A Complete Guide on “Top Ultrasound Courses that a Doctor should do”.
Ultrasound Courses: With all the technological advances and changes in healthcare, ultrasound still works on the elementary science of sound waves. Ultrasound waves are a type of sound wave with frequency higher than that audible to humans (>20,000 Hz). Ultrasonic images, which are called sonograms, are made by sending ultrasound into tissue. The wave pulses echo off of tissues, organs, muscles, bones, and such and these bounced waves are recorded as images. The harder and denser the tissue (bone would be the hardest and densest) the more it bounces the sound waves back to the transducer and the brighter the resulting image becomes.
The most common imaging done with ultrasound is B-mode ultrasound which displays the acoustic impedance of a 2D cross-section of tissue. This aside, ultrasound imaging can also be used to display blood flow, motion of tissue over time, the location of blood, the presence of specific molecules, the stiffness of tissue, or the anatomy of a three-dimensional region. Heart disease, stroke, abnormalities in the abdomen or reproductive system, gallstones, liver damage, and kidney dysfunction all exhibit telltale signs that ultrasound can help to detect.
Ultrasound is one of the safest methods of diagnostic imaging. Apart from being safe, affordable, and non-invasive, ultrasound is also portable. Patients who might not be able to travel to a radiology lab without risking further injury can have the lab wheeled to them. body. In fact, after x-ray exams, ultrasound is the most utilized form of diagnostic imaging available today. Doctors use ultrasound in women, men, and children to gain advanced insights into the inner workings of their system.
What is the use of ultrasound (or sonography)?
Sonography is the diagnostic medical test that uses high-frequency sound waves, ultrasound waves, to create an image. The test is referred to as an ultrasound or as a sonogram, both are near synonymous with the other. Ultrasound can help diagnose a wide variety of conditions in men, ranging from heart disease to abnormalities in the prostate gland or testicles. With children, doctors commonly use ultrasound to detect a variety of illnesses and disorders. A physician may use ultrasound to examine a child’s gastrointestinal tract for signs of appendicitis or a baby’s bone structure for alignment problems like congenital hip dislocation or spina bifida. An ultrasound exam of the head can detect hydrocephalus (water on the brain), intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the skull), and other conditions of the head. Using ultrasound, doctors can monitor a variety of women’s health conditions from heart disease to breast abnormalities to several gynecological problems-accurately while limiting invasive procedures.
What does a medical sonographer, or ultrasound technician do?
Broadly speaking, a sonographer covers the following tasks:
- Explain the procedure to the patient, answering their questions and ensuring they are well-informed and comfortable during the scanning process.
- Ensure patient safety throughout the procedure and comply with all safety protocols for themselves, the equipment and any attendees/assistants.
- Knowledge of diseases and disorders that can be diagnosed through ultrasound, and the required scans pertaining to each disorder.
- Make sure scans are clear and usable; getting the best possible image so that diagnosis and treatment can be efficient and precise.
- Analysing the ultrasound scans and images to write reports for doctors. The sonographer’s report is integral for a doctor to make the right diagnosis.
Aside from the hard skills of hand-eye coordination, dexterity to operate the equipment, knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, and analysis and reporting, sonographers and ultrasound tech doctors also need soft skills. These skills help make the procedure simpler and more efficient for the technician and the patient. Soft skills such as compassion, staying calm under pressure, communication skills and ethical conduct are the makings of successful sonographers and radiologists.
How does one become a sonographer?
Naturally, a sonographer must have their foundations in the medical field. They may have their primary degree in applied sciences and/or tech but a degree in medicine, nursing, or a related field is mandatory. Another route is through a 2-year degree from an accredited sonography training program or even certificate programs in sonography for persons already trained in another healthcare field.
Depending on the course you take, becoming a sonographer can take anything from 3 years to 6 years. As with most other fields and specialties, the more qualified you are and the more experience you have, the higher your credibility and pay. And at the end of the day, building a career is about the impact you have on society, the difference you make, and also the salary that you take home.
Additionally, it is imperative that sonographers, and healthcare professionals looking to build a career in radiology, continuously upskill and upgrade their knowledge base. A bachelor’s degree or an associate degree will only start you on the career path, but after that an ultrasound technician, or medical sonographer or radiologist, must continue to hone their skills and knowledge. To this, there are numerous certificate courses for ultrasound technicians to upgrade – offline and online!
What are some key specialisation areas in ultrasound and/or sonography?
Learning how to use and apply ultrasound technology is just the beginning. Over time you can work towards specialising in a specific area. Listed below are some courses from different ultrasound specializations for you to explore and decide for yourself. The following ultrasound online certificates range from introductory to specialised web-based simulations!
A liver scan may be done to check for diseases such as liver cancer, hepatitis, cirrhosis, etc. Lesions such as tumors, abscesses, or cysts of the liver are also visible in a liver scan. Ultrasound imaging can be used to evaluate the size and shape of the liver, as well as blood flow through the liver. Steatotic livers look brighter than normal livers, and cirrhotic livers (advanced fibrosis) look lumpy and shrunken. This course will help you record and analyse these markers.
