An ultrasound technician or a sonographer is the one who uses special equipment with high-frequency sound waves to capture images of internal organs. With the help of these images, doctors can easily diagnose the ailments that patients are suffering from. Though an ultrasound tech is more commonly known for capturing images of the developing fetus of a pregnant woman, there are many other situations where they can prove helpful. For example, they capture other abdominal imaging like that of the pancreas, kidneys, liver, and gallbladder.

An ultrasound tech usually works in an imaging lab, independent medical facility, or in a hospital. There is some ultrasound technician education requirements and certification that needs to be met before a person can be employed as a sonographer. A person first needs to attend a two-year sonography training program. In this program, the candidate will be attending anatomy classes wherein he/she will get to learn about the human body in details. Also, they will get to learn how ultrasound works, and the program will include a practical clinic experience as well.

Since most doctors prefer to hire those candidates who have successfully completed n accredited program, make sure you do complete your education and that too from an accredited institution. After graduation, candidates can opt for certification exams that will give them a chance to practice as ultrasound technicians.

Most ultrasound technicians receive general training after which they start performing an ultrasound on patients. However, some candidates opt for special certification in certain areas like echocardiography or obstetrical ultrasound. This opens more employment doors for them, as more the experience, better will be the chances of you getting a more satisfying job.

One thing to remember is that ultrasound techs are not doctors and cannot give medical advice or diagnose a patient’s condition. They help prepare patients for the ultrasound tests, tell them exactly what will be happening, and then perform the test. The technician can answer some basic queries relating to anatomy, but cannot give their opinions on what the patients are seeing.

Once the tests are over, the technician will write down a summary of his/her findings, and submit the result to the doctor together with the still images that have been captured during the study. After reviewing the summary and the images the doctor will meet the patient and discuss their condition.

Ultrasound technicians generally have set hours of work, as an ultrasound test is very rarely an emergency. However, there can be rare situations where the technician might have to be present after normal working hours.

The requirement for ultrasound technicians is constantly on the rise. So this is a great job opportunity, and if you want to become one, get enrolled in an accredit university right away, complete your training, drop your resume, and wait for your interview call.