Ultrasound Careers

Diagnostic Medical Sonography Bachelor Degree

Sonography Degrees

UltrasoundSo, you've received your diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree, what happens next? To gain employment in a hospital or medical center, you will most likely need to pass national exams to become registered as a medical sonographer. These exams are held by the ARDMS (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography). You have a few different exam options after receiving your diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree. All exams require you to submit a copy of your diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree and then you simply pay the exam fee and pass the exam.

The first exam option is the RDMS (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer); this exam allows you to work in any sonography field dealing with diagnostics after you’ve received your diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree. The second exam option is only for diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree holders who have completed courses in cardiology. The RDCS (Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer) handles cardiac sonography as a specialty. An RVT (Registered Vascular Technologist) is another specialty that those who gain their diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree and take specialized courses in veins and arteries. Finally, the RPVI (Registered Physician Vascular Interpretation) requires more than just the diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree.

While earning your diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree, you can have taken specialized classes in many fields. Courses that many new graduates take as a specialty include abdomen scans, cardiovascular scans, echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, gynecology, neurosonology, obstetrics, pediatrics, physician’s vascular interpretation, ultrasounds, and vascular scans. Each of these fields is required within in a hospital setting. While many diagnostic sonographers can do the jobs, those who have specialized training are far more valuable in a health care setting because they can read scans quickly and more effectively. If you hold any specialized training in those fields, your diagnostic medical sonography bachelor degree can earn you a higher starting salary.