Ultrasound Careers

Sonography

Learn About Sonography

UltrasoundSonography is a medical career in which you use sonograph (ultrasound) machines to create pictures of internal organs. Ultrasounds can be taking of the heart, uterus, abdomen, breasts, prostate, and blood vessels. People who become sonography technicians usually specialize in a certain area of the body. They may work in hospital or medical office settings. These specialties include:

  • Abdomen sonography (intestines, liver, pancreas, spleen, and urinary system
  • Breast (mammography)
  • Echocardiography (blood flow into and out of the heart, includes valves)
  • Neurosonology (brain and the spinal cord)
  • Ob/Gyn (maternity and the reproductive system)
  • Opthalmology (eyes)
  • Vascular Technology (blood flow through the blood vessels)
Machines used in sonography send ultrasonic waves into the body and then the waves bounce off organs and project clear images onto the sonography computer. Some of the procedures used in sonography can be embarrassing to the patient; so medical sonographers by nature must be caring people who can make others feel at ease. Issues like mammograms, internal fetal ultrasounds (the sonograph probe is inserted through the vagina), and echocardiography (done with a bra and shirt removed) can all make a patient uncomfortable.

If you are interested in sonography, you must be able to meet the strict requirements. Sonographers are required to be able to lift patients, push and pull machinery, be able to view the images sonograms transmit, interact with patients in an appropriate manner, communicate with patients and other medical workers, organize a daily schedule, bend and stoop for extended periods of time, and most of a sonographer’s day is spent standing. Because sonograph equipment improves regularly, sonographers must be able to keep up with the changing equipment procedures. At the same time, as equipment improves, the career of sonography changes and adapts increasing the number of qualified sonography technicians that are available in both rural and city locations.