Medical Sonographers

HOW TO GET THERE

Typical pathway

A Canadian secondary-school student typically starts by taking science and math courses such as biology, physics, and math, and by looking for volunteer or part-time healthcare experience if available. After high school, many people enter a diagnostic medical sonography program at a college or university. Training usually includes classroom learning, lab work, and clinical placements in hospitals or clinics, where students learn to use ultrasound equipment, work with patients, and check image quality. Some employers or provinces may prefer specific programs or specialization areas, and some sonographers later gain experience in fields like cardiac, abdominal, obstetrical, or vascular sonography.

THE WORK

What you may do

Legacy duties

• Operate ultrasound imaging equipment that transmits high frequency sound pulses through the body to produce images of those parts of the body requiring examination
• Monitor examination by viewing images on video screen, to evaluate quality and consistency of diagnostic images, and make adjustments to equipment, as required
• Record, store and process scanned images by using camera unit connected to ultrasound equipment
• Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure patient safety and comfort
• Prepare examination reports for physicians to aid in the monitoring of pregnancies and the diagnosis of cardiac, abdominal, ophthalmic, vascular and other disorders
• Perform quality control checks on ultrasound equipment to ensure proper operation and perform minor repairs and adjustments as required
• May supervise and train student and other medical sonographers.
• Medical sonographers may specialize in abdominal, cardiac, cerebral, obstetrical and gynaecological, ophthalmic, intraluminal or peripheral vascular sonography. They may also specialize in adult or pediatric echocardiography or neurosonology.

SKILLS TO BUILD

Skills used in this Career