Ultrasounds of the bladder and urinary tract are used to track the health of the bladder wall, pouches of the bladder, bladder stones, and large tumors. One of the common uses of UT ultrasounds is to detect and diagnose UTIs or Urinary Tract Infections. Similarly, scans of the adrenal gland help detect cancer in the glands or even the kidney tissue. Kidney ultrasounds can show if the kidneys are in the right place or if they have blockages, kidney stones, or tumors.
Intestinal ultrasound is a safe and inexpensive method that allows visualisation of the gastrointestinal tract and detection of abnormalities. This examination involves the use of two different ultrasound transducers: a low-frequency convex probe and high-frequency linear probe. Symptoms such as vomiting, stomach pain, and such call for a GI tract scan and even abdominal scans. For example, a mucosal thickness greater than 4 mm in the gastric antrum may suggest the presence of gastritis.
A pelvic ultrasound is a noninvasive diagnostic exam that produces images that are used to assess organs and structures in the pelvic area. In females, ultrasound of the reproductive organs is used to visualise the uterus, cervix, vagina, fallopian tubes and ovaries. A transvaginal ultrasound is a type of ultrasound done through the vagina, making it an internal examination. A testicular ultrasound is a diagnostic test that obtains images of the testicles and the surrounding tissues in your scrotum. The most common reason for a prostate ultrasound (also called “transrectal ultrasound”) is to check males who might be at risk for prostate cancer.
Ultrasound is very useful for evaluating abdominal, pelvic or scrotal pain in children. Ultrasound scanning gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on x-ray images. Some common indications include evaluation for appendicitis, pyloric stenosis and intussusception. Bowel abnormalities that are detected prenatally can be evaluated after birth with ultrasound. Likewise, acquired conditions such as bowel hematoma, bowel infections and hernias can be detected with ultrasound. The most common use of ultrasound in children is for gut health and GI tract.
Though the most common use of sonography imaging is around the abdomen, it is also used to generate ultrasound scans of arteries and veins, called vascular ultrasound. For example, a lower extremity venous ultrasound, or a lower limb ultrasound, is performed if a clot in the vein (deep venous thrombosis or DVT) is suspected.
You can explore more such courses directly in the Radiology Specialisation
As is abundantly clear, ultrasound scanning and imaging plays an important role in detecting and diagnosing internal disorders and diseases. From studying the shape and size/length of internal organs/veins, to diagnosing simple diseases like IBS to detecting complex diseases such as cancer! It’s no wonder that healthcare professionals skilled in recording and analysing sonography scans are in high demand. More so with the increased preference for non-invasive diagnostics and treatments.
So, how much do sonographers typically make?
Radiology and diagnostic imaging is independent of medical specialisations. Ultrasound scanning is used for cardiology, gastroenterology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and the list goes on. Given the wide range of use, there is naturally a high demand for trained, skilled, and experienced sonographers, or technicians who use ultrasound imaging. In fact, an ultrasound technician’s salary ranks among some of the highest of all medical technician fields.
In 2021, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), the annual median salary of an established sonographer, i.e. not a fresh graduate, is approximately $75,000. The spectrum ranges from about $52,000 to upwards of $1,00,00. Naturally, there are many factors that play into the pay scale – qualifications, years of experience, and area of specialisation being the foremost. The U.S. News ranked Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) as #5 in the Best Healthcare Support Jobs, and Monster.com named it as the second best paying job available for an associates degree holder.
In India, the spectrum for a sonographer’s salary ranges from ₹15,000 to ₹50,000 and upwards. So, accounting for qualification, experience, and even location, the median salary of a sonographer in India is about ₹5,50,000 annually. Though the disparity across the spectrum seems quite vast, upscaling can be done in leaps and bounds with the right upskilling choices.
In the UK, the average salary of a medical sonographer is about £35,000 which converts to about $50,000. In Australia, the average salary is about AUD $1,30,000 which converts to about USD $1,05,000. As was previously stated, the demand for sonographers is already high with indicators for a marked increase in the coming years.
So, should you become a sonographer?
Dedicating your life to healthcare and the service of others is a noble choice. Anyone working in medicine or closely linked to it will attest to the investment of time and effort, and even funds, required to build a career in healthcare. However, it is possible that some might not want to get into full contact with patients, and stay away from the hands on duties that doctors, nurses and medical assistants have, then radiology is a great career path! Of course, being in healthcare it’s impossible to completely escape blood, broken bones and the likes, but the daily interaction is almost minimal for radiologists.
In radiology, or diagnostic imaging, sonography is safe, non-invasive and low-risk, not only for the patient, but for the technician too. As opposed to other options in diagnostic imaging, sonographers (and their patients) aren’t exposed to harmful radiation, like x-ray, day after day. To that, it’s important to keep in mind that the field is competitive, however the ample opportunities balance out the competition. As the trend shows, an increasing number of healthcare professionals are opting for ultrasound tech over other diagnostic options since it’s less expensive and the equipment is becoming more mobile and easier to obtain and operate.
And to round it all up, the ratio of investment to earnings is relatively better than most other careers in healthcare. Even the duration of studying and basic training is shorter than other healthcare professions. While additional training could take more time and effort over years, the basic qualification can be done in 2-3 years in most countries! At the end of the day, a career choice must come from what you are interested in and what will give you job satisfaction. If you have more queries, reach out to us and connect to doctors and clinicians around the world through the Dosily network.
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