Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a non-invasive imaging modality that uses high frequency sound waves to produce a dynamic visual image of the internal organs or tissues in the body including abdominal organs, a developing fetus, male or female reproductive organs, and blood flow.

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

The program is administered by:

Dean: Shirley Richmond, Ed.D.
Program Director: William Undie, Ed.D., RT(R)
Medical Advisor: Aurelio Matamoros, M.D.

Graduates of this program will have a number of career options as technologists, supervisors, administrators, trainers, researchers, and sales representatives. Areas of employment include hospitals, clinics, private physicians’ offices, and industry. Graduates may also choose to work as freelance sonographers for mobile services.  Evaluation of the job market and a survey of employers indicate a strong demand for well-trained sonographers.

The educational standards of this program are based on the Diagnostic Medical Sonography National Educational Curriculum.

Upon graduation,  participants will be eligible to take the national registry examination administered  by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) under category 3A (www.ARDMS.org).

Mission, Vision, and Goals

Mission
The mission of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program is to provide the highest quality of education to diagnostic imaging students through formal didactic and state-of-the-art clinical experiences that prepare students to be diagnostic medical  sonographers who are focused on  patient care, are critical thinkers, and are engaged in lifelong learning.

Vision
We shall be the premier educational program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography by providing innovative curricular, clinical and continuing education services to the diagnostic imaging community and the patients we serve.

Goals
Fulfillment of the program’s mission is assessed by the program’s effectiveness and the degree to which the program achieves the goals in which our students will academically and professionally:

• Goal: 1. Students will develop a patient care focus by providing superior patient care
• Goal: 2. Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills.
• Goal: 3. Students will adopt a philosophy of life-long learning through continuing education and professional involvement.
• Goal: 4. Students will embrace the MD Anderson core values of caring, integrity and discovery
• Goal: 5 Students will communicate effectively in a variety of settings

Selection Process

Admission is dependent on factors that include:

• Cumulative GPA, and pre-requisite GPA
• Personal qualities such as maturity and professional goals as expressed in the interview and described in reference letters
• Ability to meet the SHP non-academic technical standards
• Race, religion, national origin, veteran status, gender, or disability  are not factors considered in the selection process

Applicants should begin the application process three to six months prior to the application deadline to ensure all documents are received and processed by the UTHSC-Houston Registrar’s office.

Nonacademic Requirements

For a description of the non-academic technical standards requirements for admission, visit the admission section of the Student Catalog's Policies and Procedures.

Program Admission Requirements

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)  All applicants must provide proof of successful assessment of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). Applicants who have graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an accredited Texas College or University are exempt from TSI. Proof of an applicant's readiness to enroll in college level coursework will be determined by the Registrar's Office based upon review of official transcripts from previously attended institutions.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Applicants from countries where English is not the native language may be required to take the TOEFL. Internet based TOEFL is now available and a total test score ranging from 74-78 with a minimum score of 18 in each section is required.

The Admissions Committee considers as much information as possible when evaluating an applicant's qualifications for admission including experience in direct patient care contact or in shadowing a professional in the field.

All application materials must be received by August 2, 2013

1. Submit all required forms and documentation to the Application site at the University of Texas Health Science Center Registrar.   Please note: At the very beginning of setting up your application on the UTHSCH site, you will need to scroll to the very bottom of the list of  Programs to locate “Diagnostic Medical Sonography” since the programs are not listed in true alphabetical order.  If you need assistance with progressing through the on-line application, call or e-mail the help contact listed on that site.  
     
2. Complete an interview, by invitation of the Admissions Committee. An interview is a required part of the admissions process. A final decision on acceptance is made after this interview. The purpose of the interview is two-fold: It enables you to ask questions in order to evaluate the program for your needs and it gives the program personnel a chance to weigh such factors as your motivation and interpersonal skills.

Student selection is highly competitive and the number of students accepted into the program is limited. All students must be at least 18 years of age prior to the start of any clinical rotation.

Prerequisites

• Associate or Bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution
•  Completion of a minimum of 42 semester credit hours that include:
          - The Texas Core Curriculum - 42 SCH (see table below)
          - College Physics
          -Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2
• Attendance at an SHP campus information session
• Minimum overall Grade Point Average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Three professional references
• Experience in direct patient care contact or in shadowing a professional in the field
• Interview panel scores

Advanced Placement


The School of Health Professions accepts and/or awards credit through the following examination programs:

• College level examination program of the College Board
• Comprehensive departmental examinations
• Regionally accredited military training programs

Recommendations from the School's academic departments are followed with regard to minimum score requirements, level of credit and amount of credit to be awarded. Program faculty are consulted to determine if credit recommendations equate to specific School of Health Professions (SHP) courses. The internal comprehensive departmental examination program provides a local means for establishing knowledge of SHS course content in areas not covered by the above examination program. Programs may elect to administer examinations that cover material specific to SHS courses with the results being reported to the Registrar.

Graduation

Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree must complete a minimum of 130 semester credit hours of course work. Within this requirement, students must complete the following at MD Anderson:  At least 40 semester credit hours of advanced (3000/4000) course work.

Graduation occurs in August. Upon graduation, participants will be eligible to take the national registry examination administered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) under category 3A (www.ARDMS.org). The awarding of the degree is not contingent upon a student passing the national certification exam

Clinical Rotations

Students rotate through multiple clinical sites at The Texas Medical Center. The diversity of examination procedures at the respective facilities offers the students broad skills, as well as opportunities for future employment upon graduation.

Curriculum

Upon completion of formal didactic and clinical education, students will have demonstrated the professional skills necessary to work with ionizing radiation, radiopharmaceuticals, sound waves and magnetic fields to produce medical images in diagnostic imaging or radiology departments of hospitals and medical clinics or free-standing imaging centers.

For More Information

Please contact:
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Diagnostic Medical Sonography program
School of Health Professions - Unit 2
1515 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77030-4009
713-792-3455