degree / Certificate Program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.