Students in an abdominal sonography course learn about the manifestations of pathological and normal conditions in the abdominal area. The course teaches students how to recognize abnormalities within the liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, thyroid and urinary bladder. It's important that students also become aware of the capabilities and limitations of the abdominal sonography procedure.
A cross-sectional anatomy course focuses on sonographic imaging as it relates to the human body. Students learn about the anatomical relationships of the organs and how they fit into the quadrants within the body. Emphasis is placed on the position and size of anatomical structures in the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Sonographic physics focuses on the acoustical waves and physics within human tissue. Students learn about the parameters affecting sound transmission and sound beams, as well as sonographic transmission in soft tissues. Additional topics include sonographic production and display, image artifacts and Doppler flow analysis. Students also learn about the different sonographic transducer designs and construction.
An obstetrical/gynecology sonography course teaches students about the normalities and abnormalities of fetal anatomy and development. Students learn about the guidelines regarding obstetric sonographic evaluation, safety, embryonic development and a normal placenta. Opportunities are also available to learn about fetal and maternal complications in all three trimesters of a pregnancy.
Students enrolled in an echocardiography course learn about the spatial relationships within the human heart and the abnormalities that can occur. The course teaches students about scanning techniques and assessing cardiovascular anatomy. Opportunities may be available for students to operate sonographic equipment and collect the Doppler signals and reflected echoes from the heart.