You can become a diagnostic sonographer by taking classes at Everest College. This school is located in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Financial aid is available and Everest does offer online courses.
Throughout Florida you can obtain your certificate of diagnostic sonography at Kaiser University. Daytona Beach, Tallahassee, Orlando and Jacksonville are some of the cities in Florida that will offer you the education needed to obtain your certificate. Financial aid is available here as well as online classes.
The Sanford-Brown Institute is formerly known as the Ultrasound Diagnostic School. The school has campuses in Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. If you live in the northeast portion of the United States, then this school is one of the best at providing you with the education requirements needed to obtain your certificate.
You can receive your certificate in diagnostic sonography by attending a public university, trade school, community college or a hospital training program. A diagnostic sonography certificate program normally lasts for about a year, and according to medical-assistant-training-schools.org, the tuition as of 2009 will typically cost between $3,000 and $15,000. Some private schools will charge around $32,000 or more.
While attending one of these schools you will learn how to operate the equipment that collects reflected echos from the targeted body part to form an image. This image is then either videotaped or photographed. These images are then given to the physician so that he can make an interpretation or diagnosis. According to bls.gov, the job outlook for diagnostic sonographers is highly favorable. You can expect to work in hospitals, clinics or mobile imaging services.
While there are online schools and training programs available, it is important to remember that you will need hands-on training in order to properly learn how to operate the sonography equipment. You also benefit by having the opportunity to practice talking to patients in a classroom setting. Online classes offer convenient study times and, in many cases, a lower tuition cost.
According to medical-assistant-training-schools.org, the average starting salary for diagnostic sonography ranges between $32,000 and $49,000. This is based upon your location and any additional responsibilities that the facility gives you. With experience you can expect to earn upwards of $72,000 per year.